Yusuf Oketola
FORMER Deputy Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Lasun Yussuff has defected to the Labour Party.
The party has subsequently handed over the gubernatorial ticket of the party to Yussuff to contest the July 16, 2022 governorship election in the state.
Speaking with newsmen yesterday at the NUJ Press Centre, Osogbo, Yussuff warned politicians against rigging future elections in the country.
According to Yussuff, any politician thinking of rigging election in Nigeria is a dumb.
The former deputy speaker stated that the aftermath of the #EndSARS protest has shown politicians to either do the right thing or be consumed.
He stressed that the #EndSARS protest has already prepared a template for free and fair election in the country, noting that anyone planning to rig election just want to destroy Nigeria.
Yussuff said: “Today marks a good turning point in my political career for the fact that I have always been aspiring to be governor of Osun state. I have tried twice in my formal party, the All Progressives Congress.
“But today, Labour Party is giving me the opportunity of that platform and for that single honour, I will be eternally grateful to them for giving me the opportunity to come and run as the candidate of the party for the 2022 governorship election in Osun.
“Let me sound a note of warning; any politician in Nigeria that is still thinking of rigging election, in spite of the #EndSARS protest is a dumb.
“The #EndSARS protest has shown us that you either do the right thing or be consumed. My first belief is that no sane person will be planning for election in Nigeria, including the July 16, 2022 election in Osun and be planning for rigging. That politician is dumb and is doomed.
“I am so sure that the aftermath of #EndSARS has already prepared a free and fair election unless we want to destroy Nigeria and when it comes to free and fair election, we know ourselves”.
When asked about the choice of Labour Party, the former deputy speaker said: “My incline in life is towards the poor and if you study my political career very well, the persecution I have been having is because I think towards the poor. If I gravitate towards the rich, I will always be their son because they know who I am.
“I have the capacity and the intelligence to run for any office. If you gravitate towards the rich, you are no likely to think towards the poor. I chose labour party because I have inclination for the poor.
“I am very confident that Osun people will ensure my victory to be the next governor of the state.”
It would be recalled that Yussuff had resigned his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Friday, March 25, 2022.
