Presidential Polls Nigeria - Following the dismal outing by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the just concluded National Assembly polls, Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala of Oyo State has returned to the drawing board to restrategise ahead of the presidential elections slated for Saturday. Oyo Patriotic Front, a pro democracy group which has since the commencement of campaigns declared support for the governor said opposition would be living in disillusionment if it extrapolates its chances in subsequent elections on the basis of the results of the National Assembly polls. Adetunji Ajenifuja who spoke on behalf of the group said while it was sure the PDP would challenge results of the National Assembly polls, the presidential and the governorship polls would be a different ball game altogether.

He said the PDP had discovered the tricks employed by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the parliamentary polls and would fence off a repeat of that in the coming polls.

"I can tell you authoritatively that the governor and his team have returned to the drawing board and are reviewing their plans. What happened on Saturday has not weighed them down because the battle has in fact, just begun. We have seen clearly what went wrong and efforts have been directed in the right quarters," he said.

He also hinted that investigations conducted after the parliamentary polls confirmed to them some of the fraud perpetrated by the ACN in the parliamentary polls, adding that efforts have been stepped up by the governor's team to make up for the loss in the interim while a conscious move would be employed in the long run to retrieve other positions through the processes provided by law.

"We suspected challenges in certain areas though, especially in Ibadan because of the alienating campaigns of the opposition. But we knew this is just the handiwork of just a few inconsequential people who are not comfortable with the

strides of Governor Akala and are bent on destroying the legacies he has built in the last few years by selling the game of hate.

"But this is an isolated case of a greedy few who are not thinking of the collective good of the generality of the people of the state. Unfortunately, they cannot push further this mudslinging neither can they repeat their fraud.

It is stopping right on the National Assembly polls while the presidential election would give a clearer picture of the real face of the governorship battle. But as far as we know, the people of Oyo, not Ibadan have made up their minds and that is to return the governor to office," he said.

Ajenifuja however urged the people to uphold their stand and not allow any opposition party that has no clear cut developmental programme take them backwards in the resolve to take the state higher. He said a vote against the PDP in the governorship election would mean a vote against the progressive administration of Akala that is passionate about their growth and development.

Olawale Olaleye

This Day/13/04/2011