Politics
Semi Guber Contest: Men eyeing Oyo south’s senatorial seat
SENATORIAL election in the Oyo South district promises to be one of the most keenly contested, as the countdown to the elections of 2023 begins. Battle Royale will be the primary election for the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and then when the opposition candidate faces the Governor Seyi Makinde – led PDP government-imposed candidate – Engr. Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe.
To pave way for Tegbe, the incumbent Senator, Mr. Kola Balogun was edged out by the Seyi Makinde ruling cabal on the pretext of the incumbent Senator’s non-performance. Meanwhile, attempts by members of Governor Seyi Makinde’s (GSM) cabal allegedly led by former State House of Assembly Speaker and Senator, Monsurat Sunmonu to foist Tegbe as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senatorial candidate was fiercely resisted by a serial contender for the Oyo Central Senatorial seat, Chief Bisi Ilaka.
Instead, Tegbe, long-standing, close association with the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi family, and a renowned management consultant but unsuccessful gubernatorial candidate under the All Progressives Congress (APC) was handed over the Oyo South Senatorial ticket while other long-standing PDP aspirants were ordered to step down for the new bride.
Interestingly, the incumbent Senator Kola Balogun, junior brother to the newly crowned, highly revered Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, has since decamped to the opposition APC in protest to the treatment meted to him by Governor Makinde – the South West emperor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
So Tegbe and PDP would be banking mainly on Governor Makinde’s incumbency and the declining political hold on the politics of the state.
Housed by nine local governments, Oyo south senatorial district is the nucleus of Oyo state and ad rem to the emergence of state government because the district is not only the most populated but also possesses a significant voting strength.
The nine local governments included: Ibadan North, Ibadan North East, Ibadan North West, Ibadan South East, Ibadan South West, Ibarapa Central, Ibarapa East, Ibarapa North, and Ido Local Government Areas.
The All Progressives Congress (APC )candidates who have obtained forms too are many. No doubt, the candidate APC presents against Joseph Tegbe would determine who carries the day.
This Magazine, however, attempted a holistic consideration and evaluation of contenders, not pretenders in the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC)
Chief Adesoji Akanbi
The Okanlomo of Ibadanland and a leading member of the Southwest Agenda for Asiwaju (SWAGA ‘23) – a prominent political group championing the presidential bid of former governor of Lagos state, Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu has joined politics early in his career.
Adesoji Akanbi better known as SOJ represented Oyo South Senatorial District between 2015-2019. He hails from Ebuadi Compound of Inalende area of Ibadan North West Local Government.
As Senator, he had many projects to his credit and understands the political terrain, but allegedly not readily available to political gatekeepers in his district until very recently when he wanted to contest the same seat. SOJ is sure highly connected and strategic, based on his political experience, he may spring a surprise and if imposition is possible, he’s also a sure candidate.
Dr. Olusola Ayandele
Ayandele popularly addressed by his supporters and admirers as ‘Eruobodo’ is from Ibarapa axis of Oyo State and the only aspirant from that axis. The Ibarapa born industrialist, including Joseph Tegbe, Adeniyi Akintola, Azeez Adeduntan were among the governorship aspirants forced to step down in 2019.
A technocrat and well-funded politician. He has consistently oiled, maintained his political structure, networks, and contacts. It will be difficult for other candidates to get meaningful votes under whatever primary mode adopted, from the Ibarapa Local Governments who have been noted to stand by their kinsmen when in political contests with others.
Herein lies the unique strength of Eruobodo in this contest, however his weakness being rumoured was that he romanced politically with Governor Seyi Makinde before the 2019 election.
Kolapo Kola-Daisi
Highly educated, the brilliant son of wealthy and revered High Chief of Ibadanland, Chief Kola -Daisi, and son in law to Late Governor Abiola Ajimobi. He is quite new in political contests: not much think-tank was put into his political pursuit, except for the contributions of a former council gaffer of his Ibadan Northeast Local Government, Hon. Lekan Afuye.
To announce entrance into Oyo State politics, the political hot seat of South West, Nigeria, at Senatorial level, now, is not so strategic for the financial expert. Moreso, his father-in-law is no more and the same father-in-law lost election to the same seat in the immediate previous poll.
Also, his brother-in-law, Alhaji Idris Ajimobi will be contesting in the same 2023 elections as he had earlier declared and obtained forms to contest the Ibadan South-West State Constituency II seat.
Although, the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi has remained a subject of discussion in Oyo state politics and beyond due to his performance, especially in the areas of security, infrastructure, and urban renewal programmes among others with a clear tripod policy of Restoration, Transformation, Repositioning. However, thinking in political circles is that the late governor’s family members are finding subtle ways to re-dominate the political landscape of the state again after eight years as Governor plus four years as Senator (12 years).
This writer thinks that Oyo State of Nigeria is too maverick, cosmopolitan, and sophisticated politically for that kind of barber-chair revolving or recycling political chess game. But, Kolapo Kola-Daisi has a bright future politically, if he remains consistent.
Bimbo Adekanmbi
Has also obtained and submitted the expression of interest and nomination forms for the Oyo South Senatorial contest. Adekanbi was the financial emperor and brilliant egghead in the late Governor Ajimobi’s Government where he served as the Deputy Chief of Staff (DCOS) and Commissioner for Finance respectively.
The seasoned financial expert from Ona – Ara local government started his senatorial consultations earlier and he had since maintained consistency in touching lives in the senatorial district especially the Youth through his various educational programmes, but his political adventure for the Senate is faced with the herculean task of justifying the perpetuation of political governance and indirect rule through him and the late Ajimobi family.
Adekanbi, though very sharp-minded and loaded financially, does not have the political structure of his own in the nine local governments that he will be contesting. Political analysts opined that giving the APC ticket to Adekanbi or Daisi to face PDP’s Tegbe would be a subtle way of re-enacting late Governor Ajimobi’s senatorial ambition of 2019 indirectly through his surrogates while their principal Ajimobi has left the political scene.
Sarafadeen Abiodun Alli
Lawyer, former council chief of Ibadan North Local Government, Chief of Staff, and Secretary to the Oyo State Government (SSG) in ex-Governor Rasidi Ladoja’s government, is a vast grassroots politician with a wide network. Analysts submitted that it will make more political sense if contestants from Ibadan axis can adopt the former Chairman, Board of Directors, Odu’a Investment Company Limited, Alli as the Senatorial candidate.
They added that the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) will be playing a smart political card by giving Alli the ticket as he is High Chief Ladoja’s boy. However, Alli may not personally have a deep purse to pursue a Senatorial election except if a coalition of financers rises for him.
Olooye Adegboyega Adegoke
Olooye Adegboyega Taofeek Adegoke, the Aare-Onibon Balogun of Ibadanland, is also a contender for Oyo South APC Senatorial ticket. The rich philanthropist and owner of Solutions FM is not a formidable grassroots politician.
Apart from being a fat cat, and city spender, his philanthropic gesture through his foundation seems to be opening doors for him as he had successfully empowered several residents of Ibadan. Also, the businessman looks more prepared and determined for the challenges ahead.
Yes, he has been making waves through the mass media and engaging with relevant stakeholders like his competitors but winning a Senatorial election in a politically enlightened state such as Oyo requires more.
Senator Kola Balogun
The incumbent Senator Kola Balogun is warming himself and getting the consent of Senator Teslim Folarin’s group to re-contest but now under the All Progressives Congress (APC). Those who are having that ambition already in APC do not like that arrangement.
According to sources who confided in Mega Icon Magazine, Balogun seems to be coming in as the consensus candidate as the ‘Ibadan agenda’ wants to use his candidature to pacify the Olubadan palace and nullify the alleged insult that they think Governor Seyi Makinde has done for the lawmaker, younger brother to the Olubadan of Ibadanland.
No doubt, the game is getting more interesting!
Also, ready funds to mobilise delegates and voters, capacity for collaboration and alliances, what mode of primary and ability to manage the fallouts and discontent, working relationship with the Party’s Guber candidate, and whether imposition is possible from higher quarters, are other factors that are expected to be considered by the eventual winner.
But, suffice to say that former Governor Rasidi Ladoja still holds the ace as the only living political godfather in Oyo state in the choice of a possible candidate for Oyo South senatorial in the forthcoming elections.
Political Desk, Mega Icon Magazine,
08058893736.
Market men and women across Oyo South Senatorial District have declared support for the senatorial ambition of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the district, Engr. Aderemi Oseni, and reaffirmed their backing for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
The traders said their endorsement was driven by the lawmaker’s sustained grassroots interventions and what they described as his people-centred representation.
The endorsement came on Monday during an interactive engagement in Ibadan with market stakeholders drawn from the nine local government areas of the senatorial district.
At the event, Oseni supported market men and women across the district with N90 million, with each of the nine local government areas receiving N10 million to boost petty trading, expand businesses and stimulate grassroots economic activity.
In a statement by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, the lawmaker said the intervention was part of efforts to improve livelihoods and deepen economic inclusion, particularly among small-scale traders.
Oseni, who represents Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and chairs the House Committee on the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), said empowering market operators remained central to his development agenda.
He said markets remained the heartbeat of local communities, noting that traders’ resilience continues to sustain families and drive local economies.
“This intervention is aimed at strengthening their businesses, easing economic pressure and encouraging enterprise at the grassroots,” he said.
The APC chieftain added that his representation would continue to focus on practical interventions with visible impact.
“Leadership must translate into visible impact. I remain committed to initiatives that support small businesses, create opportunities for growth and complement the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
Oseni also canvassed support for President Tinubu among traders in Oyo South, saying stronger alignment between federal, state, senatorial and local government leadership would accelerate development in the state.
He listed the Tinubu administration’s initiatives to include the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND, measures to curb industrial actions in tertiary institutions, tuition-free technical colleges, construction and rehabilitation of major highways, agricultural support programmes and subsidies for cancer treatment, fuel subsidy removal, which he noted has boosted state and local government revenues.
He urged traders to mobilise support for APC candidates in the next general elections, expressing confidence that Tinubu’s re-election would further improve residents’ welfare.
Speaking on behalf of the traders, the Coordinator of Market Men and Women in Oyo South Senatorial District and Babaloja of Omi-Adio and Ido Local Government, Chief Odedele Waheed, commended the turnout and described the engagement as a demonstration of confidence in Oseni’s leadership.
He lauded the lawmaker for sustained grassroots development efforts, noting that the N90 million support would strengthen businesses across the district.
Odedele also commended the leadership of market men and women in Oyo State for granting traders approval to meet and interact with the lawmaker, saying the platform allowed them to express concerns and understand his vision for Oyo South.
The traders pledged to mobilise support across markets in the district in favour of Oseni’s electoral bid and President Tinubu’s re-election.
Those present included the Babaloja of Ibadan North East, Ibrahim Balogun; Babaloja of Ibadan South West, Rafiu Iyo; Babaloja of Ibadan North West, Alhaji Tajudeen Hammed; Alhaji Abdulraman Salawudeen; Asiwaju Oloja of Ibarapa Zone, Chief Okanlawon John Adebisi; Babaloja of Ibadan North, Chief Adewole Basirat; and Iyaloja of Ibarapa Central, Chief Ige Fausat, among others.
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.
-
News6 days agoKola Oyewo’s family to Adeleke, Ooni, Atiku: Your condolences are our pillar of strength
-
Opinion1 week ago
The Silent Thief in Nigeria’s Petrol Stations | By Solomon Oroge
-
Politics1 week ago
Oyo APC rejects Makinde’s planned December LG poll, vows boycott
-
News7 days ago
Govs Back State Police, Power Reform, Nutrition Drive, World Bank Partnership
