The Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is preparing for the 2023 guber election in the state. The party is not only reconciling its warring members but also uniting political groups and caucuses within the party. As a matter of fact, members of the party have been telling whomever cares to listen that they are very ready to send the incumbent governor of the State, Engr. Seyi Makinde packing from the Agodi Government House come 2023.
The party, according to some key players within its fold, would be using the same strategy that gave birth to the present administration in the state to send them away in 2023.
It would be recalled that at the last minutes, precisely four days to gubernatorial and national assembly elections, the former governor of Oyo State Senator Rashidi Ladoja and guber candidates of the four main political parties, African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Alliance (AA), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP) all reached a consensus for PDP’s candidate, Engr. Seyi Makinde to emerge. Senator Femi Lanlehin, former SSG in the state Barr. Sarafadeen Abiodun-Ali, Barr. Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN) and co jettisoned their guber ambition for the emergence of Engr. Seyi Makinde of PDP. The alliance yielded positive results as Makinde defeated Bayo Adelabu, the APC guber candidate in the election.
Unfortunately the alliance that produced Governor Makinde has since broken down. Some key players in the alliance are now in APC, and they are ready to do everything within their political reach to wrestle power from Makinde and his party, PDP. According to them, they are ready to pay Makinde back in his own coin.
This, no doubt, explains the powerful ongoing alignments and realignments in Oyo APC. The group loyal to the former governor Abiola Ajimobi knows as SENACO and those of the late former governor Alhaji Lamidi Adesina, which is LAMISTS, as well as Unity Forum and many other caucuses are all coming together to form a formidable team for the battle ahead. Even though there are insinuations in some quarters that the allingments within the party may not see the light of the day due to what is been described as a lot of ‘vested interests, between the top hierarchy of the party. While some may be playing the card of the National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the Unity Forum and part of LAMISTS may not be well disposed to such idea. The interests of the likes of Alao-Akala, Teslim Folarin and Ayoade Adeseun are also there.
City People’s Correspondent, DARE ADENIRAN, in this special report, however, critically looked into the whole issue and present to you the key players within Oyo APC who would determine how the next governor will emerge. They are people whose influence, one way or the other, would have impact on the scheme of things as far as gubernatorial election in Oyo State in 2023 is concerned. Read on.
OTUNBA ADEBAYO ALAO-AKALA
Leave it or take it, the former governor of Oyo State, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala is a big factor in Oyo politics. He served as governor of the state under PDP but he is presently in APC. He remains a strong leader to reckon with in Ogbomosho where he hails from and Oyo State generally. He’s gotten the experience and the political wherewithal to get things done. He is the Chairman, Oyo APC Reconciliation Team. He was given the task to reconcile all the aggrieved members back to the party by the late immediate past governor of the state, Senator Isiaq Abiola Ajimobi. Though there are some forces working against his leadership within the party. Their claim is that Akala who just joined the party some years back can’t be their leader. Akala, it would be recalled, left APC long ago to join the Peoples Democratic Party, and then Labour Party, and then Action Democratic Party, before returning to APC.
SENATOR TESLIM FOLARIN
Teslim Kolawole Folarin, the senator representing Oyo Central Senatorial District in the Country’s Upper Chamber, has many things going for him. He is a former Senate Leader, he is highly cerebral and well connected. He could be best described as the bridge between the old and young politicians in Oyo APC. Like Akala, Folarin joined APC from PDP in 2017. He’s been able to build a formidable political structure for himself over the years. He is well loved and respected for his brain too. He is a political strategist. So he is one of those who determine who gets what as far as Oyo APC is concerned.
SENATOR AYOADE ADESEUN
He is another strong politician from Ogbomosho. He contested PDP guber ticket with the present governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde. The former senator who represented Oyo Central Senatorial District dumped PDP for APC shortly after the 2019 guber election. Adeseun is a respected politician who can deliver his zone in any election.
BAYO ADELABU
Chief Adebayo Adelabu was APC guber candidate in the 2019 election. His political profile is on the rise. He has the money to push his political structure. He would have won the last guber election if not for the last minutes alliance that really worked against him. But despite all that Bayo Adelabu remains a candidate to beat any day. ‘Penkelemesi’ as Bayo Adelabu is popularly called in the political circle s said to be very close to the National Leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
CHIEF NIYI AKINTOLA
Barr. Niyi Akintola (SAN) is a major force in Oyo APC. He has won several cases for the party. He wanted to contest the party’s guber ticket with Bayo Adelabu untill he opted out of the process at the last minutes. The legal luminary once again led the team of lawyers that won the case of illegal removal of local government chairmen against the incumbent governor of the state, Engr. Seyi Makinde. Niyi Akintola (SAN) has many things working for him; his experience and connections in places that matter. He is a former Deputy Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly.
MRS. FLORENCE AJIMOBI
As a result of her late husband’s involvement in politics, Chief (Mrs) Florence Ajimobi has learnt the ropes. She has won the hearts of many, especially women in Oyo State through her pet projects as the first lady then. She is the initiator of ABC Foundation, Ajumose Food Basket and all. She has a good number of people she has groomed and mentored over the years. Florence Ajimobi, no doubt, is a stakeholder in her own right in Oyo APC.
HON. SUNDAY DARE
The honourable Minister for Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare is another Ogbomosho man in Oyo APC. He is brilliant and has connections at the Federal level of the party.
SENATOR FATAI BUHARI
He is called a performing senator in Oyo and that has endeared him to many within and outside his constituency. He is the senator representing Oyo North Senatorial District. He is from Ogbomosho as well. He has proven his mettle, he is the first senator to serve two consecutive terms in his senatorial district. He has his political movement and knows how to manage people.
HON. SEGUN DOKUN ODEBUNMI
He is popularly known as Bunvic. Honourable Segun Odebunmi is presently representing Surulere/Ogo-Oluwa Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives. This is his third time in the House. He contested to be Speaker of House of Representatives at the beginning of this dispensation. That is to show you how strong is Bunvic politically.
BARR. SARAFADEEN ABIODUN-ALLI
He is a former SSG in Oyo State. When it comes to Oyo politics, Akogun Sarafadeen Abiodun-Alli is not a novice. He was the ZLP guber candidate in 2019 before he, alongside others, entered into an alliance with Engr. Seyi Makinde of PDP. He, however, joined APC when their alliance broke down. He has his own political followers and remain relevant anyday.
HON. AKEEM ADEYEMI
The Oyo Prince, Honourable Akeem Adeyemi, popularly known as ‘Skimeh’ is becoming a political institution already. Apart from the influence of his father, HIM Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, the Alaafin of Oyo, Skimeh has built a political structure for himself. Having gathered the experience right from the grassroot level. He was Chairman, Atiba Local Government. He is currently the honourable representing Afijio/Oyo West/ Oyo East/Atiba West Federal Constituency. He is factor to reckon with in Oyo APC.
PROF. ADEOLU AKANDE
Adeolu Akande, a native of Otu in Itesuwaju Local Government of Oyo State, is the Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). He is a political scientist and professor of Political Science. Akande has been around the political system of the country for a while. He has worked with several powerful men within and outside politics. He has also established himself within his immediate environment. He can never be wished away from the scheme of things as far as Oyo APC is concerned.
ALHAJI FATAI IBIKUNLE
Fatai Ibikunle is the leader of the LAMISTS group in Oyo APC. He was the Personal Assistant to former governor Lam Adesina. He is Chairman, Nigeria Lottery Regulatory Commission.
HON. DAPO LAM-ADESINA
Dapo has really done well for himself politically. He’s been able to use all the experiences gathered from his father to his own advantage. He now has his own political movement and it is getting stronger on a daily basis. He served under former governor Abiola Ajimobi as honourable commissioner for youth and sports then later to the Ministry of Science and Technology before becoming a Federal honourable. He represented Ibadan South East/North East at the House of Representatives. Due to some internal crisis, he left APC for ADC in 2018. He has since rejoined APC and getting ready for the political battle ahead.
ZACCHAEUS ADELABU
Adelabu is a star boy of Oyo APC. He is young, brilliant and politically savvy. He served under former governor Abiola Ajimobi as the honourable Commissioner of Finance. He is presently the Executive Secretary, National Sugar Development Council (NSDC).
BARR. ADEBAYO SHITTU
The former Communication Minister, Barr. Bayo Shittu, popular know as the ‘Bayo You Can Trust’, is still very much in APC. Though he was never on the same page with the late former governor Abiola Ajimobi but never left the party.
HON. ABASS ALESHINLOYE
He is the ALGON Chairman in Oyo State in the Ajimobi-led administration. He led his colleagues in a legal battle with the present administration in Oyo State for their illegal removal. They eventually won the legal battle. His influence can never be underestimated.
DR. OLUSOLA AYANDELE
He is from Ibarapa zone. He has his political structure and the money to finance it. Eruobodo, as Ayandele is popularly called, is the Managing Director, Integrated Electricity Distribution & Marketing. He is one of the gubernatorial aspirants of APC in 2019
AFEEZ BOLAJI
Afeez Bolaji (Repete) is the National Youth Leader of APC. He is young and vibrant and commands a lot of respect among the youths within and outside Oyo State.
