A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Oyo State, Alhaji Bisi Olopoeyan, has chided the Senator representing Oyo South Senatorial district, Senator Kola Balogun, saying his choice as the senatorial flag bearer in 2019 general election was a dirty slap on the party.
Olopoeyan made the remark in a statement issued on Thursday while reacting to the praise showered on the state chairman of Park Managers Disciplinary Committee, Alhaji Mukaila Lamidi (aka Auxiliary), by the Senator for attacking his person.
Olopoeyan had recently expressed bitterness over the way the PDP is being run in the state which he said made him to doubt the chances of the party’s re-election in 2023 general elections.
He lamented the alleged neglect of the party members by Governor Seyi Makinde and elected officers of the party, stating that aggrieved party members might not work for their re-election in 2023.
But while reacting to the claim by Olopoeyan, Lamidi queried his contribution to the emergence of the administration of Governor Makinde.
Senator Balogun praised Lamidi during a phone in programme on a radio station in Ibadan, for his attack on Olopoeyan.
However in a swift reaction, Olopoeyan tagged Senator Balogun as opportunist who never worked for the position he is currently occupying.
He said, “Both Auxiliary and Kola Balogun are not members of the PDP. During our struggle ahead of 2019 general election, Auxiliary was in prison, he has no voter’s card or membership card.
“Kola Balogun was a member of ADC, even governorship aspirant, he did not partake in PDP primary, Bayo Lawal won the party ticket for Oyo South Senatorial seat but the ticket was taken away from him and handed over to non-member of our party, in person of Kola Balogun.
“If not because of my support, Bayo Lawal can never win Azeez Gbolarunmi in the primary but at the end of the day, the ticket was taken from him.
“And as a party man, I had to oppose it because he was not a member of our party, and that is the reason he did not value the party.
“And I can say it boldly that if not because of our support Kola Balogun could never have defeated Ajimobi, but we have to support him because I cannot vote for another party…
“If he is a true party man, he would not be distributing a congo of beans as palliatives while members of House of Representatives such like Oluyemi Taiwo in Ibarapa and Stanley Olajide are distributing various food stuffs as palliatives.
“Senator Kola Balogun and Auxillary are birds of the same feather, there are other four legislators at the Federal level, none of them raised eyebrow because of my outburst about the situation in our party.”
