Former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, has said he did not defect from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress in search of political appointment.
Oyinlola said this while featuring on Frank Talk, a radio programme, aired by Rave FM, Osogbo on Friday.
The former national secretary of the PDP said former President Goodluck Jonathan and some party leaders from the state ensured that he did not return to the office as the scribe even after the Court of Appeal ruled that he was validly elected to occupy the office.
The former governor, who eventually teamed up with Governor Rauf Aregbesola and former Governor Isiaka Adeleke, said he told Senator Iyiola Omisore that there was no way he could win the 2014 governorship election with the albatross on his neck.
Oyinlola explained that Senator David Mark, who was the President of the Senate then, former chairman Adamu Muazu and Chief Tony Anenih talked to Jonathan to allow him to return to his office but Jonathan remained adamant.
He said, “I told my followers that I was not moving to the APC for political appointments. God has been so good to me. I was a governor for about 10 years of my life. How many Nigerians have been governors in two states? I was governor for two and a half years in Lagos. I spent about seven and a half years as a governor in Osun.
Oyinlola urged the people of the state to be praying for Governor Rauf Aregbesola for him to be successful in running the affairs of the state as the state turns 25 years old on Saturday ( today).
Meanwhile, Osun State Government has said the state has reasons to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its creation because silver jubilee is a milestone which should be celebrated.
The Consultant to the State Government on Information, Mr. Sunday Akere, said the state was mindful of the economic situation in the country and would not spend N140m on the ceremony contrary to what a group had said.
But the PDP said Aregbesola had brought untold hardship to the people of the state with his style of governance.
The factional chairman of the PDP, Mr. Soji Adagunodo, said the APC government had taken the state back.
Adagunodo said the Aregbesola-led administration had done nothing in terms of infrastructural development.