Politics
‘You strangulated Oyo’s growth for 4 years’ – APC tells Makinde
Oyo state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has posited that history would remember Governor Seyi Makinde as one who strangulated the growth and development of the state between 2019 and 2023 when he held sway as the executive governor after he would lose out in the next year general election.
This statement came against the backdrop of the determination of Oyo APC to dislodge the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from power in 2023 when the opposition party hope its gubernatorial candidate, Senator Teslim Folarin, would defeat all other parties’ standard bearers at the poll and thus put paid to the reelection bid of Governor Makinde as well as the aspiration of others such as Mr Adebayo Adelabu of the Accord Party.
In a statement issued on Friday and made available to journalists in Ibadan by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, Oyo APC took Makinde to the cleaners for allegedly making himself a negotiation tool in the hands of his colleague in Rivers state who was fighting a battle of life in the PDP.
“Ordinarily, we at Oyo APC should be glad that Governor Makinde has made our job easy as an opposition party desirous of sending him packing from office but it is not a thing of joy to us that the four-year period of 2019-2023 would go down in the history as the worst time when the governance was most uninspiring since the man at the helms of affairs strangulated the growth, progress and development of the state due to his incompetence, lack of focus and ego issue.
“How would an average citizen of the Pacesetter State explain to his children in the future that he had a governor who travelled out the state 23 times in six months neither to attract foreign investment nor attend to issues of interest to his state but rather to be on the entourage of his colleague governor who was fighting a political war with a superior clique within the cantankerous PDP which they all belonged?
“How would an average citizen of Oyo state tell the story of his governor (in future) when notes are to be compared among those who ruled states in the federation between 2019 and 2023 while it would be established that the likes of Governor Sanwo-Olu of Lagos delivered blue rail line and massive rice production at a time his counterpart in Oyo was siphoning funds through fictitious projects such as junction improvement and invisible gas project?
“It is on record that Governor Dave Umahi and Alhaji Atiku Bagudu of Ebonyi and Kebbi states respectively have something to show for huge investment in local rice production while Governor Makinde could not deliver his promise to export maize to Botswana. The present PDP administration has failed in all the key sectors of the economy as the sad manifestation could be seen in collapsing education, vulnerable security architecture, deplorable infrastructure, and zero agricultural plans among others.
“Governor Makinde lost it completely at the inception of his administration when he succeeded in edging out virtually all the principal actors among the coalition partners and original PDP leaders who assisted him to power. He dubbed them parasitic and never-do-well people who were not fit to move close to him as the governor of the state. Therefore, the same person (Makinde) should bury the thought of securing the confidence of any established force to rally around him in 2023 because he is now the most talked-about ingrate in the Nigerian political space”. APC said.
The lawmaker representing Akinyele/Lagelu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Akinmoyede Olafisoye Wasiu, popularly known as Lafi, has emerged as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2027 House of Representatives election after defeating two rivals in the party’s primary election.
Lafi secured victory in the keenly contested exercise held on Saturday, defeating Hon. Sulaiman Hamidu Ajibade and Hon. Danladi Ajao Wasiu by a wide margin to clinch the party’s ticket.
The primary election, conducted across the 26 wards in Akinyele and Lagelu Local Government Areas of Oyo State, witnessed a large turnout of party members amid what observers described as a peaceful and orderly process.
The incumbent lawmaker, who is serving his first term in the National Assembly, reportedly garnered overwhelming support from party faithful whom cited his performance in office and commitment to grassroots development as reasons for backing his re-election bid.
Some party members who spoke with journalists shortly after the announcement of the results said the outcome reflected the confidence reposed in the lawmaker by constituents.
“Our decision to support him is based on his proven capacity for effective representation, accessibility and unwavering commitment to the unity and growth of the party,” one of the party members said.
Others also commended the federal lawmaker’s empowerment initiatives and constituency engagements, describing them as major factors that shaped the outcome of the exercise.
Addressing party supporters after the election at Ward 7, Lalupon, Lafi expressed gratitude to APC members for their support and confidence in his leadership.
He also appealed to other aspirants and party stakeholders to close ranks and work together in the interest of unity and electoral victory in the 2027 general elections.
“This victory belongs to all of us. I appreciate the trust and confidence our party members have reposed in me, and I urge everyone to join hands with us as we continue to build a stronger and more united party ahead of the 2027 elections,” he said.
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday held a high-level strategic meeting with the Oyo State chapter of the party as part of efforts to reposition the APC for victory and prevent internal crisis ahead of the polls.
The development was first scooped by OYOINSIGHT.COM which quoted multiple party sources familiar with the closed-door deliberations.
Sources disclosed that the meeting, held in Abuja, focused largely on a consensus arrangement being considered by stakeholders of the party in Oyo State, in line with political templates reportedly being adopted in Lagos and Ogun states ahead of the next electoral cycle.
Party insiders said the move was aimed at strengthening unity within the fold of the opposition party in the state, minimising rancour during the primaries and presenting a formidable front against rival parties in 2027.
It was further gathered that some members of the state executive committee may have been subtly informed about preferred consensus candidates being considered for elective positions across the state.
Though details of the deliberations were still sketchy as of press time, sources hinted that the national leadership stressed the need for cohesion, discipline and strategic alignment among stakeholders to improve the party’s electoral fortunes in Oyo.
Those at the meeting included the Oyo APC Chairman, Moses Alake Adeyemo; the state secretary, Fatai Adesina Adeniyi; the Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare; the Organising Secretary, Aderemi Adepoju; and the Legal Adviser, Sunday Aborisade.
Others were the Women Leader, Adekemi Opatunde; the Youth Leader, Olalekan Oladejo; Joshua Oyebamiji; Tunde Oloyede; Sunday Babalola; Joseph Omoniyi; and Mojeed Adebayo.
As of the time of filing this report, the party had yet to issue an official statement on the outcome of the meeting.
The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo, on Monday assured aspirants and party members that the party would conduct transparent, peaceful and credible direct primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Adeyemo declared that no aspirant would be victimised or denied a level playing field, stressing that the party leadership remained committed to internal democracy and progressive ideals.
The former deputy governor spoke while receiving members of the APC Screening and Appeal Committees deployed from the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja at the APC Secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan.
He disclosed that although the party initially explored consensus arrangements across elective positions, prevailing realities indicated that direct primaries would be conducted in some areas, including the governorship contest.
Adeyemo said the party had already put necessary structures in place to ensure a hitch-free exercise capable of strengthening unity within the APC.
He said: “We set machineries in motion for us to achieve the aim of consensus across board but reports available to me indicate that we would have to go by the second option which is direct primary in certain cases including the governorship ticket.
“To this end, we shall work towards organising free, fair and credible exercise in all the affected areas even as we cannot rule out the possibility of some aspirants having a rethink and supporting the consensus arrangement as necessary.
“Where we have more than an aspirant, Abuja would send people to conduct primaries and we at the state level would provide the required support to make everything work out in the interest of our great party.”
The APC chairman explained that all registered party members would participate fully in the exercise at their respective wards on dates to be announced by the National Secretariat.
According to him, affirmation would be adopted in areas where consensus candidates emerge, while voting would be conducted wherever direct primaries become necessary.
“For consensus, members will lend their voices for affirmation while voting will be done in the cases of direct primary,” he added.
Speaking earlier, Chairman of the Screening Committee and former Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Taofiq AbdusSalam, assured party faithful that the committee would carry out a thorough, transparent and unbiased screening process.
He said only eligible aspirants would be cleared to participate in the primaries and eventually fly the APC flag in the forthcoming elections.
Other members of the Screening Committee are Kamal Sanusi (Secretary), Smart Oluwole, Tunde Kolade and Olabamiji Agunloye.
Members of the Screening Appeal Committee are Jibola Oduwole (Chairman), Abimbola Jack (Secretary) and Jelil Jimoh.
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