2011: OLURIN EYES OGUN GOVT HOUSE

By NBF News

Former Military Administrator of Oyo state and the Sole Administrator of Ekiti State, General Adetunji Olurin yesterday broke his silence on his gubernatorial ambition for the next year poll, saying he would contest the race.

Olurin spoke yesterday in Iboro, the home of the late politician, Chief Jonathan Odebiyi during a reception for the Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor, Rahamon Adekanmbi Bello.

According to him, the decision for him to contest was based on his personal desire and conviction to liberate his people from political bondage. Olurin, from Ilaro, the political headquarters of Yewa politics had been rumoured not to enjoy good health and sound mind. But addressing the people mainly Yewa and Awori, the ex-military officer debunked the claim of his detractors, saying there was nothing wrong with him.

His words: 'I heard the spurious propaganda on radio, saw them on television and read them in print. While all these deliberate provocation, name calling and maligning were going on, I personally elected to remain silent, thereby exhibiting the type of maturity they do not possess.

'For those who care to know, maturity is the hallmark of leadership. Initially, they said I am 71years old, and then they changed it to 70 years old. They capped it up by saying that I am frail and weak, blind, deaf, dumb and perpetually on hospital admission. The last time I was on admission in any hospital anywhere in the world was in 1983 for the removal of appendix. At the time they recently reported that I was in the hospital, I was indeed enjoying a well-deserved holiday cruise in the Caribbean'.

'For the past three years, I have been put under intense pressure and even cajoled at every turn by people that I believed have good intentions to get me to be interested in the current political dispensation.

'However, I had steadily refused their prodding because I did not set out with the intention of getting involved in running for elective office. My main concentration was to redress the political inequality plaguing the state to the detriment of Yewa/Awori people and use that to enhance our presence in other economic sectors of the state.

'My acceptance to run was hinged on good observation of our leaders who rightly assessed that Ogun West could lose the opportunity again through bickering that is being exploited by opportunists,' he said.