The chairman of the Accord Party in Osun, Victor Akande, says the party is ready to win the state’s forthcoming July 16 governorship election.

Mr Akande spoke with journalists on the party’s preparedness for the election.

“We have what people are yearning for. Accord Party may not be the dominant party but we have what it takes to win the election.

“Osun people are looking for a new face of governance and a new path to take. We will bring smiles on their faces,” he said.

He explained that the party had a well-established structure across the local government areas in the state to canvass votes for its candidate, Akin Ogunbiyi.

The chairman, who described the party’s candidate as a man of integrity, said Mr Ogunbiyi would put smiles on the faces of the masses if elected.

He said part of the party’s manifesto was to create a mega-investment outfit that would attract local and international investors to the state.

Mr Akande said by this, the narrative of the state being regarded as a civil service state would change.

The chairman said the party would also improve the state’s health system and offset the backlog of pension and salary arrears.

Mr Akande, however, warned political stakeholders not to see the election as a do-or-die affair.

He also condemned the statement credited to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Ademola Adeleke, that the election “will be fire for fire”.

Mr Akande said the election should be allowed to be free, fair and credible and warned against vote-buying, describing it as a devil in disguise.

“We will not be part of vote-buying, but rather, we will allow people’s vote to count. Supporting vote-buying is like destroying our future, and we will not support that,” he said.

(NAN)