A former governor of Osun State, Olagunsoye Oyinlola has joined the growing list of those who supported President Muhammadu Buhari to become president but are now regretting their actions.
Mr Oyinlola while wailing claims the South-West geo-political zone is not left out.
Mr Buhari who has sought the exalted office thrice but failed succeeded in his fourth attempt. This was not possible without a merger involving four opposition political parties to birth the now ruling All Progressive Congress (APC).
The president who hails from the North is expected to complete his tenure in 2023 having been re-elected in 2019 for another term of four years. There have been recent calls for power shift to the Southern part of the nation but some individuals from the Northern region who consider themselves influential are on the opposing side.
Narrating how the president emerged, Mr Oyinlola who described himself as a participant said the task was not an easy one. In an interview with Punch Newspapers, the former governor said convincing former president Olusegun Obasanjo to support the incumbent president was tough although their decision at the time was anything aside Goodluck Jonathan who was sought re-election on the platform of now opposing Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
On why the South-West region supported the former military ruler to become president, he said the aim was to get the country restructured but that has not been the case as at today.
Oyinlola said this was why he resigned from his appointment when it dawned on him that the president was being insincere.
“In fact, the whole world has regret now. You see when he appointed me as the chairman of National Identity Management Commission on a part-time level, I didn’t feel that was what should be my take, given the efforts put in. But if you want to serve, you must be ready to serve in any position,” the former governor said.
“I was not looking for money to build house or send anybody to school. That was why I accepted it. I quit that position when what we have discussed (what we made the manifesto of our party) was being denied, and that is restructuring.
“When Mr President said he does not know the meaning of restructuring and I know I was in all the moves with Afenifere and the South-West before his election. The principal reason these people (South-West) bought into the project was because of restructuring, only for Mr President to say he doesn’t know the meaning of restructuring again. I felt deceived and to show it, that was why I told him that he could keep his appointment.
“Restructuring was the major thing we sold to the South-West that made people to key into Buhari’s project. So, when Buhari said he does not know the meaning of restructuring, then I threw in my paper, I can’t be a chairman under you,” he added.
Oyinlola who has gone back to the PDP is not the first to have expressed displeasure at the way the president is piloting the affairs of the nation. Many, including a human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, that campaigned strenuously for Mr Buhari have also found themselves in this situation.
