A former governor of Oyo State, High Chief Rashidi Ladoja, has disclosed that he would not contest the 2019 governorship election in the state.
Ladoja, who rejoined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), disclosed this while speaking on an Ibadan-based radio station, Fresh FM, Saturday. He explained that he had personal reasons for not joining the next governorship race.
According to him, he was inching closer to the the throne of the Olubadan, a position he desires to occupy if God permits. He is currently the Osi Olubadan of Ibadan land.
Ladoja said he has other reasons to leave the stage for others because he has done enough in Oyo politics. The former governor said he took the decision in 2015 but that his former party, Accord, forced him to join the race because of his goodwill and popularity.
Ladoja, who was emphatic about his decision, said he has had enough of the governorship race, pointing out that it was part of the reasons he joined the national chairmanship race of the PDP. He said that he would not have joined the chairmanship race if he still intended to contest for the governorship in 2019.
Ladoja was the governor of the state from 2003 to 2007 under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He joined the Accord Party in 2010 and contested under his new party in 2011 and 2015.
He lost to the incumbent governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, in the two elections. But he insisted that he won the last election, stressing that he lost at the tribunal only on technical grounds.
Ladoja explained that his main agenda for seeking to be PDP’s national chairman is to right the wrongs of the past by creating a level-playing ground for all aspirants for all positions in elections across Nigeria. “I was a victim of that. I am contesting to ensure that no other party member falls victim of that. I will instill confidence in everybody by ensuring there is a level-playing ground for every party member in all parts of Nigeria,” he said
Ladoja said the All Progressives Congress (APC) would not have won the last presidential election if the PDP embraced internal democracy. He explained that the PDP governors who joined the APC did so because of lack of internal democracy.
He also denied claims by his former deputy, Adebayo Alao-Akala, that he (Ladoja) won the governorship election only at the time they worked together. Ladoja said he won because of his large following.
