With just 48 hours to the day of decision in Oyo
State, Olalekan Adetayo once again, X-rays the chances of the leading
candidates in the race for the Agodi Government House
I, ........, do solemnly swear/affirm that I will
be faithful and bear true allegiance to the Federal Republic of Nigeria;
that as the Governor of Oyo State, I will discharge my duties to the
best of my ability, faithfully and in accordance with the Constitution
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the law, and always in the
interest of the sovereignty, integrity, solidarity, well-being and
prosperity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; ........ that I will not
directly or indirectly communicate or reveal to any person any matter
which shall be brought under my consideration or shall become known to
me as Governor of Oyo State, except as may be required for the due
discharge of my duties as Governor; and that I will devote myself to the
service and well-being of the people of Nigeria. So help me God.”
The dream of the Peoples Democratic Party standard-bearer and incumbent governor of the state, Adebayo Alao-Akala; his Action Congress of Nigeria counterpart, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, and Senator Rashidi Ladoja of the Accord Party is that by May 29, 2011, one of them will be able to fill his name in the gaps provided in the above oath of office and read the same before the cheering residents of the state.
Indeed, these candidates have toiled day and night; they have spent money in millions of Naira; they have traversed the 33 local government areas of the state and they have fasted and prayed according to their religious inclinations just for one thing: that this dream may become a reality.
These men are not the only ones in the race to occupy the Agodi Government House from May 29. The Congress for Progressive Change has a former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Alhaji Bayo Shittu, as its candidate. Mr. Taiwo Otegbeye is the governorship candidate of the Action Alliance, while Dr. Azeez Adeduntan is the candidate of the Labour Party. But without prejudice to these other contenders, the race is clearly between Alao-Akala, Ajimobi and Ladoja.
Alao-Akala is the incumbent governor and by virtue of the provision of the Constitution, he is entitled to a second term of four years. Ajimobi contested against the incumbent on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party in 2007. Ladoja is the immediate past governor of the state before Alao-Akala.
Alao-Akala on the verge of making history
The Ogbomoso-born former police officer is referred to as “a man of destiny.” Even his campaign office in Mokola, Ibadan is called “Destiny House.” He came about the issue of destiny as a result of the circumstances surrounding his emergence as the governor. Alao-Akala was the deputy governor to Ladoja. He was named the governor after Ladoja’s removal was declared illegal by the court. He ruled illegally for a couple of months before the court re-instated his boss. During his reign, he won the PDP’s governorship ticket to contest the 2007 election before his boss was restored to his office and he subsequently won the election.
Of late, he has been flaunting his achievements in office as a way of wooing the electorate in the state. Some of the achievements being flaunted by the governor are what he called massive road constructions, provision of streetlights, construction of classrooms and provision of furniture and instructional materials for schools, upgrading of health facilities as well as upgrading of all the stadia in the state among others. His campaign organisation has since produced a 112-page glossy booklet tagged “151 reasons Akala should have a second term” depicting the governor’s achievements in pictures. He is also believed to have a deep pocket, profound enough to sway electorate to his side.
His re-election bid has, however, been filled with thorns. The ambition is suspected to be opposed by some bigwigs in his party, some traditional rulers and leaders of thought, especially in Ibadan, the state capital. But despite this opposition, the governor has been weathering the storm. Even if he will triumph on Tuesday, it is obvious that the victory is not going to be on a platter.
If, nonetheless, he wins, he will be making history as the first governor of the state to serve for two terms .In fact, no governor has served two terms in the state.
Ajimobi on a return match
Ajimobi, a former senator is very popular among the electorate in the state,the majority of who still believe that he won the 2007 poll but was denied victory. The ACN candidate, an Ibadan man, may be a beneficiary of the votes of Ibadan elite and their supporters. But he may have to share those votes with Ladoja who is not only an aborigine, but also an Ibadan traditional chief. He will also reap massively from the crisis in the PDP which shut the door against many of its hitherto members. Mr. Ayo Adeseun, a sentor-elect on the platform of the ACN is one of the PDP members forced out of the party. Mr. Kamil Akinlabi, who won the election to represent Afijio/Oyo East/Oyo West Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives on the platform of the ACN was also forced out of the PDP. A former Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Sharafadeen Alli, is also a victim of the PDP crisis. He has since defected to the ACN and is working assisdiously for the party. The most recent case is that of the eight anti-Alao-Akala House of Assembly lawmakers, who publicly declared for the ACN and promised to work for Ajimobi’s victory.
The initial challenge that Ajimobi faced followed the manner in which he emerged as the party’s standard-bearer, but that has been resolved, at least, so it seems. One of then aggrieved aspirants, Chief Olufemi Lanlehin, has since returned to the fold. In fact, he is now a Senator-elect and is campaigning enthusiastically for Ajimobi. Dr. Adebayo Adewusi too is campaigning for him in Ibarapa where he is calling the shots.
Though their positions would not allow them to adopt a candidate publicly, many leading monarchs in the state are said to be behind Ajimobi. This, of course, is an advantage for his ambition as many people would want to align with their rulers out of respect for the institutions.
Interestingly, if Ajimobi triumphs, he will be revenging the loss he suffered in the hands of Alao-Akala in 2007. He will also be revenging, politically speaking, for the leader of the ACN in the state, Alhaji Lam Adesina. Ladoja and Alao-Akala as his running mate beat Adesina who was the candidate of the then Alliance for Democracy in the 2003 election. “This is a return match. Alao-Akala and Ladoja rigged me out in 2003. Now, my younger brother, Ajimobi will trounce them. It is payback time. We will not rig, but Ajimobi will defeat them,” Adesina has said.
Ladoja with a mission to complete unfinished project
Since his exit from office in 2007, Ladoja, who is the Ekerin Olubadan of Ibadanland has been nursing an ambition to return to the Agodi Government House to complete the developmental projects which he started, most of which he has accused Alao-Akala of mismanaging. When he discovered that it was getting increasingly difficult for him to achieve the objective in the PDP, he joined the AP and helped build the party from scratch to maturity within four months to the extent of winning four House of Representatives seats of the 14 slots available to the state. The party also made a strong showing in the senatorial election, coming second in all the three senatorial districts.
Ladoja’s rising profile is obviously a threat to other contestants in the race. Admitting his political clout, individuals and groups including Ibadan elite have prevailed on him to drop his ambition and back Ajimobi so that Ibadan people can form a common front to fight “their common enemy.” But Ladoja will not hear any of these. He seems too sure of victory.
If Ladoja wins, he will be returning to complete the works he could not complete during his first time as a result of the dirty politics played by his erstwhile godfather,the late Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu, in connivance with some members of the state House of Assembly.
Will Alao-Akala break the jinx and take the oath again on May 29 or will Ajimobi revenge the defeat he suffered in the hands of Alao-Akala in 2007? Again, will Ladoja succeed in his bid to right the wrong done him in the past? But whatever is the political stand of these leading contenders, it is just a matter of 48 hours for the electorate to choose the next governor of the state.
By Olalekan Adetayo Courtesy Of: Punch
The dream of the Peoples Democratic Party standard-bearer and incumbent governor of the state, Adebayo Alao-Akala; his Action Congress of Nigeria counterpart, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, and Senator Rashidi Ladoja of the Accord Party is that by May 29, 2011, one of them will be able to fill his name in the gaps provided in the above oath of office and read the same before the cheering residents of the state.
Indeed, these candidates have toiled day and night; they have spent money in millions of Naira; they have traversed the 33 local government areas of the state and they have fasted and prayed according to their religious inclinations just for one thing: that this dream may become a reality.
These men are not the only ones in the race to occupy the Agodi Government House from May 29. The Congress for Progressive Change has a former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Alhaji Bayo Shittu, as its candidate. Mr. Taiwo Otegbeye is the governorship candidate of the Action Alliance, while Dr. Azeez Adeduntan is the candidate of the Labour Party. But without prejudice to these other contenders, the race is clearly between Alao-Akala, Ajimobi and Ladoja.
Alao-Akala is the incumbent governor and by virtue of the provision of the Constitution, he is entitled to a second term of four years. Ajimobi contested against the incumbent on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party in 2007. Ladoja is the immediate past governor of the state before Alao-Akala.
Alao-Akala on the verge of making history
The Ogbomoso-born former police officer is referred to as “a man of destiny.” Even his campaign office in Mokola, Ibadan is called “Destiny House.” He came about the issue of destiny as a result of the circumstances surrounding his emergence as the governor. Alao-Akala was the deputy governor to Ladoja. He was named the governor after Ladoja’s removal was declared illegal by the court. He ruled illegally for a couple of months before the court re-instated his boss. During his reign, he won the PDP’s governorship ticket to contest the 2007 election before his boss was restored to his office and he subsequently won the election.
Of late, he has been flaunting his achievements in office as a way of wooing the electorate in the state. Some of the achievements being flaunted by the governor are what he called massive road constructions, provision of streetlights, construction of classrooms and provision of furniture and instructional materials for schools, upgrading of health facilities as well as upgrading of all the stadia in the state among others. His campaign organisation has since produced a 112-page glossy booklet tagged “151 reasons Akala should have a second term” depicting the governor’s achievements in pictures. He is also believed to have a deep pocket, profound enough to sway electorate to his side.
His re-election bid has, however, been filled with thorns. The ambition is suspected to be opposed by some bigwigs in his party, some traditional rulers and leaders of thought, especially in Ibadan, the state capital. But despite this opposition, the governor has been weathering the storm. Even if he will triumph on Tuesday, it is obvious that the victory is not going to be on a platter.
If, nonetheless, he wins, he will be making history as the first governor of the state to serve for two terms .In fact, no governor has served two terms in the state.
Ajimobi on a return match
Ajimobi, a former senator is very popular among the electorate in the state,the majority of who still believe that he won the 2007 poll but was denied victory. The ACN candidate, an Ibadan man, may be a beneficiary of the votes of Ibadan elite and their supporters. But he may have to share those votes with Ladoja who is not only an aborigine, but also an Ibadan traditional chief. He will also reap massively from the crisis in the PDP which shut the door against many of its hitherto members. Mr. Ayo Adeseun, a sentor-elect on the platform of the ACN is one of the PDP members forced out of the party. Mr. Kamil Akinlabi, who won the election to represent Afijio/Oyo East/Oyo West Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives on the platform of the ACN was also forced out of the PDP. A former Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Sharafadeen Alli, is also a victim of the PDP crisis. He has since defected to the ACN and is working assisdiously for the party. The most recent case is that of the eight anti-Alao-Akala House of Assembly lawmakers, who publicly declared for the ACN and promised to work for Ajimobi’s victory.
The initial challenge that Ajimobi faced followed the manner in which he emerged as the party’s standard-bearer, but that has been resolved, at least, so it seems. One of then aggrieved aspirants, Chief Olufemi Lanlehin, has since returned to the fold. In fact, he is now a Senator-elect and is campaigning enthusiastically for Ajimobi. Dr. Adebayo Adewusi too is campaigning for him in Ibarapa where he is calling the shots.
Though their positions would not allow them to adopt a candidate publicly, many leading monarchs in the state are said to be behind Ajimobi. This, of course, is an advantage for his ambition as many people would want to align with their rulers out of respect for the institutions.
Interestingly, if Ajimobi triumphs, he will be revenging the loss he suffered in the hands of Alao-Akala in 2007. He will also be revenging, politically speaking, for the leader of the ACN in the state, Alhaji Lam Adesina. Ladoja and Alao-Akala as his running mate beat Adesina who was the candidate of the then Alliance for Democracy in the 2003 election. “This is a return match. Alao-Akala and Ladoja rigged me out in 2003. Now, my younger brother, Ajimobi will trounce them. It is payback time. We will not rig, but Ajimobi will defeat them,” Adesina has said.
Ladoja with a mission to complete unfinished project
Since his exit from office in 2007, Ladoja, who is the Ekerin Olubadan of Ibadanland has been nursing an ambition to return to the Agodi Government House to complete the developmental projects which he started, most of which he has accused Alao-Akala of mismanaging. When he discovered that it was getting increasingly difficult for him to achieve the objective in the PDP, he joined the AP and helped build the party from scratch to maturity within four months to the extent of winning four House of Representatives seats of the 14 slots available to the state. The party also made a strong showing in the senatorial election, coming second in all the three senatorial districts.
Ladoja’s rising profile is obviously a threat to other contestants in the race. Admitting his political clout, individuals and groups including Ibadan elite have prevailed on him to drop his ambition and back Ajimobi so that Ibadan people can form a common front to fight “their common enemy.” But Ladoja will not hear any of these. He seems too sure of victory.
If Ladoja wins, he will be returning to complete the works he could not complete during his first time as a result of the dirty politics played by his erstwhile godfather,the late Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu, in connivance with some members of the state House of Assembly.
Will Alao-Akala break the jinx and take the oath again on May 29 or will Ajimobi revenge the defeat he suffered in the hands of Alao-Akala in 2007? Again, will Ladoja succeed in his bid to right the wrong done him in the past? But whatever is the political stand of these leading contenders, it is just a matter of 48 hours for the electorate to choose the next governor of the state.
By Olalekan Adetayo Courtesy Of: Punch
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