The Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, on Monday reiterated his resolve to produce a successor from the ruling All Progressive Congress(APC) in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state.
The election is slated for September 22, 2018.
The second term tenure of the Governor ends on November 26, 2018, after winning an election for another 4-year term on August 9, 2014.
Aregbesola, in a live broadcast for the New Year, on the state-owned Osun State Broadcast Corporation(OSBC), said he “would not leave in a vacuum”.
He opined that the year 2017 was a better year compare to the two previous years, promising the people a better 2018, as he lauded the residents, especially the civil servants for their perseverance and courage.
The Governor also described the year 2017 as “an harvest of deaths”, mentioning scores of his loved ones, friends, and political associates, including his mother and step mother, who passed away in the outgone year.
“This is an election year, in which our tenure will end and a successor must emerge. It is my solemn promise that we will not leave in a vacuum. In consultation with our leaders and the member of our great party, we will carefully select and present to you a successor that belongs to our political tradition of progressive people oriented leadership, a person of integrity, who shares our aspirations and will take governance to the next level from where we stopped.
“I want you therefore to conduct yourselves with the same dignity and courage of Omoluabi – a people whose conscience and soul cannot be bought, that cannot be intimidated with guns and dogs and who stand firm behind the progressive rock of political leadership.
“I must commend and thank you all most sincerely from my heart for your kind support, for the sacrifice, understanding and the willingness to do and support what is right, and not what is convenient, in the past seven years.
“I must in particular thank all the workers in the state who have laboured with us for the successful implementation of our programmes and are therefore part and parcel of our success story, especially those who have had to endure 75 per cent and 50 per cent salary regime since July 2015.
“I thank most immensely the women and their groups, market women and men, traders, artisans, workers, retirees, students, transporters, commercial motorcyclists, employers of labour, organised private sector, the business community, financial institutions, non-governmental organisations, community based organisations, youth organisations, security agencies, the media, political parties, opposition members, traditional rulers, community leaders and religious organisations and their leaders.
“It is my earnest prayer that the New Year will be peaceful, successful and usher in fresh opportunities, goodness, prosperity and abundance to all and sundry,” Aregbesola said.
