Politics
Oyo: Adedibu’s widow wants Makinde to immortalize late husband
Wife of the late strongman of Oyo State politics, Alhaji Lamidi Ariyibi Adedibu, Alhaja Modinat Abosede Adedibu on Tuesday announced her plan to encourage the state governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde to immortalize her late husband.
Alhaja Adedibu also appealed to those he offended while alive to forgive him, as there is no human being that does not make mistakes.
Adedibu’s widow added that since he is now late, those who offended him too must have been forgiven.
She revealed that Governor Makinde is her godson in politics and that in addition to having a cordial relationship with him, she does offer him invaluable pieces of advice.
Yeyelua Adedibu made these revelations while featuring on a radio programme, Parrot Xtra Hour on Radio, in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.
She maintained that her Late husband was a good man, humble, generous and filled with milk of human kindness, so much that he never liked anyone to be cheated but would rather come to the aid of that person.
In her words, “His detractors had so many unfavorable things to say about him. I don’t have any problem with that. You see, for example, most of the time, people would just go and hang a sign post on their landed property, saying ‘this land belongs to Baba Adedibu, my late husband. They were only doing this to protect their property. They knew nobody would dare deprive them of their hard-earned property by doing this. Some of the times, Baba would even assist such people to complete the house.
“Baba would take time to listen to both parties whenever issues were brought to his attention and he would make sure an amicable solution was arrived at. Baba was a good man.
“He hated cheating. It is just that people do not show appreciation for good deeds in our society. They like going about peddling rumors about Baba. He is no longer with us. I have already asked for the forgiveness from people he may have offended on his behalf. Nobody can walk without his head not shaking. We will all take our turns to die. It is inevitable. We must learn to forgive one another.
“I am working on how the governor will immortalize Baba. I will say it here and always that Baba did his best for the state while alive. I do not see why he should not be immortalized. An estate or something more than that should be named after him”, she submitted.
Speaking on how he met her Late husband, Mrs Adedibu said that Baba was just passing in front of her house one day when he saw her standing outside her parents’ home.
“You see the person Baba sent was one of my brothers. It took almost one and half years for me to agree to his proposal as he mounted pressures through some senior family members.
“I was afraid initially as I did not know him. Eventually we got married. I became his fourth wife”.
Furthermore, she stated that Alhaji Adedibu was a romantic husband who never allowed politics to be in the way of spending quality time with wives and children all together.
“Our marriage came about because it was ordained by God. It was destined. He was young then. He was a principled man even in politics and in family life and all relationships. He liked to treat people well. But he didn’t like being put under unnecessary pressure”.
When asked about the time some of Adedibu’s followers forcefully dragged a sitting Deputy Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Chief Adeniyi Akintola to the Molete residence of the top politician, she responded “the issue was not like that. Baba needed him to be on his side and he invited him.
“Those people sent were just being overzealous. Adedibu never told them to treat him roughly. And when he eventually got to Baba, did he announce what Baba did for him? In fact, there was a time the then President Ibrahim Babangida invited Baba too. He needed Baba to support what he was doing as President and Commander In Chief of the Armed Forces. We first thought Baba would be killed. But he was returned to us , nothing was done to him.”
Asked about her relationship with Governor Seyi Makinde, she said that it is all cordial.
“I know His Excellency, Engineer Seyi Makinde is doing well for Oyo State. The positive signs are there. Ask the people. I pray for him to achieve two terms as Governor of Oyo State”.
She further confirmed the perception that she is a kind of ‘godmother’ to the governor.
“I am proud to be seen as the godmother of the Governor of Oyo State. Yes, awa ni iyaa Governor”.
Alhaja Bose Adedibu averred that she is not looking for any political appointment, nor hoping to contest for any public office in the future adding that her children are old and qualified enough to contest and occupy any office in Nigeria.
On her much-reported plan to remarry, she said “that is the work of rumour mongers. And by the way, it is not a bad idea for me to remarry. It is my prerogative but it is not my priority presently. You Baba’s children will have to wait a long time for that to happen.”
She, however called on all politicians to shun do-or-die politics, saying that “I cannot fight them whether they are in APC, PDP or whatever. Many successful politicians in Nigeria passed through Baba and myself. All of us should see each other as brothers and sisters”.
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday held a high-level strategic meeting with the Oyo State chapter of the party as part of efforts to reposition the APC for victory and prevent internal crisis ahead of the polls.
The development was first scooped by OYOINSIGHT.COM which quoted multiple party sources familiar with the closed-door deliberations.
Sources disclosed that the meeting, held in Abuja, focused largely on a consensus arrangement being considered by stakeholders of the party in Oyo State, in line with political templates reportedly being adopted in Lagos and Ogun states ahead of the next electoral cycle.
Party insiders said the move was aimed at strengthening unity within the fold of the opposition party in the state, minimising rancour during the primaries and presenting a formidable front against rival parties in 2027.
It was further gathered that some members of the state executive committee may have been subtly informed about preferred consensus candidates being considered for elective positions across the state.
Though details of the deliberations were still sketchy as of press time, sources hinted that the national leadership stressed the need for cohesion, discipline and strategic alignment among stakeholders to improve the party’s electoral fortunes in Oyo.
Those at the meeting included the Oyo APC Chairman, Moses Alake Adeyemo; the state secretary, Fatai Adesina Adeniyi; the Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare; the Organising Secretary, Aderemi Adepoju; and the Legal Adviser, Sunday Aborisade.
Others were the Women Leader, Adekemi Opatunde; the Youth Leader, Olalekan Oladejo; Joshua Oyebamiji; Tunde Oloyede; Sunday Babalola; Joseph Omoniyi; and Mojeed Adebayo.
As of the time of filing this report, the party had yet to issue an official statement on the outcome of the meeting.
The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo, on Monday assured aspirants and party members that the party would conduct transparent, peaceful and credible direct primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Adeyemo declared that no aspirant would be victimised or denied a level playing field, stressing that the party leadership remained committed to internal democracy and progressive ideals.
The former deputy governor spoke while receiving members of the APC Screening and Appeal Committees deployed from the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja at the APC Secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan.
He disclosed that although the party initially explored consensus arrangements across elective positions, prevailing realities indicated that direct primaries would be conducted in some areas, including the governorship contest.
Adeyemo said the party had already put necessary structures in place to ensure a hitch-free exercise capable of strengthening unity within the APC.
He said: “We set machineries in motion for us to achieve the aim of consensus across board but reports available to me indicate that we would have to go by the second option which is direct primary in certain cases including the governorship ticket.
“To this end, we shall work towards organising free, fair and credible exercise in all the affected areas even as we cannot rule out the possibility of some aspirants having a rethink and supporting the consensus arrangement as necessary.
“Where we have more than an aspirant, Abuja would send people to conduct primaries and we at the state level would provide the required support to make everything work out in the interest of our great party.”
The APC chairman explained that all registered party members would participate fully in the exercise at their respective wards on dates to be announced by the National Secretariat.
According to him, affirmation would be adopted in areas where consensus candidates emerge, while voting would be conducted wherever direct primaries become necessary.
“For consensus, members will lend their voices for affirmation while voting will be done in the cases of direct primary,” he added.
Speaking earlier, Chairman of the Screening Committee and former Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Taofiq AbdusSalam, assured party faithful that the committee would carry out a thorough, transparent and unbiased screening process.
He said only eligible aspirants would be cleared to participate in the primaries and eventually fly the APC flag in the forthcoming elections.
Other members of the Screening Committee are Kamal Sanusi (Secretary), Smart Oluwole, Tunde Kolade and Olabamiji Agunloye.
Members of the Screening Appeal Committee are Jibola Oduwole (Chairman), Abimbola Jack (Secretary) and Jelil Jimoh.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress on Saturday zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to Southern Nigeria, declaring that the party’s candidate would serve a single four-year term if elected.
The decision was reached during the party’s national convention held in Abuja amid growing momentum within the opposition platform following a wave of high-profile defections from other political parties.
Announcing the development on its official social media handle, the party stated, “NDC presidential ticket is zoned to the South!!”
The party also resolved that its 2031 presidential ticket would be ceded to Northern Nigeria as part of efforts to maintain regional balance and internal equity.
The convention comes as key opposition figures, including former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and former New Nigeria People’s Party presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, joined party leaders and delegates at the Abuja gathering.
Saturday’s convention is expected to ratify several recent decisions taken by the party’s National Executive Committee, including zoning arrangements, amendments to the party constitution, and the election of new national executives.
According to the convention agenda obtained by journalists, discussions centred on zoning, ratification of the amended constitution, and leadership restructuring ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The NDC has in recent weeks witnessed a surge in defections from rival opposition parties, particularly the African Democratic Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party.
On Tuesday, no fewer than 17 members of the House of Representatives defected from the ADC to the NDC.
Their defections were formally announced during plenary at the House of Representatives.
The lawmakers include Yusuf Datti, Uchenna Okonkwo, Adamu Wakili, Thaddeus Attah, George Ozodinobi, Lilian Orogbu, Oluwaseyi Sowunmi, Peter Aniekwe, Mukhtar Zakari, George Oluwande and Munachim Umezuruike.
Others are Emeka Idu, Jesse Onuakalusi, Ifeanyi Uzokwe, Afam Ogene, Murphy Omoruyi and Abdulhakeem Ado.
The defections came barely two days after Obi and Kwankwaso formally joined the NDC from the ADC.
The duo were presented with the party’s membership cards last Sunday shortly after a closed-door meeting with party leaders.
A former Governor of Bayelsa State and NDC national leader, Seriake Dickson, officially welcomed the opposition figures into the party.
Obi had attributed his exit from the ADC to worsening internal crises, external interference and what he described as increasing hostility within party structures.
The former Anambra State governor said Nigeria’s political environment had become increasingly toxic, marked by intimidation, insecurity and sustained scrutiny of opposition figures.
He also lamented that institutions meant to protect citizens were now often deployed against them, while individuals committed to genuine public service faced mounting pressure both publicly and privately.
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