Politics
Oyo Lg Poll: No Formidable Opposition to Tackle APC- Morohunkola Thomas.
THE Executive Assistant, Political to Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, Dr. Morohunkola Thomas Wednesday said that the disintegration among the opposition parties in the state is a major factor that will not allow them to form a formidable opposition against APC.
Reacting to the insinuation that the governor’s refusal to conduct council poll was because he was afraid that some opposition parties might defeat him and create problem for his successor, the three term commissioner in the state, Dr Thomas, in an interview with Mega Icon Magazine said the governor is not afraid of the opposition.
“We have a governor that has contested election for four times. In 2003, he ran for the Senate, he won, in 2007, he won the governorship election and lost to the court, he didn’t lose on the field. Also, in 2011, he won the governorship election and he recontested again in 2015 against two former governors, and he defeated them including his own senior brother. So, why will that kind of man be afraid of conducting local government election”, he questioned.
Thomas maintains further that the governor is prepared to conduct council election, saying that ” Governor Ajimobi has constituted the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC), their offices are ready, he has released fund for them, he was prepared for the election.
“Until recently, some people went to court and got an injunction restraining the government from conducting local government election and what we have done is this, OYSIEC is waiting as soon as the litigation is over, the election will take place. As a matter of facts, we have initiated out of court settlement moves with the litigants.
” Within our own system, it is to our advantage that the local government election be conducted, Dr Thomas added.
He, however expressed with conviction that despite the rumour being peddled against the ruling party and ‘monkey tricks’ of the opposition parties in the state, no political party can beat the All Progressives Congress in subsequent elections.
“I can’t see any opposition against the local government election. When we run for that election, it will be 63-0. Where is the opposition to face us? Is it the disintegrated Accord Party (AP), majority of their members are already joining us in large numbers. In the next one month, you will see the financier of Accord Party joining our party at a public rally. On Friday last week, I was in Saki with my colleagues to receive hundreds of Accord Party members into our party.
“Is it the PDP of Makarfi or the PDP of Ali Modu Sheriff? or the Labour Party (LP) that was already falling? With the exit of Alao Akala, where is the Labour Party (LP) again?
Thomas continued, ” there could not have been any Labour Party (LP) in 2015 if an Alao Akala was not there, and now that Akala has left the Party, Labour Party is dead. The opposition parties are disintegrating before our very eyes”.
Asked how to battle the perceived third force as some opposition parties in the state are coming together to wrestle power from the ruling APC, the party Chieftain said though, in politics 24 hours is too long, but, however claimed he had perfect knowledge of the principality involves in the game.
He noted that the actors are irreconcilable and cannot manage a healthy relationship within themselves, describing the merger as a marriage of inconvenience.
“Having a merger is a difficult venture, it is a big political assignment that will only takes the likes of Tinubu to execute. How many Tinubu do we have in the PDP? I can’t see a Tinubu in the Accord or in the Labour Party.
” The opposition parties will remain disintegrated as they were. I pray that they are able to come together, because we are looking for people to thrash”, he boasted.
A former Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo, has been sworn in as the Chairman of the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), urging members of the party to rally support for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Adeyemo formally assumed office on Friday following the inauguration of the newly elected State Executive Committee members who will manage the affairs of the party in the state for the next four years.
The inauguration ceremony, held at the party’s State Secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan, marked the climax of the party’s 2026 congresses in the state.
The South-West Zonal Legal Adviser of the APC, Kolawole Majaro, administered the oath of office on Adeyemo and 35 other members of the State Executive Committee.
The executives had emerged through a consensus arrangement during the March 3, 2026 state congress held at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Ibadan, under the supervision of a committee led by Amos Gombi from the APC National Secretariat in Abuja.
In his acceptance speech, Adeyemo described his emergence as a renewed call to service, pledging to strengthen the party and sustain unity among members.
He appreciated party leaders within and outside the state for ensuring a smooth and successful congress process.
Adeyemo also commended members of the Local Organising Committee, particularly Fatai Ibikunle and Afeez Bolaji Repete, for their contributions to the success of the exercise.
He said, “This new State Executive Committee under my leadership is being put in place to add value and strengthen our great party in view of the challenges ahead.
“We have used the opportunity of the congresses to showcase our collective commitment to unity and harmony as progressives and democrats.”
The new chairman expressed optimism that the atmosphere of peace within the party would be sustained ahead of future party primaries and the 2027 elections.
According to him, the party’s target is to secure 90 per cent of the votes in Oyo State for President Tinubu while also reclaiming the state’s Government House in 2027.
Adeyemo praised the President’s leadership, saying the administration was delivering on its promises.
“President Tinubu is, no doubt, performing beyond our expectations and the best way to appreciate his good work is to retain him in Aso Rock until 2031,” he said.
“Against all odds, the President is pursuing his Renewed Hope Agenda with vigour and passion, while the positive results are being felt across sectors of the economy and national life.”
Other members of the newly inaugurated executive include Taofeek Lamidi as Deputy Chairman, Fatai Adesina as State Secretary, Adekemi Opatunde as Woman Leader, Olawale Sadare as Publicity Secretary, Olalekan Oladejo as Youth Leader, and Remi Adepoju as Organising Secretary.
Also inaugurated were Ajiboye Akinsanya as Treasurer, Sunday Aborisade as Legal Adviser, Tinuade Adigun as Auditor, Lukman Owonikoko as Assistant State Secretary, Fatimah Hassan as Deputy Woman Leader, and Jimoh Osundara as the Leader of Persons Living With Disabilities, among others.
The Senator representing Bayelsa West, Seriake Dickson, on Thursday announced his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), declaring that he had joined the newly registered Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Dickson, a former governor of Bayelsa State, made the announcement during a media briefing in Abuja, attributing his decision to what he described as irreconcilable differences within the PDP.
The lawmaker said the emergence of the NDC would strengthen Nigeria’s democratic system by providing a credible opposition platform.
According to him, the party recently received its certificate of registration from the Independent National Electoral Commission.
He said, “Last week INEC issued a certificate of registration and we now have the newest party in Nigeria known as the Nigeria Democratic Congress and our symbol is victory, the victory sign.
“So, my dear Nigerians, you now have a credible alternative opposition party known as the Nigeria Democratic Congress.”
Dickson noted that although the party’s registration took longer than expected, its eventual approval was a welcome development for the country’s democratic landscape.
“Yes, it is coming at this time. We would have wished it started some years or months back. We don’t control INEC and their processes; they delayed. We don’t also control the judiciary, but thank God it has finally arrived,” he said.
The senator also stressed that Nigeria’s democracy must not slide into a one-party system, insisting that political diversity remained vital for national stability.
“This nation cannot be a one-party state. Nigeria cannot be a one-party state. Nigeria is not designed to be a one-party state.
“We are a very diverse nation culturally, religiously and politically and that is the beauty of our country.
“So anyone or any party promoting one-party rule in Nigeria is mistaken. We build political parties and get involved in movements to access power for the good of the people, not for our personal benefit,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission recently announced the registration of two new political parties.
The parties are the Democratic Leadership Alliance and the Nigeria Democratic Congress, bringing the total number of registered political parties in Nigeria to 21.
The announcement was made by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, during the commission’s first quarterly consultative meeting with political party stakeholders for 2026.
According to him, the Democratic Leadership Alliance completed the required verification process, while the Nigeria Democratic Congress was registered in compliance with a Federal High Court order.
The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and member representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency, Hon. Aderemi Oseni, has congratulated the newly elected State Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State.
The party, at its state congress held on Tuesday at Liberty Stadium, Ibadan, elected a former Deputy Governor of the state, Moses Alake Adeyemo, as its new chairman alongside other state executive members.
Oseni, in a statement on Wednesday by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, described Adeyemo’s emergence as well-deserved, noting that his experience and longstanding commitment to the party would further strengthen its structure in the state.
He said the peaceful conduct of the congress demonstrated the party’s commitment to internal democracy and progressive leadership.
The statement said, “I congratulate our newly elected State Chairman and leader, His Excellency, Moses Alake Adeyemo, and other members of the State Executive Committee on their emergence. This victory reflects the confidence reposed in them by party members across the state.”
Oseni further expressed confidence that the new leadership would reposition the party for greater cohesion and electoral success.
According to him, “This is a critical moment for our party in Oyo State. It calls for unity, reconciliation, and renewed commitment to the ideals that bind us together as progressives.”
The federal lawmaker assured the new executives of his support and cooperation in advancing the programmes of the party and strengthening its grassroots structures.
He urged party members to rally behind the new leadership to ensure stability and secure future victories for the APC in the state.
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