Politics
‘Ilaka is a serial loser, has no political value’ – Abioye berates Oyo’s ex CoS
Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Ogo Oluwa/Surulere Federal Constituency in the 2019 general elections, Hon. Abioye Mathew Adegboyega has faulted the claim by the immediate past Chief of Staff to Oyo State Governor, Chief Luqman Oyebisi Ilaka that he lost his senatorial election to Senator Teslim Folarin by virtue of the influence of APC candidates in Ogo Oluwa/Surulere and Egbeda/Ona Ara Federal constituencies that pushed up the votes for the winner of the said Senatorial election.
Abioye, punctured the claim in his reaction to the statement made by Chief Ilaka while featuring on Fresh FM political circuit programme yesterday on his preparation to re-contest for the Oyo Central Senatorial election in 2023.
The PDP chieftain noted that what Ilaka was trying to prove was that candidates for the PDP in the said two federal constituencies were not popular and that their unpopularity was what affected his own election.
Abioye, in a statement made available to Mega Icon Magazine on Sunday said contrary to his assertion on the said radio programme, the ex-Chief of Staff was the architect of his own failure because he was never on ground to meet the electorates and canvass for their votes during the campaigns.
According to him, “I want to challenge Ilaka to come out and tell the public how many times he visited the Ogo Oluwa/Surulere Federal Constituency to meet our people and canvass them to give him their votes. Similarly, he should come out and tell the people the amount he spent before and during the said election.
“Ilaka was never on ground to canvass the people’s vote throughout the electioneering campaign at all. Now he was trying to attribute his failure to the popularity of candidates of opposition party but I am not surprised that he’s doing so. He was doing so because of the fact that they are already in talk with Hon. Dokun Odebunmi (Bunvic) to woo him to join the PDP with the aim that if Bunvic joins the PDP, it will help him to realize his ambition come 2023.
“But, I’m absolutely not perturbed by his permutation and what he said. Ilaka is a serial failure. He has tried three times in 2011, 2015 and 2019 and has failed. If you present yourself for an election first, second and third time and lost, what new things do you intend to bring?
“He is somebody who has no leadership quality and it is even worse for him now because the governor had given him platform by making him his Chief of Staff, an opportunity which he should have used to demonstrate his administrative capability and efficiency but he has failed. He has never added any political value to the people in the Senatorial district he is aspiring to represent”, the ex-lawmaker added.
On why he lost his own House of Representatives election, Hon. Abioye disclosed that the people in his constituency gave him a protest vote to express their displeasure over his support for Engr Seyi Makinde against their kinsman, Senator Ayo Adeseun during the party gubernatorial primary election between the duo in 2018.
“I lost the election because my people accused me of abandoning my own kinsman, Senator Ayo Adeseun for somebody they termed as a stranger, Engr Seyi Makinde, during the PDP gubernatorial election which was held at Liberty stadium in 2018. They were not happy that I gave all the 129 delegates from my federal constituency to Engr Makinde but they didn’t understand the reason why I supported him then.
“It is very disheartening that all the people that worked against the PDP in 2019 are now the friends of the present administration. They are the ones that are reaping bountifully where they did not sow at the expense of we that laboured for it.
“The fact that I was not compensated by the government we laboured for is now a blessing for me because it has made me more wiser and more experienced. I am an active politician, grassroot mobilizer with a track record and experience having served as a two term lawmaker in the Oyo State House of Assembly. Can such experience be ruled out”, the statement continued.
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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