Politics

Oyo: ‘Adelabu Is Baselessly Arrogant’, Says Adeduntan

Published

7 years ago

October 14, 2019

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Dr Adeduntan addressing newsmen

Urges Ajimobi to Step Down

FORMER Commissioner for Health in Oyo State and governorship aspirant under the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019, Dr. Azeez Adeduntan has attributed the monumental loss of the party to Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) in the state to Chief Adebayo Adelabu’s arrogance .

Dr Adeduntan, also noted that the party’s governorship nominee, Chief Adelabu supposed to seek involvements of other aspirants before and after the primary but his arrogance made him felt he could win the election with the only assistance of former Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

The Otun Bashorun of Ibadanland, who stated this during a press conference with journalists on Saturday at his office in Alakia, Ibadan, the state capital also disclosed, “you can ask Ajimobi, we are very close. I told him that Seyi Makinde is my brother, we have been in this game since 2011, I may be older than Seyi Makinde but Seyi Makinde is older than me in politics, he has been in this game since 2003.

“He was first with Ladoja, he ran away when in 2007 he went to Ajimobi, he wanted to run for ANNP, he lost. He went to Baba Adedibu at Molete, he wanted to run for PDP, he was not allowed, Kamorudeen was given. He ran again in 2015, we did G7 together – Ibadan people that wanted to become governor. So, Seyi Makinde has been in this game for the past sixteen years. How can you bring somebody from Central Bank in July to come and fight somebody who has been in the bunker? It’s a fact. I told Ajimobi this and it’s on MTN, why I like technology is that it can be printed, you can quote me that I said it.

“This man is already holding down the bunker, is ready for war. I was Labour party candidate in 2011, I knew what they gave me, I was aspirant in 2015 you didn’t use us and you now have somebody that brought 100 Serena cars into town. He went further to hire Aderupoko and others who are making jest on the streets, while Seyi Makinde was going to Oyo North begging people, connecting people who can help him , you are making noise in Ibadan here. Ibadan is not the only place where they vote.

The ex-Commissioner continued, “We paid N25 million to obtain the form, how many Nigerians can burn N25 million? They brought you from the Central Bank instead of coming to some of us who have been in the game, you believe that you and Ajimobi can win, after injuring eight other people?

“What Tinubu does in Lagos is that oh Dr Adeduntan, don’t worry, you will go to the Senate, Akintola, we are going to make you an ambassador, he will satisfy everybody.

“We called him, come this gentleman, politics is not a game of accounting money in the Central Bank. You can quote me that Adeduntan said he’s an arrogant person, Adelabu is baselessly arrogant because that’s why I said no-holds-barred, I am the Otun Bashorun of Ibadanland by now. If he wants to succeed he has to go and wear the cloth of humility, if he’s going to be arrogant, not to people like us, not to Akintola, not even to Tegbe. Tegbe have first class at the University of Ife, I have MBBS with distinction, so if you did Accounting and you say you have first-class in Accounting, you’re insulting people like us.

“Accounting is just one possible subject, there are no subjects that I cannot do. Instead of coming down with humility. This man was on a high horse with Ajimobi on the streets of Ibadan and the Oyo state people were just making jest of them. So it was a monumental disaster”

Reacting to the insinuation that he has joined the PDP, a reason he congratulated Governor Seyi Makinde, Adeduntan said he is still in APC saying Makinde is his brother from the same compound in Oja-Oba, thus congratulating him has nothing to do with currying favour from him or joining PDP.

“I am saying this to you, Adeduntan is still a member of APC in Oyo State, Ajimobi is my brother, so is Seyi Makinde, we are from Ojo Oba, politics should not divide us. So, if anybody says we saw Adeduntan with Seyi Makinde, and so what? If I had won, Seyi Makinde will congratulate me. What is wrong in congratulating somebody who has won an election, does that mean Adeduntan is looking for a job from Seyi Makinde?”, he questioned.

The revered surgeon maintained that he is still in cordial relationship with former Governor Ajimobi, adding that the ex-governor has learnt his mistakes in the last election. He noted that disunity in APC enabled PDP to take power.

According to him, “APC didn’t lose the last election, PDP got governorship a la carte , we give governorship to PDP. Look at what happened in Osun state, with all the money that Adeleke had, APC still crushed him using all necessary means. It is very difficult to defeat an incumbent government, but once you become disunited, the game is over.

“For those that forgot that I contested alongside some aspirants during the 2019 governorship election on the platform of APC should recall that I did not lose in the primary election but was illegally and unconstitutionally denied the right to contest even when it was all over that my good people of Oyo State will cast their votes for me as their preferred governorship candidate, but some leaders of the party did the bidding of their paymaster.

“Oyo state is not Lagos, what Tinubu was able to escape, you cannot escape it in Oyo state, this is not a no man’s land. So what I am saying, in essence, is that you cannot come to Oyo state and say you are the leader of APC and you want to impose on the people.

“There was also no APC primary in Oyo State on September 30, 2018, but an imposition of a wrong candidate. The consequences of that failure of leadership led to the monumental failure of APC at the governorship, senatorial and state assembly and even presidential elections showing that he who sows the wind shall reap the whirlwind and that God Almighty is God of justice and will always vindicate the just.

“I have nothing personal against Ajimobi, he’s my brother and we are very brotherly. But he himself knew he made mistake, he has asked for an apology from Nigerians including me, and he’s forgiven, APC needs to move forward”, he added.

He called for comprehensive and genuine reconciliation of active APC members ahead of 2023 and urged the former governor Abiola Ajimobi to step aside and allow younger elements to take over the party in order to move it forward, just as he condemned the imposition of candidates against the wishes of other aspirants.

In his words, “APC cannot move forward if all those people that caused the trouble are still there and they are not ready to reconcile. Reconciliation comes from the mind, it comes from the heart. If APC wants to reconcile against 2023, the party must realize that it has to be one man, one vote. At least, if some of us like me would be there, it has to be a direct vote and it can not be indirect. Indirect vote killed APC in the last election.

“What I am saying, in essence, is that imposition of candidate needs to go, new leadership must emerge in APC, it cannot be the old leadership. Like I said earlier on, what is going to happen to Adeduntan between 2019 and 2023? I believe in Almighty Allah and if you’re a Christian I believe in Jesus Christ because you can’t be a Muslim without accepting Jesus Christ using the Quran. Nobody will cage Adeduntan in 2023, I don’t need APC or PDP, God Almighty will direct where Adeduntan is going to go but I am in APC right now. APC will not cage anybody.

“But, if anybody is now saying that the APC that we have today is Adelabu ‘s APC, they are deceiving themselves, because Akintola is dredging in, Tegbe and others are waiting, even Teslim and others are waiting, it must be a free party, that’s the only way APC can survive and succeed. APC will be compelled to do what it needs to do if we want to succeed as a party. APC cannot remain the way it is and succeed, if there is going to be a primary in 2023, it has to be a direct primary without anybody influencing and saying this is the person I want to impose on you.

“And let me also close that Governor Ajimobi as I said is my brother, he trained in the US, when things like this happen after this kind of disaster what I believe he should do is not even a question of calling anybody, or he himself wanted to remain, leader, I think just like Douglas said old soldiers never die; they just fade away. I think Governor Ajimobi should try to step aside a little bit, allow younger elements to take over that party, if he does not, if what he wants to do is the same thing, what happened in 2019 will be a child’s play in 2023, but I can tell you Adeduntan will not be there by the grace of God”, the ex- Commissioner concluded.

Dr Adeduntan, however thanked Olubadan of Ibadanland, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Saliu Adetunji for the honour done to him with the conferment and promise to continue to assist the people of Ibadan and by extension Oyo state.

Related Topics:Abiola Ajimobi Adebayo Adelabu Apc Dr Azeez Adeduntan Joseph Tegbe Niyi Akintola Oyo State Oyo state government PDP

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Politics

2027: Makinde Hit as 200 Ex-Councillors, Thousands of Supporters Dump His Camp for APC

Published

1 day ago

October 27, 2026

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Defectors accuse governor of neglect, vow to work for APC victory in 2027

The political camp of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has suffered a major setback following the defection of more than 200 former councillors to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The former councillors, who served in the legislatures of the state’s 33 local government areas between 2021 and 2024, announced their defection on Tuesday, declaring their readiness to mobilise their supporters for the victory of APC candidates in the 2027 general elections.

The defectors, who also claimed to have thousands of supporters behind them, were received at the APC state secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan, by the party’s state executive members led by its chairman, Otunba Moses Alake Adeyemo.

The former Senate Leader and Coordinator of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Teslim Folarin, and members of his team were also present at the secretariat on a courtesy visit when the defectors arrived.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Hon. Muili Kazeem Arowodana said their decision to leave the ruling Allied People’s Movement was driven by what he described as years of neglect, hardship and unfair treatment under the Makinde administration.

Arowodana said the former councillors served for three years without the benefits and opportunities they expected, accusing the governor of denying them the means to meet the needs of their constituents.

“We have wasted a lot of years in the Omititun camp of Governor Seyi Makinde. We have suffered untold hardship, dehumanisation and deprivation,” he said.

He alleged that funds meant for local governments were diverted through the joint account arrangement, leaving the councils with inadequate resources to execute projects and meet the needs of residents.

The former councillor also complained about poor salaries, the absence of allowances and the alleged withholding of severance benefits, which he said had left many former councillors struggling financially.

He further accused the governor of concentrating decisions on projects, contractors and costs in his administration, leaving elected representatives with little opportunity to attract meaningful development to their communities.

Arowodana said the group had decided to move on politically, expressing confidence that the APC would provide a better platform for their ambitions and the development of their communities.

He also declared the group’s support for Senator Sharafadeen Alli as the party’s preferred option for the 2027 governorship election.

According to him, the former councillors would deploy their grassroots connections to mobilise voters for Alli and other APC candidates, insisting that they were determined to help the party secure victory at the polls.

Politics

Cheshire Home Land: Alli warns Makinde against sale to private developers

Published

1 day ago

October 27, 2026

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SSACO demands immediate halt to proposed deal, says public assets belong to the people

The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO) has warned Governor Seyi Makinde against any move to sell or allocate the Cheshire Home land in Eleyele, Ibadan, to private developers, insisting that public properties must be protected for the benefit of the people.

The organisation said the reported plan had raised fresh concerns about the handling of public assets in Oyo State, warning that the state could lose valuable land needed for future public infrastructure if such properties were transferred to private interests without proper justification.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Director of Media and Publicity of SSACO, Bisi Oladele, called for an immediate halt to any proposed transaction involving the Cheshire Home land.

Oladele said the governor was only a custodian of the state’s assets and had a responsibility to protect them for present and future generations.

“Governor Makinde must understand that he is a temporary custodian of the people’s commonwealth, not its absolute owner,” the statement said.

The organisation questioned the wisdom of disposing of public land in strategic locations when the state would continue to need space for schools, hospitals, recreational centres, social welfare institutions and other essential facilities.

It warned that public assets acquired or preserved by previous administrations should not be allowed to disappear without clear explanations of the reasons for their disposal and the benefits to the people.

“What will be left for future generations if every strategically located public property is converted into a private estate, shopping complex or commercial development?” the organisation asked.

SSACO argued that as Ibadan and other parts of the state continue to grow, land would become increasingly important for public infrastructure and social services. It said government should be looking for ways to expand such facilities rather than reduce the assets available for public use.

The organisation also expressed concern about what it described as recurring controversies surrounding the ownership, allocation and commercial development of public properties under the Makinde administration.

It called on the state government to clarify the status of the Cheshire Home land and explain whether any sale or allocation to private developers was being considered.

According to SSACO, decisions involving public properties must be guided by transparency, accountability and the overall interest of residents, not commercial considerations alone.

The organisation therefore demanded an immediate suspension of any proposed sale or allocation of the land until the circumstances surrounding the reported plan were made clear.

It also urged the government to ensure that any decision concerning public assets was open to scrutiny and supported by compelling reasons.

“Oyo State belongs to its people, and its collective inheritance must be protected,” the statement added.

Politics

You Can’t Claim APC, Promote Opposition – Oyo City Boy Director, Onireti, Warns Against Selective Allegiance

Published

2 days ago

October 26, 2026

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The Oyo State chapter of the City Boy Movement has warned political groups claiming allegiance to the All Progressives Congress against promoting opposition candidates, saying party loyalty should not depend on personal interests.

The state Director of the movement, Hon. Olufemi Onireti, gave the warning in a statement on Monday, declaring the group’s support for the APC and all its candidates.

Onireti said the movement would not support some candidates of the party while backing others from rival political parties.

“We are unequivocally loyal to the APC and all its candidates. Our loyalty is not selective, and we will not support one candidate while abandoning another,” he said.

He expressed concern over the activities of groups that identify with the APC but openly campaign for candidates of other political parties.

According to him, such conduct raises questions about their commitment to the party, particularly when political interests are placed above party loyalty.

“You cannot claim to be committed to the APC while simultaneously promoting candidates of other political parties based on personal interests or political calculations,” Onireti said.

He stressed that the movement would not associate with any arrangement that undermined the APC or promoted rival candidates under the guise of supporting the ruling party.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Oyo City Boy Movement stands firmly with the APC and all its candidates. We will not be part of any arrangement that undermines the party’s interests,” he added.

Onireti also expressed appreciation to members and supporters who attended the movement’s inaugural event held last week.

He particularly thanked the Oyo State APC Chairman, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo, and the state Women Leader, Dr Mrs Felicia Adekemi Opatunde, for attending the event and supporting the movement.

He also commended the executives and members across the state’s zones for their contributions to the success of the inauguration.

The director urged APC stakeholders and affiliated groups to demonstrate consistency in their political allegiance, calling for greater discipline and unity within the party.

He said members should be able to distinguish groups genuinely committed to the APC from those whose political activities suggest otherwise.