By TINUBU’S INTERVENTION IN OYO: CAN APC SURVIVE AJIMOBI’S UNDOING?
BlackBox Nigeria has learnt that the Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi has been barred from open campaigns of the All Progressives Congress, APC in the state. It was gathered that the Governor has been made the fall guy for the party’s continuous bad outing in the state.
According to reports, former Lagos state Governor and National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has personally taken over overseeing of the political structure of the state ahead of Saturday’s gubernatorial and assembly elections.
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Governor Ajimobi has over the years reportedly lost contact with his people, a reason very few observers were surprised over his senate loss during the February 23rd Presidential and National Assembly elections. Ajimobi lost to PDP’s Dr. Kola Balogun while the opposition party also won three of the five House of Reps elections under Ajimobi’s Oyo South Senatorial district. APC won one while the last one is on the verge of being won by the PDP when a rerun comes up on Saturday. The APC also lost the Presidential election in the state to PDP’s Atiku Abubakar.
Ajimobi it can be deduced is now a personal non-grata with the people who helped him make history when he when he became the first person to win re-election in the history of the state.
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With APC strongman Tinubu now fully In charge, some aggrieved members of the party who left at the peak of Ajimobi’s emperor styled leadership in the state.
The first success in the Tinubu intervention bid according to those in the know is the recruitment of former Oyo state Governor and candidate of the ADP in the state, Otunba Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala who has now dumped his gubernatorial aspiration to team up with APC’s Adebayo Adelabu (Pekelemesi). With Alaka’s support, the party will now be more hopeful of getting more support and votes from his stronghold of Ogbomosho due to the peculiarity already dividing Ibadan votes.
Already the All Progressives Congress have begun appealing to the people with a recent campaign jingle distancing it from the Governor.
With many Ibadan electorates still angry with Ajimobi over his ‘disrespect of the Olubadan’, the APC now hopes to cushion the expected challenge from Ibadan with votes from Ogbomosho and Oke-Ogun where Alao-Akala has a hold on.
Also, it was reported days ago that Unity Forum, a political group of associates of the late former governor of the state, Alhaji Lamidi Adesina have also returned to the APC after dumping the party last year due to Ajimobi’s leadership style.
In the same vein, Lam Adesina’s son who represents Ibadan North East/South Federal constituency at the House of Representatives is also reportedly on his way back to the party.
Dapo Lam-Adesina walked away from the APC in 2018 after falling out with Governor Ajimobi who refused to support his re-election to the green chambers. Despite serving under the Governor as a commissioner, BlackBox Nigeria learnt that the relationship between the two hasn’t been cordial with Lam-Adesina angry that Ajimobi isn’t according his late dad enough respect by support him.
With the PDP now teaming up with top Ibadan politicians like former governor, Rashidi Ladoja, Senator Lanlehin amongst others to see the victory of Seyi Makinde, the APC appears to be leaving no stones unturned ahead of Saturday’s election.
Can Tinubu’s intervention save Oyo APC and see to the victory of Mr Penkelemesi?
Only time will tell!
