Politics
Oyo 2019: Olaosebikan, Tegbe, Adelabu in close chase for APC guber ticket
THE race for the gubernatorial ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State is reaching a crescendo as the State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi narrows his contemplation to three out of the over twenty aspirants jostling for the coveted seat in the party, and this is authoritative.
Highly impeccable sources close to the governor gave the names of the three top contenders as: Chief Adebayo Adelabu, Mr. Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe and Alhaji Kehinde Isiaka Olaosebikan, all, indigenes of Ibadan, the state capital
Chief Adebayo Adelabu (48) who recently resigned as a Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria is a 1992 Accounting graduate of of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife and became a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria [ICAN] in 1994. Adelabu is also a fellow of Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria [FCIB]. Before his appointment in the Central Bank, Adelabu was an Executive Director in First Bank of Nigeria. He attended Lagelu Grammar School, Ibadan and hails from Kudeti, Ibadan South East Local Government in Oyo South Senatorial District, the same senatorial district with the incumbent governor.
Oyo: Anxiety Grips Other APC Aspirants Over Tegbe’s Guber Ambition
Also, Joseph Tegbe (52) studied Civil Engineering at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife and later proceeded to Lagos Business School, Nigeria, where he obtained a MBA. Joseph Tegbe is currently a Senior Partner and Head of the Technology Advisory Services and Markets of KPMG Professional Services in Nigeria. He is also the Chairman of the National Council for Management Development [NCMD]. Tegbe went to Federal Government College, Ogbomosho. He is from Labo, Ibadan South East Local Government in Oyo South Senatorial District.
Alhaji Kehinde Isiaka Olaosebikan (56) is a 1987 Mass Communication graduate of The Polytechnic Ibadan and also holds a Master’s degree in Communication and Language Arts of the University of Ibadan. Olaosebikan disengaged from active journalism practice as the Regional Editor, North for Vanguard Newspapers in 1999 when he was called upon to serve as the Chief Press Secretary to the late Governor of Oyo State, Alhaji Lam Adesina. He held the post till 2003. Olaosebikan, the House of Representatives Candidate for the Alliance for Democracy (AD), Oluyole Federal Constituency in 2003 is a two time former Chairman of Oluyole Local Government. A professional in politics, he is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Midas Communications Limited, a public relations firm. Olaosebikan attended Ibadan City Academy, Eleta, Ibadan. He is an indigene of Onipe, Oluyole Local Government in Oyo Central Senatorial District.
The three aspirants have varied degrees of affinity with the incumbent governor of the state ranging from professional to politics. Chief Adelabu who had been visible in the programs of the state government in the last two years was appointed by Governor Ajimobi as the Chairman of Oyo State Security Trust Fund. He is holding the position till date.
Tegbe is said to be an informal adviser to the Governor on commerce and economic development. His company KPMP performed the recent staff auditing of the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS) that led to the redistribution of many workers of the corporation.
Olaosbikan, a known leading edge promoter of the APC and Oyo State Government’s policies and programmes was appointed the Chairman of School Governing Board in the novel educational revolution of Governor Ajimobi. He made the first personal donation to the education program. Reputed for his robust contributions to tourism and economic development of the state, Olaosebikan is an active participant and investor in the Transformation Industrial Park, a programe at the heart of Governor Ajimobi.
Both Adelabu and Tegbe have formally made their intentions public through declaration and sinages, Olaosebikan, a seasoned politician is at the moment concentrating efforts in winning endorsements and buy in from critical stakeholders including the youths, the cause of whom he champions, always unrelenting.
Other notable aspirants in the race on the platform of APC, include Mr. Soji Eniade, the immediate Head of Service of the state, Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN), Dr. Azeez Adeduntan, the state Commissioner for Health, and his counterparts in the ministry of Lands &Housing, Finance, Isaac Omodewu, Bimbo Adekanmbi, Professor Adeolu Akande, Engineer Aderemi Olaniyan amongst others.
The immediate past governor of the state, Otunba Christopher Adebayo Akala who has been variously mentioned as an aspirant disclosed in a recent interview that he was still making consultations.
With the ward, local government and state congresses just conducted in the state, Governor Abiola Ajimobi is in absolute control of APC machinery in the the pace setter state.
Meanwhile, the consensus among the various interest groups and leaders in the state clearly emphasized the importance of the choice of the right candidate as the solution to the lingering crisis in the party.
The Core Progressives Forum (TCPF) comprising of notable progressives across the state, proffered that the pick of gubernatorial candidate for the next year’s election is critical to the final resolution of the persistent crisis.
The group, in a statement in Ibadan said that the state governor and party leadership must ensure that the party picks a candidate with profound appeal to all the warring members and possessing adequate political experience and tenacity to galvanize party members and as well draw new members to the party. He must also be a person of high integrity known for peace, progress and development of Oyo State
According to the statement signed by the State Coordinator of the group, Alhaji Akeem Oladeji, the issue at stake has gone pass the personality of the governor, hence the need to see that the candidate of the party for the gubernatorial election possesses the right credentials and qualities requisite for victory for the party.
The group noted that once the party chooses the right candidate with the full participation of the hierarchies of the party, the crisis would dissolve.
Alhaji Oladeji said the time has come for the aggrieved members to sheath their swords and stop being egoistic and personal about issues stressing that agitating for sharing of posts now or working against the interest of the party would not yield them nor the party any good.
“With the new executives put in place at all the levels in the state, as a group made up of politically experienced people, we know the time for agitations for party posts is gone. Without apportioning blame whatsoever, we want to appeal to our people to let us all move on and join the new executives in the process of strengthening our party.
“It is a clear fact that APC remains the most potent and popular party in Oyo State and Nigeria and for anybody with serious political importance that wants progress for himself, his ward, community, local government, the state and Nigeria, APC is the place to be. We should all therefore concentrate efforts towards the growth of our party in our different wards in the overall of the party and our candidates for next year general elections.
“We also know that at this crucial stage, it is binding on the our State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and the leadership of the party to do an extensive search across the state in order to give us the right candidate that would suit the present circumstances; a candidate with the most profound appeal to the majority of our members, the aggrieved members and the generality of the people of Oyo State; a candidate with adequate knowledge and sound political experience capable of galvanizing party members and as well draw credible and valuable new members to APC.
“With the right candidate, we are certain that all the members of the Unity Forum and others grumbling within the mainstream will all return and be pleased with the leadership and the party. What every right thinking party man is looking for is continued success of the party at the polls and continuity of APC at all levels of government” Alhaji Oladeji added.
Already, a number of the warring Unity Group members are retracing their steps to the party while some are planning to exit and a few others undecided. But basically, most of their leaders particularly those with political appointments have decided to stay put in APC.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has declared the Governor of Ekiti State and candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Biodun Oyebanji, winner of Saturday’s governorship election in the state.
The Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Adenike Oladiji, announced the result at about 3:13 a.m. on Sunday in Ado-Ekiti, saying Oyebanji polled 319,224 votes to defeat his closest rivals and secure a second term in office.
According to Oladiji, who is the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Oluwole Oluyede, garnered 40,543 votes, while the African Democratic Congress candidate, Dare Bejide, secured 12,872 votes.
She said 384,940 voters were accredited for the election, while 375,777 valid votes were recorded. The electoral umpire also announced that 6,332 votes were rejected, bringing the total number of votes cast to 382,109.
The declaration capped a governorship poll largely adjudged peaceful by observers and security agencies, despite complaints of malfunctioning Bimodal Voter Accreditation System machines, delayed commencement of voting in some polling units and allegations of voter intimidation by opposition parties.
INEC said voting was conducted in all the 2,445 polling units across the state’s 16 local government areas, noting that 2,257 units, representing 92.31 per cent, opened before 8.30 a.m., while 188 polling units commenced accreditation and voting before 10.30 a.m. after experiencing minor delays.
The commission also commenced uploading polling unit results to its Results Viewing Portal shortly after the completion of voting and counting in several centres.
The PDP candidate, Oluyede, had expressed dissatisfaction with the conduct of the exercise at Ugele/Arokun Ward in Ikere Local Government Area, alleging that many prospective voters were disenfranchised due to BVAS-related challenges.
Speaking with journalists after voting at Polling Unit 006, he further alleged cases of harassment and intimidation of voters in the area.
Some elderly voters at the polling unit also lamented difficulties encountered during accreditation and urged INEC to urgently rectify the technical glitches.
The ADC candidate, Bejide, similarly alleged irregularities during the exercise.
However, Oyebanji dismissed the claims, insisting that those making allegations of electoral misconduct should provide credible evidence to support them.
The governor, who voted at Polling Unit 003, Okelele, Ikogosi-Ekiti, in Ekiti West Local Government Area, described the election as satisfactory and urged eligible voters yet to cast their ballots to do so peacefully.
The Commissioner of Police in charge of election security, Abayomi Shogunle, said no case of vote-buying was reported to security agencies throughout the exercise.
Election observers commended the peaceful atmosphere that characterised the poll but raised concerns over procedural inconsistencies.
The First Vice-President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Sebastian Anyia, described the process as orderly and peaceful, saying voter turnout was encouraging.
Similarly, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Women Trust Fund, Brenda Anugwom, lauded the resilience of female voters, many of whom remained at polling units for several hours with their children to exercise their franchise.
Yiaga Africa, however, expressed concern over discrepancies involving ballot papers, result sheets and INEC’s published list of candidates, warning that such inconsistencies could create challenges during collation and reconciliation of results.
The election observer group urged INEC to provide further clarification on the final list of participating parties and candidates and issue clear guidance to electoral officials handling result documentation.
Ahead of the poll, INEC and security agencies had repeatedly assured residents of their preparedness to deliver a peaceful, credible and transparent election, deploying personnel and restricting vehicular movement to forestall electoral violence and other offences.
The opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has rejected plans by the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde to conduct another local government election on December 26, 2026, describing the proposed exercise as illegal, premature and a calculated move to retain political influence at the grassroots beyond the governor’s tenure.
The party declared that it would neither participate in the election nor remain silent over what it termed an attempt to squander public resources on a process allegedly designed to install loyalists in the 33 local government councils and 351 wards across the state.
The controversy followed the decision of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) to shift the date earlier fixed for January 2027 to December 26, 2026, after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released the timetable for the 2027 general elections.
The move has continued to generate debate among political observers, many of whom have questioned the urgency of conducting another council poll barely six months before the expiration of the tenure of the incumbent chairmen and councillors elected in the 2024 local government elections.
In a statement issued on Thursday in Ibadan by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, the APC said it would not stop at boycotting the election but would also collaborate with “patriots and rational minds” to resist what it called an unnecessary expenditure of taxpayers’ money.
The party accused Governor Makinde of lacking commitment to local government autonomy, alleging that the administration had exercised undue control over council resources for more than seven years.
“The whole world knows that Governor Makinde does not believe in local government autonomy and, when it comes to democracy at the grassroots, he cannot be trusted for anything,” the statement said.
The APC alleged that the proposed poll was aimed at positioning individuals loyal to the governor in local councils before his exit from office on May 29, 2027, arguing that such a move would enable him to sustain political influence after leaving the Agodi Government House.
According to the opposition party, expectations among many residents are centred on ongoing efforts by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to strengthen local government autonomy and ensure that councils enjoy direct access to their statutory allocations without interference from state governments.
The APC also linked what it described as poor development outcomes in some rural communities to the operation of the state-local government joint account system. It cited communities such as Ahoro Esiele and Yawota in Oriire Local Government Area, which have reportedly faced security challenges, as examples of areas where local government resources should have translated into visible improvements.
“It is sad that Governor Makinde appears determined to sustain a system that has left many rural communities vulnerable despite huge allocations accruing to local governments monthly,” the party said.
The opposition further dismissed the local government elections conducted in 2020 and 2024 as lacking credibility, alleging that winners emerged through predetermined outcomes rather than a transparent electoral process.
“The fraud called local government polls in 2020 and 2024 should be the last the people of Oyo State would witness. Governor Makinde and his supporters should bury any thought of staging another charade in which results are announced without genuine voting and public offices become tools for the diversion of public funds,” the statement added.
The APC consequently urged officials of OYSIEC to halt preparations for the proposed December election, warning against actions capable of undermining democratic values and public confidence in the electoral process.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Oyo State Government nor OYSIEC had issued an official response to the allegations raised by the opposition party.
The lawmaker representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Aderemi Oseni, on Saturday mobilised thousands of artisans and traders across Oyo State in support of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
Oseni said the support base of the Remi Oseni Committee of Friends (ROCOF), in collaboration with other stakeholders, was intensifying efforts to deliver one million votes for the President in the state.
Oseni, Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), said artisans and traders must see themselves as critical stakeholders in President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, stressing that the success of the administration depends largely on grassroots participation.
The federal lawmaker spoke in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, during a stakeholders’ engagement with members of the ROCOF Progressive Workers and Traders’ Associations.
In a symbolic show of political readiness, scores of traders and artisans displayed their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), while Oseni urged eligible Nigerians yet to register to obtain their voter cards ahead of the next general election.
He cautioned against vote-buying and vote-selling, warning that such practices threaten the future of democracy and mortgage the destiny of younger generations.
The meeting, according to Oseni, was also convened to deepen economic support for members through empowerment programmes targeted at strengthening businesses and improving livelihoods.
He announced that requests for a N250 million interest-free loan scheme for artisans and traders, construction of an artisans’ village with stable electricity supply, and health insurance support had received approval.
According to him, the loan facility will be administered through a microfinance bank under the Remi Oseni Foundation to ensure transparency, accessibility and sustainability.
He added that road and infrastructure projects across communities would remain a major priority.
Oseni, who is seeking to represent Oyo South Senatorial District in the next election cycle, also used the meeting to explain his decision to pursue a Senate seat instead of his earlier governorship ambition.
He said the move followed consultations with party leaders and supporters.
According to him, supporters deserved clarity on the political direction of the movement.
He said: “We convened this stakeholders’ meeting to review our present position. Before now, our focus was on leading Oyo State through the governorship. That was our clear objective as a movement, but today, it has become evident that God is directing us towards the Senate.
“Our people needed to understand the reasons for this decision, the position of the party and what we have accepted in the overall interest of our political future. It is not enough for leaders to take decisions. We owe our supporters explanations and must carry them along.
“We have encouraged them to embrace this opportunity in good faith and believe that greater opportunities still lie ahead.
“Many of them felt our governorship ambition would have delivered greater benefits, but we have reassured them that the government remains supportive and the future is bright.
“We have equally assured the President that our decision to pursue the Oyo South Senate seat will not affect the one million votes earlier promised him, because ROCOF structures across the 33 local government areas are fully mobilised and committed to his re-election.”
On the crisis within the All Progressives Congress (APC), Oseni said efforts were ongoing to reconcile aggrieved members, expressing confidence that outstanding differences would soon be resolved.
He described competing interests within the party as a reflection of the APC’s growing strength and political attractiveness.
Earlier, the Oyo State Coordinator of ROCOF Progressive Workers and Traders’ Associations, Alhaji Munirudeen Adegoke, described Oseni’s empowerment drive as a strategic investment capable of reducing unemployment, youth restiveness and poverty.
Adegoke said meaningful empowerment for artisans and traders must go beyond temporary palliatives.
According to him, sustainable support requires deliberate policies that guarantee access to capital, improved infrastructure and social protection.
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