A recent viral video of Senator Lere Oyewunmi, representing Osun West Senatorial District, has been misconstrued by opposition elements and certain media outlets.
In the video, Senator Oyewunmi addressed his followers in Ikire, Irewole Local Government Area, narrating his efforts to convince voters in a particular area and using the term “mobilization” (translated from Yoruba). This was misinterpreted as “vote-buying” by political opponents and some media sections.
According to Adeolu Ajayi, Media Consultant to Senator Lere Oyewunmi, “Our attention has been drawn to a viral video of Sen.Lere Oyewunmi, the lawmaker representing Osun West Senatorial District in the upper chamber of the National Assemby, who also doubles as the Deputy Minority Leader at the Red Chamber, where he was addressing some of his followers at his hometown in Ikire, in Irewole Local Government Area of the State.
“In the viral video, which some political jobbers in the opposition in Osun State, in cahoots with some section of media had twisted to suit their parochial tendencies; Senator Oyewunmi was simply narrating the gang up against his ambition in a particular voting area around the town, and alluded to the fact that all his efforts to convince the people of the area to support him was futile.
“His notion of ‘Mobilization’ during the polls, which he expressed in Yoruba was mischievously translated by the media as Vote-buying, purposely to paint the lawmaker black in the eyes of the public.
“We want to explicitly put it on record that what Senator Lere Oyewunmi meant connotatively was ‘Funds for Mobilization ‘ and never mentioned anything close to buying of vote.
“Without mincing words, Senator Lere Oyewunmi is a revered personality with impeccable pedigree, a consumate politician with high level of intellect, it would be therefore, illogical for a sagacious politician of that standing to involve in such infraction and still come out in public to say it; such thinking by anyone defies logic.
“It is obvious that the lawmaker was addressing a gathering of locals with little or no formal education to understand the tenets of “Funds for Mobilization ” hence, the option of that pattern of expression in Yoruba Language.
“We, thereby, warn redundant politicians in the State and their co-travellers in the media to desist from such cheap propaganda, as Senator Lere Oyewunmi by ideology and orientation will never act in variance with rule of law and democratic ethos,” he added.