10 Brother vs. brother: Oyo’s princes battle for Senate
The race to elect the a Federal Lawmaker to represent Afijio/ Atiba/ Oyo East and Oyo West federal constituency in 2019 will be interesting. Two sons of the revered traditional ruler, the Alaafin of Oyo, are ready to slug it out with each other at the polls in 2019, though peacefully, reports say. In what appears to be a “political royal rumble” to the people of Oyo, two sons of Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III are eying the same seat, but on the platform of different political parties.
Heads or tails, one of them may emerge, because of the influence of the royal father. The Alaafin of Oyo, according to insiders, has the influence to decide who holds a political office in the state.
While Akeem Adeyemi, the current occupant of the seat since 2015 is contesting on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), his brother Adebayo Adeyemi who challenged him, has secured the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In the past decade, both princes have been in active politics in the state.
Interestingly, the duo of princes Akeem and Bayo were born in December 8 and 9, in the year 1977, respectively. Prince Akeem became Atiba LGA chairman in 2007 when he was barely 31-yearsold, while Prince Bayo was the secretary of the council in 2003, when he was just 26.
Prince Bayo Adeyemi told Daily Trust Saturday that the game will end up a win-win affair and victory for the royal father. “I don’t want to say much about the situation, but I’m sure by the end of the election, we won’t have a winner and loser,” he said.
A political pundit in the state, James Agboluwaje, described Alaafin as the father of all, but however said the royal father’s influence will give one of his sons victory come 2019. He alluded to the fact that the game will be very tough considering the fact that many of the political leaders including a serving senator who hailed from Oyo town has defected to the newly-embraced ADC. “These people are leaders on their own, and their influence cannot be underrated. If ADC presents a good candidate, Baba may need to canvass extra well for his children.”
On whether the issue may cause friction in the family, Agboluwaje said the Alaafin knows how to manage crises for political leaders, adding that such conflict resolution methods could simply be applied by the royal father to manage the affairs of the family.