Oyo 2019: A Clash of Gladiators
Among the 91 registered political parties for the 2019 general elections, 37 candidates are jostling to succeed the incumbent governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi. Obviously, there are contenders and pretenders among the 37 candidates. Worried over the long list on the ballot paper, some Ibadan Mogajis, under the banner of Authentic Mogajis in Ibadanland, appealed to the other 32 gubernatorial candidates to support any of the five leading candidates to save the electorate the agony of perusing the long list of candidates during the forthcoming polls.
The five candidates are: former secretary to the state government, Sharafadeen Alli, (ZLP); a former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Chief Bayo Adelabu (APC); Senator Olufemi Lanlehin (ADC); former governor of the state, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala (ADP) and Seyi Makinde (PDP).
The Mogajis are the representatives of all Ibadan indigenous families in the palace of the paramount ruler of Ibadan land, Olubadan. The group has clout in Ibadan land. Many of them are involved in partisan politics to ensure that credible candidates are elected for the progress of Ibadan land and the state at large.
The Mogajis argued that the long list of candidates was capable of confusing the electorate; hence there was the need to critically examine the trend in order to arrive at the best for the state They said, “Only the best is good for our state.”
Giving reasons for the shortlisted candidates, the Mogajis said they observed that all the listed candidates were enjoying massive followership across Ibadan land and other parts of the state. They, however, noted that other candidates were also credible to govern the state.
But the secretary of the Accord Party in the state, Sunday Paul Igbinsola, said few privileged elders would not determine the fate of the entire state.
“Our people are suffering and they know those who can help them. We are parading the most credible unblemished candidates for the 2019 elections in Oyo State. Since 2011, our party has been performing wonders in Oyo State. We went to elections in three months to the general elections in 2011 and had eight state Assembly and four House of Representatives members. Our party is on ground and we shall defeat other parties in 2019.”
In an interview with Daily Trust on Sunday in Ibadan on Thursday, Igbinsola said the party was cradle enough to win the governorship election. He queried why any group of elders would advise any candidate to step down for others. Sharafadeen Alli (ZLP) Oloye Sharafadeen Alli is a lawyer, politician, public administrator, philanthropist and businessman. He read Law in the University of Ibadan in 1986 and attended the Nigerian Law School, Victoria Island in 1987.
Alli became the first elected executive chairman of Ibadan North Local Government Area at the age 28, in 1991. As a great son of the soil, Alli was installed Asiwaju Balogun of Bakatari in Ido Local Government Area at the age 29, in 1992. He was the chairman, Odu’a Investment Company Limited and president of the foremost indigenous social club in Ibadan, Omo Ajorosun Club.
Alli, a grassroots politician, was appointed as the secretary to the state government and later moved to serve as the chief of staff to the governor during the regime of the former governor of the state, Senator Rasidi Ladoja.
Alli’s strength lies in the grassroots and the support of the former Governor Rasidi Ladoja. Since 2007, no political party has defeated Ladoja in Ibadan, the state capital. Ladoja and Alli are familiar with all the power blocs in the state. Seyi Makinde The oil magnate is a graduate of Electrical Engineering from the University of Lagos. He contested for the Oyo South senatorial seat on the platform of the All Nigeria People Party (ANPP). but lost to the then Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Kamoru Adedibu.
In 2014, upon the conclusion of the party’s primary election and unable to clinch the ticket, Makinde defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), on which platform he contested for the Oyo State gubernatorial election but came fifth.
In September 2017, Makinde, returned to his former political party, the Peoples Democratic Party, to pursue his governorship ambition. In September this year, Makinde emerged as the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP for the 2019 general elections in the pacesetter state. For the fact that he had never held a political office before, Makinde enjoys good name among the indigenes of Ibadan, which contributes 55 percent of the total votes in the state. But most times, good name does not translate to electoral victory for him. His good name and huge financial resources appear to be his strength for the forthcoming election. Olufemi Lanlehin (ADC) Lanlehin, a former member of the House of Representatives, who represented Ikeja federal constituency of Lagos State in 1992 on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), is the candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
He was later appointed as the legal adviser to the Alliance for Democracy in Lagos State, after which he served as commissioner for special duties, as well as special adviser to the then Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In 2002, Lanlehin left Lagos State politics and joined the political fray in Oyo State. He was elected on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) into the Senate, in April 2011, representing the Oyo South senatorial district.
In 2014, Senator Lanlehin joined the Accord Party (AP) after he left the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), following its merger with other political parties to form the All Progressive Congress (APC). In the 2015 general elections, he ran for the Oyo South senatorial district on the platform of the Accord Party (AP) and lost to the incumbent, Senator Soji Akanbi. Lanlehin may face a very tough race to the Agodi Government House as his political godfather, High Chief Rasidi Ladoja has dumped the ADC for the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) . Bayo Adelabu (APC) Adelabu is a first class graduate of Accounting from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State. He resigned from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to contest the governorship election in the 2019 general elections.
Many political observers wonder why he resigned as a top government official for the murky water of Oyo politics, especially that he still has the grace of serving another term from 2019 in the apex bank.
But Adelabu appears ready to tackle other established politicians for the coveted position. His strength lies in his youthful, intellectually sound mind, and above all, family pedigree as a grandson of a First Republic nationalist, Adegoke Adelabu Penkelemesi.
His name rings a bell across the land because of a number of investments he established to engender rapid economic growth in the state. He will also be leveraging on the CBN intervention projects he has been using his position to bring to bear on the state tertiary education and the federal might to tackle other candidates. Akala Akala was the chairman of Ogbomoso North Local Government between 1999 and 2002. He became the deputy governor of Oyo State from May 2003 to January 2006. He became the governor of the state from 2007 till May 2011.
In December 2014, Alao-Akala defected to the Labour Party from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He contested governorship election and came third.
Akala joined the ruling All Progressives Congress in December last year but recently defected to the Action Democratic Party to contest the governorship election.
As a former governor, Akala, an Ogbomoso-born politician, has structures across the state. Since he has been contesting for governorship in the state, Akala has been defeating other candidates in his five local government areas.