Head News Desk, VICTOR EBIMOMI, takes a look at Oyo politics and the gladiators, ahead 2015 elections.
Oyo State is known for its political sophistry and at times, violence. But beyond that, it has a history of political dynamism that is rooted in one-term governor syndrome.
The current governor, Abiola Ajumobi, of the All Progressives Congress (APC), however seems determined to rewrite the history. In 2011, he beat the then governor, Adebayo Alao-Akala of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Now, he has been given the ticket by his party to run again the 2015 election slated for February.
He defeated Dr. Abayomi Adesina, a political prince and son of the former governor of the state, Lam Adesina, and others to get the return ticket.
And from his utterances and mien after the victory, there is no doubt that he is resolved to break the jinx of one-tenure syndrome.
He told newsmen that he was hopeful that he would also win the 2015 governorship poll.
Many people claim that Ajimobi has relatively performed well. Perhaps, this encouraging assessment could be one of the reasons why he sounds confident to return to Agodi Government House.
But that may be a tough nut to crack with the emergence of Teslim Folarin, a politician who cut his political teeth under the late strongman of Ibadan politics, Lamidi Adedibu, who bestrode the political landscape of the state like a colossus till his death on June 11, 2008. Folarin is contesting the governorship on the platform of PDP.
His antecedent, political analysts say, is a pointer to his ruggedness and a testimony that he was a good student of his master.
As a new entrant in the highly sophisticated Ibadan politics in 2003, he surprised the bookmakers, though through the influence of Adedibu, to clinch the ticket of Oyo Central Senatorial District and eventually went ahead to win. At the expiration of his four-year term in the Senate, Folarin took another shot at the position in 2007 and did not only win but also emerged as Senate Leader.
In his quest for the gubernatorial ticket of PDP, Folarin was able to outmaneuver many of those that might pose obstacle on his way with his political dexterity sharpened by his closeness to Adedibu. In a race crowded by 12 aspirants, he edged out others. And in a rare political feat, one of the political heavyweights in recent time in Oyo politics, Alao-Akala, apparently unable to face the battle ahead, quit the party and picked up the Labour Party (LP) ticket for the race.
TheNiche gathered that more than any other contestant to the post, Alao-Akala had since January 2014 made his intention known with his campaign posters flooding the city of Ibadan.
He stated that he was angling to be back to the seat he vacated four years ago to help the PDP take over from APC, which he argued came into power fraudulently and so “they must go back as they cannot sustain it”.
So his failure to get the ticket and eventual dumping of the party, analysts say, is an indication that the latter must have a steely stuff to confront any opposition.
Also, another former governor of the state, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, recently disclosed that he would have re-joined the PDP, a party on which platform he became governor in 2003 but for the ‘cunning’ attitude of Folarin. Ladoja is now the leader and governorship aspirant of the Accord Party (AP).
Other aspirants for the 2015 race in the PDP appeared to have embraced Folarin’s candidacy, which many observers say, is a testimony to his potential to turn the apple cart. This much was amplified by some of the party members. For instance, a former PDP secretary, Bashiru Akanbi, recounted how they approached Folarin to run for governorship election, maintaining that, “for the PDP to send packing the APC, a strong and credible politician is needed to face them”.
The feat of PDP in Ekiti governorship election may have emboldened it to go for a strong and popular candidate in person of the former senate leader.
Aside APC, the PDP may still have many rivers to cross on its way to Agodi Government House.
Alao-Akala, for sure, may play the spoiler. Apart from having a sizeable following, the former governor might not be comfortable with Folarin occupying the exalted post for fear that he might revenge the indignity he suffered during his time. Apart from having a stint in prison over the murder of a factional chairman of the state branch of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Lateef Salako (Eleweomo), on December 30, 2010, Folarin was also denied his senatorial ticket by the leadership of the party under Alao-Akala.
Some political watchers even argued that that could be one of the reasons why Alao-Akala is throwing his hat into the ring under LP as a ‘veteran’ of the game and one-time protege, who is also adept in political intrigues.
Accord Party, can also not be ruled out in the impending dogfight for the soul of Oyo. From all indications, it is not a push-over. In 2011 general election, despite its short period on the state political landscape, the party made a very strong showing by winning seats at both the National Assembly and the State House of Assembly.
And the party has been repositioning to give account of itself in the coming election. Analysts believe that Ladoja’s experience and popularity are enough for the party to spring more surprises in the election. They are also of the view that given the recent comment attributed to Ladoja, in which he said he was denied return to PDP, the party might at worst decide to mend its strained relations with APC to spite the PDP and give the ruling party an edge.
But how far Ajimobi, Folarin, Ladoja and Alao-Akala can go in pushing through their ambitions will go a long way to make a loud statement about the politics of the state.