This, perhaps, is coming a little earlier than the normal. The expectation within the political circle is that the race as to who becomes the next Governor of a state begins immediately after a new government is sworn in. Currently two Ibadan popular big men, Alhaji Wasiu Ajimobi, younger brother of the outgoing governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and another socialite, Alhaji Yaya Busari (aka Yaya Badara) almost engaged in a physical fight last week over who may be filled as guber candidate of the Oyo State’s All Progressives Congress, APC, come 2023.
So bad was the situation that it led to the two men involved arresting one another with the Police.The face-off between the two, we exclusively gathered, was as a result of a linked purported private discussion between Wasiu Ajimobi and his brother, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, over who should be supported as the party’s guber candidate in 2023, which was said to have favoured the recently elected senator from Oyo Central Senatorial District, Senator Teslim Kolawole Folarin.
Wasiu Ajimobi, our source said, also confided in Yaya Badara with this piece of information. And the latter, we heard, went behind to reveal this to Chief Bayo Adelabu, the APC’s guber candidate in the last election. Meanwhile, Adelabu, obviously has his eyes on the party’s ticket come 2023, in order to stage a political come back.
The whole thing, however, led to a major issue when the embittered Bayo Adelabu was said to have confronted Wasiu Ajimobi at another socialite, Andre Olajide’s daughter’s wedding in Lagos two weeks ago. Adelabu, we heard, couldn’t hide his anger over the issue; he was said to have said it to Wasiu Ajimobi’s face how disappointed he was in him for planning to support or be the one promoting Teslim Folarin.
And when pressurised to mention his source, he revealed that it was Yaya Badara who told him.It was on this revelations that Wasiu Ajimobi, last week, went to confront Yaya Badara at Sabo area of Ibadan, where they started exchanging harsh words against each other and by extension, at Gov. Ajimobi.
Yaya Badara was said to have uttered some fowl languages against Senator Abiola Ajimobi, which didn’t go down well with Wasiu Ajimobi. He thereafter went to Mokola police station to effect the arrest of Yaya Badara.According to our source, the whole thing could have degenerated into a bigger ‘roforofo’ fight, if not for intervention of the likes of Alhaji Danladi, former Commissioner for Justice & Attorney General of the state, Chief Bayo Ojo and other elders.
They were said to have all gone to Mokola police station to withdraw the case and promised to settle it amicably within those involved.For those who may not know, Wasiu Ajimobi and Yaya Badara used to be very close before now; they were like brothers in Ibadan social circle. In fact, they were both part of Bayo Adelabu’s campaign think tank prior to the last guber election.
They were also part of Adelabu’s strategic London meeting shortly before APC’s guber primaries in October 2018. So, many couldn’t but surprised at the turn of events between the two.- Dare Adeniran
