The race to the number one seat in Oyo State come 2023 is getting tougher by the day. A lot permutations from different angles have been introduced into the game. Though the believe in some quarters is that the race is between the 2 leading political parties in the state; the PDP and APC, political watchers won’t buy into such narrative. They believe other political parties, especially Accord, will also be determinant factor in the outcome of the election.
Of course, all these political intrigues and schemings are expected. The 2023 election, no doubt, is going to be make or break for some political titans in the state.
While the incumbent governor Engr. Seyi Makinde is having a running battle with both internal and external forces and some of his party members who felt betrayed or sidelined from his government (the likes of Femi Babalola, Azeem Gbolsrunmi, Mulikat Adeola-Akande, Mogaji Nureni Akanbi etc are not in good terms with him). Chief Bayo Adelabu, Hon. Sina Peller, Kolapo Kola-Daisi, Rotimi Ajanaku and co, who have dumped APC and joined Accord, on the other hand, have scores to settle with their former party. They have been threatening fire and brimstone. They have promised to teach APC a political lesson in the coming election.
Meanwhile in Accord too, the former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Bayo Adelabu and his team have not been finding it easy as well. The “founding members” of the party were not happy how new entrants were given tickets. Irrespective of where the ongoing political alignments or alliances or bargaining may tilt however, Oyo APC seems to be battle ready ahead of the guber poll. The party has been strategically working day and night to make sure they win come 2023.
This also explains why the party has put up a very formidable Campaign team, which cuts across all the senatorial districts and zones in the state. Members of the Campaign team, about 108 in number, were drawn to oversee strategic aspects of the coming election.
These areas as covered by the list include General Administration, Contact & Mobilisation, Policy, Strategy & Planning, Media & Publicity, Public & Strategic, E-Communications & New Media, Finance & Budget, INEC & Documentation, Security Affairs, Intelligence & Surveillance, Party Affairs, Logistics & Transport, Monitoring & Evaluation, Youth & Students Affairs, Women Affairs, Labour & Allied Matters, Elections Management, Venue & Protocol, Liason & Quick Intervention (in the 3 senatorial districts) Tactical & Discovery Affairs, Research & Training, Inter-party & Coalition, NGOs & CSOs Affairs, Volunteer & Indigent Affairs, Religious Matters, Intra-Party & Consolidation and Special Duties.
Dr. Isiaka Kolawole, the Deputy Executive Secretary (Services), Universal Basic Education Commision, UBEC, is the arrowhead of the team as the Director General of Teslim Folarin gubernatorial campaign. Others to work with him in managing these key positions are former Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Yemi Aderibigbe as Deputy Director General; Hon. Kehinde Subair from Oyo South; Paul Oyetunji from Oyo Central and Yinka Taiwo from Oyo North.
Others are Barr. Abiodun Adebayo; Hon. Sina Alabi; Hon. Demola Omotosho; Alhaji Kehinde Olaosebikan; Hon. Wasiu Sadare; Hon. Afeez Repete; Hon. Mojeed Olaoya; Engr. Idris Adeoye; Col. Peter Omotoso (Rtd); Hon. Isaac Omodewu, Oyo APC Chairman; AIG Sola David (Rtd); Hon. Asifu Sulaimon Adediran; Asiwaju Adekola Adeoye and Hon. Kemi Jayeona. We also have on the list the likes of Hon. Kola Bolomope; Hon. Akeem Olatunji Akogun; Hon. Kehinde Adebimpe; Alhaji Alao Sunmonu; Prince Oludele Adeoba; Dr. Isaac Kolawole; Hon. Samuel Egunjobi; Hon. Sina Adedokun; Engr. Akeem Alao; Engr. Wale Adeoye; Hon. Abidemi Siyanbade; Primate Soji Bakare; Chief Tajudeen Ariyo; Alhaji Lateed Yussuf; Prince Niran Adeyoju and Hon. Adisa Adeniji.
Naturally, other candidates under the umbrella of APC in Oyo State will also be working for Teslim Folarin. They are candidates at the 3 senatorial seats, 14 House of Reps and 33 state assembly slots. Very prominent in this category are Barr. Sarafadeen Abiodun-Alli, the party’s candidate for Oyo South senatorial district; Dr. Yunus Akintunde for Oyo Central and Senator Fatai Buhari for Oyo North and currently serving a second term. Hon. Dapo Lam-Adesina, the candidate for Ibadan North East/South East Federal Constituency and Hon. Saheed Fijabi, who is contesting Ibadan North West/Ibadan South West Federal Constituency are also there.
Apart from the above listed politicians who are directors of the strategic formations of the campaign organization, there also some powerful politicians who will be working for Teslim’s guber ambition from their respective zones. Like Senator Femi Lanlehin, the former Oyo South senator who is very prominent at the grassroot. He is one of those who abandoned the 2019 coalition that produced Seyi Makinde as governor. He excused himself from the alliance on allegation that Makinde has failed to fulfill the gentleman agreement reached by the coalition. Like Lanlehin, Senator Kola Balogun is also a former Oyo South senator who is now in APC. He also has an axe to grind with PDP based on how he was denied a return ticket of the party.
Barr. Adebayo Shittu, former Minister for Communication, is also there. He is from Saki and will be working hard to deliver his territory. So also is Senator Soji Akanbi, another former Oyo South Senator. He is also popular at the grassroot level and actively involved in Bola Tinubu presidential campaign.
There is also Prof. Deolu Akande from Itesiwsju in Oke-Ogun zone. What about Alhaji Fatai Ibikunle from Ibarapa. There are also the likes of Engr. Oyedele Hakeem Alao, a former guber aspirant and a former Chief whip of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Adigun Abiodun-Hammed, popularly called Murphy. Murphy is from Akinyele Local Government.
Others who are working to make sure APC wins the coming election are Audu Marafa; MKO Laoye, Kamorudeen Ajisafe; Olamiju Alao-Akala from Ogbomoso and Mufutau Gbayawu.
The 3 former deputy governors in the state, Barr. Iyiola Oladokun; Chief Moses Adeyemo-Alake and Aderemi Raufu Olaniyan, as well as a popular Ibadan chief and businessman, Alhaji Ismail Akinade-Fijabi are all solidly behind Folarin.
-Dare Adeniran
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