Politics

Semi Guber Contest: Men eyeing Oyo south’s senatorial seat

Published

2 years ago

May 21, 2022

4AA637234EF24D83BEFB04EF105656D2 MegaIcon Magazine

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.

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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).

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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.

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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.

Related Topics:Semi Guber Contest: Men eyeing Oyo south’s senatorial seat

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Politics

LG Poll: Makinde, OYSIEC have disappointed Oyo people – APC Calls for Cancellation

Published

16 hours ago

April 27, 2024

Idowu Ayodele

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo state has described the ongoing local government council election as a sham capable of causing the Pacesetter state untold disrepute if allowed to stand.

“And for this not to happen, the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) has to halt the exercise and reschedule it for another day when it is ready to conduct a free, fair, and credible poll.”

Reports from across the state indicate that cases of non-availability of election officials, disenfranchisement of eligible voters, shortage of voting materials, violence, and threats to life were recorded while the electoral commission appeared helpless to rescue the situation, even as voters waited endlessly in most of the affected places.

In a statement issued today and made available to journalists in Ibadan by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, Oyo APC regretted that “another opportunity to deepen democracy and return power to the people at the grassroots has had to be missed due to the insensitivity and insincerity on the part of the ruling class in the state.

“With what is happening at the moment in most Polling Units across the state, Governor Seyi Makinde has again disappointed the whole world. He promised the people that their votes would count today but the opposite is the case.

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“The good people of the state desired to participate in an election to elect a new set of council officials but what they are experiencing is nothing but a sham.

“Even if OYSIEC comes out later to declare all the candidates of the APC, we would not rate this election as credible and acceptable as it falls below the minimum global standard of election conduct. The best thing is for the Commission to suspend the exercise and choose another date for proper conduct rather than continue to connive with a few anti-democratic elements in the ruling PDP to perpetrate electoral fraud and desecration of democracy in the land.

“For the avoidance of doubt, OYSIEC started with back and forth position on the need to deploy the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for the conduct of the poll. A few days ago, the Commission recruited PDP members as its ad-hoc staff and this same set of people were saddled with the responsibilities of conducting today’s poll, and they have been carrying out the script given to them by the powers that be in the state. What could be the rationale behind taking 500 pieces of ballot papers to a Polling Unit where about 1,500 registered as eligible voters?

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“OYSIEC failed to mobilize officials to attend to prospective voters in key polling units while it also released inadequate voting materials to virtually all the polling units. In most Polling Units, officials of the Commission did not arrive until noon when most voters had left for their respective homes in frustration. This aptly validated the suspicion that the PDP had handed a script to the Commission to implement in their favor.

“In the 10 local government councils of Oke-Ogun, the official result sheets known as Form EC8A were withheld by OYSIEC’s Electoral Officers while political thugs were unleashed on some members of the opposition who asked questions in places like Kajola, Olorunsogo, Itesiwaju, Ibarapa East, Lagelu, Ido, Oyo East, Atiba, Oluyole among others. The chairman of our party in Ibarapa East, Mr. Segun Ojediran, was violently attacked by the PDP thugs in Eruwa and he is now receiving treatment in a private hospital.

“OYSIEC has failed to accommodate more than 80 percent of the eligible voters in the state today, and there is no way the meager 20 percent of people who were lucky to cast their votes lawfully can decide the fate of the vast majority. Obviously, the Commission allowed a few people to cast their votes at the polling units while the balance of majority rights to vote was secretly handed down to the PDP. Any electoral victory given behind closed doors is illegitimate, tainted, and unacceptable. Therefore, we call for the total cancellation of the whole exercise as it was done today,” APC said.

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Politics

LG Poll: Senator Alli condemns OYSIEC’s election conduct amid alleged attacks

Published

17 hours ago

April 27, 2024

Idowu Ayodele

Senator Sharafadeen Alli, representing Oyo South Senatorial District, has raised serious concerns over the conduct of the Local Government Election by the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC).

The lawmaker, who cast his vote in Ward 3 of Ibadan North Local Area, labeled the electoral process as a “sham.”

Expressing his disappointment, Senator Alli stated, “What is happening here shows there is no preparedness in the conduct of the election. I will say OYSIEC is out for another game because this is almost 11 o’clock, and officers supposed to conduct the election are not here. And this is happening in almost all voting centers in Oyo South Senatorial District.”

Senator Alli further revealed alarming incidents, including an attack on the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ibarapa East Local Government, who is reportedly in critical condition at Awojobi Hospital.

Despite these challenges, Alli urged voters to remain calm and refrain from resorting to violence.

The criticism from Senator Alli underscores growing concerns about the transparency and effectiveness of the electoral process in Oyo State.

Politics

APC Raises Alarm Over Alleged Fresh Plot by PDP to Rig LG Poll in Oyo

Published

6 days ago

April 22, 2024

Idowu Ayodele

As voters in Oyo state warm up to exercise their franchise in the local government council election slated for this Saturday, the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised the alarm over an alleged fresh plot by the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to compromise the electoral process and manipulate results in favour of its candidates as against the expectations of the whole world.

The Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) had indicated its readiness to conclude all arrangements for the emergence (through the ballots) of a new set of elected officials into the 33 local government councils with the conduct of election for the candidates of all registered political parties this Saturday and all hands appear to be on deck for the exercise.

But in a statement issued today and made available to journalists in Ibadan by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, Oyo APC berated the ruling PDP and some individuals with vested interest “over their refusal to learn democratic culture and decency as they live in the past where force, intimidation and fraudulent practices determined winners of elections.

“Political watchers and patriots in the society are worried about the shameless conduct of most PDP elements in the state who move around to boast about the plans of their leaders and powers-that-be in the state to write results rather than allow votes to count in this Saturday council election. This set of anti-democratic elements tells whoever that cared to listen they owned OYSIEC and that nobody including security agents, journalists, and accredited observers could stop them from declaring the PDP candidates as the winners in any of the Wards and local government councils.

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“For the avoidance of doubt, we have uncovered some fresh plots by a cartel of desperados in the Agodi Government House to rig the poll in favor of the PDP. This, according to an impeccable source, would afford Gov. Seyi Makinde the opportunity of sustaining his hold on the PDP ahead of the 2027 general elections. One of the plots is to influence most of the Electoral Officers in all the 33 LGAs to work with voter registers which have been doctored in such a way that most voters perceived to be either independent-minded or APC supporters would not find their names on Saturday and thereby disenfranchised.

“Also, we have it on good authority that some characters recruited from the Park Management System (PMS) are to be deployed to each Polling Unit where they would aid vote buying and intimidate voters and agents of the opposition parties at the same time. Moreover, many PDP members have been forced on OYSIEC as Ward Collation Officers and the task given to them is to frustrate the seamless collation of results in most of the 351 Wards with a view to paving the way for the submission of fake results already prepared in favour of the ruling party candidates.

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“As it stands now, all eyes are on our dear state and Gov. Makinde cannot afford to renege on his promise to deliver free, fair, and credible poll this time round. Another fact to consider is that any attempt to prevent the good people of the state from voting their conscience and rescue the third tier of government from total collapse this Saturday would not augur well for democracy in the country. Therefore, we appeal to all stakeholders particularly OYSIEC and security agents to be alive to their responsibility before, during, and after the Saturday poll since it means so much to the entire citizenry.” APC stated.