Barr. Bayo Ojo SAN is my very good friend and brother.
I have known him for over twenty years now and I must confess that I am writing this piece with some pain inside of me but what needs to be done must be done.
I came across a Facebook post by him a couple of minutes ago.
In the Facebook post, he tendered what he called an unreserved apology to Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state.
He said he had earlier made a post against Governor Makinde’s claims that he was promised the Ministerial slot for Oyo state during negotiations with the G-5 before the 2023 general election.
He however said that after meeting with an unnamed ‘ Patriot’ who, he claimed was part of the negotiating team at the time, his earlier opposition to Governor Seyi Makinde’s claims changed.
According to him, the unnamed ‘ Patriot’ admitted that indeed, Governor Makinde was promised the Ministerial slot for Oyo state and therefore, he saw the need to tender an unreserved apology to the Governor of Oyo state.
If he had stopped at that, perhaps, I would have been able to swallow my anger and frustrations.
In the first place, Barr. Ojo SAN is entitled to tender unreserved apologies to whosoever he feels he owes one.
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You can not beef him about that since he tendered the said apology on his name.
You could have issues with the narratives about whether those who purportedly made the alleged agreement with Governor Makinde in 2023 had the fear of God in them or if the narrative itself is correct but when you consider the fact that the issue of the Ministerial slot have been overtaken by events, one might leave the issue for posterity.
However, I have serious issues with Barr. Bayo Ojo SAN about his fresh call on the National Leadership of the APC to convince Governor Seyi Makinde so that he won’t join the ADC and the claim that if Makinde joins the ADC, then, president Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reelection would be in jeopardy.
When I read that part, I asked myself, what exactly is happening here?
What does Barr. Bayo Ojo SAN want to achieve from throwing Oyo APC into another avoidable turmoil?
I do not want to believe that the Senior Advocate of Nigeria would surrender himself to be used by anyone but this call by him is off the mark.
I know that for some time now, I have not been seeing him in the flurry of activities within Oyo APC.
Perhaps, he lacks some knowledge about how far Oyo APC has gone in reinforcing unity within its ranks.
By this morning, a unity tour of the 14 Federal Constituencies of Oyo state would be concluded at Yemetu in Ibadan North Federal Constituency.
Prior to that, series of gathering of Leaders and critical Stakeholders of the party have been held where all tendencies within the Party promised to allow peace to reign and that has been manifest during the Federal Constituencies unity tour.
I didn’t notice Barr. Bayo Ojo SAN in any of those activities, even though, I do not have information that he has also moved to the other side (fona) like some others.
I have to also say that I am baffled that Barr. Bayo Ojo SAN would believe that Governor Makinde did anything to support President Tinubu in 2023.
I have been saying this and I will repeat it for emphasis sake, that, there is nowhere Governor Makinde publicly asked the electorates to vote for Tinubu in 2023.
If Barr. Ojo SAN have a video or audio of Governor Makinde campaigning for Tinubu in 2023, he should bring it out.
The G-5 held a rally at the Mapo Hall where they were supposed to announce their choice of presidential candidate a few weeks to the election but the crowd became agitated and were shouting ‘ Atiku’, ‘ Atiku ‘ on them.
As a result of the crowd agitations, they couldn’t make the announcement.
Is that how you announce your support for someone?
Oyo APC campaigned throughout the 33 Local Governments at the time, convincing the electorates on why they needed to support Tinubu and they responded by voting emmass for Tinubu and all the three Senators of the APC.
Not only that, 9 out of the 14 seats in the Federal House of Representatives were won by APC.
Did Governor Makinde not campaign across the 33 Local Governments for the PDP at the time?
Did he mention Tinubu’s name at any of the 33 Local Governments?
If anyone has a video or audio of him mentioning Tinubu’s name at the campaign grounds, this is the time to make it public.
When I read the part where the learned Silk said the APC National Leadership should convince Governor Makinde not to defect to ADC, I laughed.
So, for Barr. Ojo SAN, if everyone in Oyo APC moves out of the party today, President Tinubu’s reelection won’t be in jeopardy just because Seyi Makinde had been placated?
Perhaps, the National Leadership of the party should go and prostrate for Seyi Makinde so that Tinubu will not lose his reelection.
It is unfortunate that people like Barr. Ojo SAN are not sad about the fact that Oyo APC suffered in 2023 as a result of an unholy alliance with Seyi Makinde.
I make bold to say that the alliance with Seyi Makinde in 2023 was nothing but pure disaster.
That alliance just saved Makinde from imminent defeat and we will not allow such again with due respect to all concerned.
Even though, I have issues with those who advised the president on the line of action of 2023, I commend him for not falling into the trap of empowering Makinde more by giving him the Ministerial slot for Oyo state.
I am surprised that Barr. Ojo SAN does not see that Governor Makinde is now a political liability who is loosing relevance by the day and he would rather want Oyo APC to bear the burnt of the liability once again.
Oyo APC is not a dumping ground for politically displaced persons like Seyi Makinde and I am sure the president and the Leadership of the APC knows that.
We are capable of managing our affairs in such a way that we would deliver maximally in 2027.
Like I said, it’s been a while that I saw Barr. Bayo Ojo SAN in any of Oyo APC activities.
I think he really needs to familiarize himself with the series of efforts being put in place daily by the party to ensure that APC wins the 2027 election convincingly in Oyo state.
Infact, I would be surprised if Seyi Makinde would be happy that he is asking the Leadership of the APC to talk to him.
I think the Governor said that the APC is the harbinger of disasters.
Why would he want to have anything to do with such a political party?
Sola Abegunde.
