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Soji Akanbi In Retrospect : A Deciding Vote Oyo APC Missed | By Adesokan Sodeinde
2019 elections have come and gone. But, it left some memories that will continue to pullulate the political environment for a long time. One of such barometric pressure that gauged the elections and one that ultimately signalled the hard luck story of the All Progressives Congress (APC ) in Oyo state was what political pundits called ‘SOJ factor’.
Senator Adesoji Akanbi will for a long time remain a Spanish version of political magnifico in Oyo Politics, particularly considering his father figure in Oyo South senatorial district that he last represented in the red Chambers. His exit from APC barely few months to the last polls was a proverbial worst sorrow for the party.
Only an eternal students of Politics in Oyo state will downplay the defection of Senator Soji Akanbi popularly called “Okanlomo ” by his teeming admirers as quotidian occurrence in Politics. You don’t expect a party to keep it’s glory when it has ingloriously pressed an exit buttons to its major strikers. Only people without a conscience ,to whom evil is ecstasy, will go on emotional binge for loosing a goose that is reputed for laying a golden egg.
With the benefit of hindsight, it was a bitter pill for Senator Soji Akanbi to swallow to finally take a bow out of an empire he co built as a progressive. The mien of SOJ to the unedifying pronouncement inside the hallowed Chambers by the then Senate President , Bukola Saraki was unmistakable . No sooner had the apparently enthusiastic Senator Bukola mentioned that among the “big fish ‘ that had been trapped to hitch into PDP train from APC was Senator Soji Akanbi than the latter mounted the soap box to refute what was later known to be unfounded claim . It could have been a slam dunk for PDP, a party that was leaving no stone unturned to wrestle power from the ruling party preparatory to the last election. It was more like political somnambulism for the Senate president who had earlier dangled PDP automatic tickets to any turncoats. To SOJ , APC is home.
Stating the reason deitre for SOJ ‘s final decision to move out of his beloved party would amount to unnecessary repetition as he had personally laid bare the ground for his actions without grandstanding on several occasions.
One may ask , had SOJ stayed put in APC , what difference could it have made? A lot if I may say.
As a lengthened shadow and defacto engine room of his new bride, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) , the financial contribution he made to steady the boat of that party could have possibly been saved to strengthen APC.
It’s also obvious for a new emphasis that APC presidential candidate in the last election lost by hairs margin in Oyo state. See the statistics that provided strong evidence to how that ugly fate could have been reversed.
PDP polled 366, 690 votes
APC polled 365, 229
ADC came a distant third with 40, 830 votes.
While it can’t be argued that both APC and PDP were strong footed in Oyo state and heavily prepared for the election, the ADC presidential candidate, Mr Obadiah Mailafia was relatively unknown. Some people even claimed there was not a single poster or billboards of his in any corner. It therefore became glaring that if hundreds of SOJ faithfuls who cast their votes for ADC had voted for APC presidential candidate, the defeat ,which was quite narrow, could have been averted.
It leaves a sour taste in the mouth of many political observers that a party that has a winning streak to deliver massively for President Buhari in 2015 and towers above other states could end up eating an humble pie four years later. Discerning minds have heaped the blame of reversal of electoral fortune in Oyo state on Governor Ajimobi’s over bloated political clout, a delusion of grandeur that eventuated in politics of exclusion.
2015 presidential election results in Oyo state, the APC conveniently secured 528,620 votes, while the PDP scored 303,376 votes.
The same scenario played out in both Senatorial and Federal House of Representatives election in Oyo South where APC candidates were mauled by some insignificant votes by PDP.
Talking of Ibadan North West / South West federal constituency which is Senator Akanbi’s political strongholds, , the APC candidate, Hon. Fijabi Saheed would have been dancing “Azonto” after the election if SOJ had offered him a bulwark of political solidarity to rest on. See the results:
Stanley Olajide (PDP) had 28, 367 votes against Mr Saheed Fijabi who polled a total of 25, 560 votes.
What also remained a “squandered hope ” of APC to coast home victories in both Oyo South Senatorial District and even the Governorship elections couldn’t have been a mirage if ‘Okanlomo’ had thrown his weight behind APC. For example , if the Oyo South Senatorial ticket had not eluded the grasp of SOJ, his soaring credibility going by his stellar records in the zone could have saved APC from ignominy. Senator Adesoji Akanbi could have deployed into use his political sense of ” cognito circa rem’ to win landslide. With APC having three senators, the , rest could have been history so to say.
The gospel truth is that “APC fielded a candidate with a limbo existing in a negative dialectics in the eyes of the electorates to fly it’s flag in Oyo South , the jarring defeat was predictable as the party itself staggered into the election with heavy burden on it’s head.
Political pundits in Oyo state would have expected Governor Ajimobi to borrow a leaf from Senator Bola Tinubu who sacrificed his Senatorial ambition in 2007 for the party to flourish. Tinubu would have won the Senate seat against Hon Ganiyu Solomon that time but the party would have received bruises in it’s overriding interest in reclaiming Lagos State and South West region .
By and large, if Senator Adesoji Akanbi (Okanlomo) had not been denied ticket for Ajimobi , ‘ the capo dei capi’ to sub late his own self interest, who knows APC might have not been ineluctably battered and scattered like shards from a bottle dropped from the great height. Adesoji Akanbi, no doubt is a factor anytime, any day in Oyo Politics.
It’s amazing that Senator Akanbi Adesoji who trailed uncharted political path ADC barely few weeks to the election nearly hit 50,000 votes.
Former Governor Abiola Ajimobi of the APC polled 92, 218, Akanbi Rilwan Adesoji (ADC) scored 49,417 and Kola Balogun (PDP) secured 105, 270
Will APC rebound in Oyo state? Has Oyo APC learned it’s lessons in a hard way? Will the party emerge stronger from it’s present point of weakness ? Only Time will tell.
By Adesokan Sodeinde ,
A public affairs analyst and staunch APC member, writes from Eruwa , Oyo state.
The Kano State House of Assembly has initiated impeachment proceedings against Deputy Governor Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo over allegations of gross misconduct, abuse of office, and breach of public trust.
The notice was presented yesterday during plenary by the Majority Leader, Lawan Hussaini Dala, who said the action follows Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Dala said the allegations stem from Abdussalam’s tenure as Commissioner for Local Government (2023–2024) and his current role as deputy governor. He accused the deputy governor of diverting funds meant for the 44 local government councils.
According to the majority leader, Abdussalam allegedly received N1.5 million monthly from each council between June 2023 and January 2024, totaling N462 million. Between February and July 2024, he allegedly collected N3.255 million monthly from each council under the guise of special assignments, amounting to N726 million.
Dala also accused the deputy governor of abuse of office, claiming he facilitated payments of N10 million from each council to NovoMed Pharmaceuticals Limited, totaling N440 million, in violation of state procurement laws.
“The misuse of official capacity to confer undue advantage constitutes abuse of power and undermines public trust,” Dala told lawmakers, adding that the allegations amount to gross misconduct under the Constitution.
The impeachment notice was reportedly endorsed by 38 lawmakers, meeting the constitutional threshold to proceed. The Speaker has acknowledged receipt, and the House is expected to serve the allegations on the deputy governor.
If approved, a panel may be constituted by the state Chief Judge to investigate the claims.
As of filing, Abdussalam had yet to respond publicly to the allegations.
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 National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 58-year-old alleged drug lord, Uzoma Valentine Ilomuanya, who had reportedly been on the agency’s wanted list and that of British authorities for over 15 years.
Ilomuanya was apprehended in Lagos on Monday, February 23, 2026, following what the agency described as a high-level, coordinated operation by officers of its Special Operations Unit.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Director of Media and Advocacy of the agency, Femi Babafemi.
Babafemi said the suspect’s arrest ended a prolonged manhunt linked to his alleged involvement in drug trafficking activities across Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
According to the statement, Ilomuanya was first arrested in February 2003 in the United Kingdom and convicted for drug trafficking.
He was sentenced to nine years imprisonment but was released after serving two years following a successful appeal.
Babafemi added that the suspect was again arrested in the UK in July 2011 over drug-related offences.
He said, “He was granted administrative bail but jumped jurisdiction and fled to Nigeria.
“Typical of a recidivist, Ilomuanya was in November 2018 arrested in Nigeria by NDLEA operatives following the discovery of two clandestine methamphetamine laboratories in his Obinugwu, Orlu Local Government Area country home in Imo State and at his No. 3 Barrister Declan Uzoma Close, Lagos residence where officers recovered 77.960 kilograms of methamphetamine and extensive production equipment.
“He was subsequently charged before a Federal High Court in Lagos, after which he jumped court bail and has been on the run since then.”
Reacting to the development, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), described the arrest as a major breakthrough in the agency’s ongoing war against drug trafficking networks.
Marwa said the operation demonstrated the agency’s resolve to track down criminal elements regardless of how long they evade the law.
He said, “This arrest serves as a stern warning to those who think they can hide behind borders to escape justice.
“Whether you jump bail in London or set up clandestine labs in your village, the long arm of the NDLEA will eventually catch up with those who choose to undermine the health, security, and future of our nation.
“We remain committed to our international collaborations to ensure that Nigeria is not used as a sanctuary for global drug lords.”
Marwa also commended officers of the Special Operations Unit for their professionalism and persistence in tracking down the suspect.
He added that the agency would continue to strengthen intelligence-driven operations and international cooperation to dismantle drug trafficking networks operating within and beyond Nigeria.
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