I told Governor Seyi Makinde a long time ago that a massive wind was heading for his direction and that the impact of that massive wind would not bode well for his political calculations but, perhaps, because I didn’t add ” Woli” to my name, like a particular ” Woli Abiodun Ibadan”, he didn’t take me serious.
I also predicted very recently, that, like Babylon, his political empire is fated to crumble. Perhaps, he laughed it over a glass of wine or Brandy.
When Bimbo Adekambi, his anointed gubernatorial candidate was making mouth, boasting about how he was going to see that the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Oyo state disintegrates, little did I, myself knew, that the forces of Nature would redirect his foul predictions back to the sender.
Just this morning, I woke up to see that two very prominent politicians and former allies of Governor Seyi Makinde had left him.
One of them, is Hon. Lukmon Abayomi Olajide ” Royal Umbrella” aka ” Ore Gomina”, he was the Founder and Chief Coordinator of the GSMists. He has announced his plans to join the APC according to reports.
The other person, Chief Babatunde Oduoye was a former member the House of Representatives and he served as Governor Seyi Makinde’s Special Adviser on Political Matters during the Governor’s first term and until his resignation, he was a member of Governor Seyi Makinde’s Advisory Council. His next political destination is yet to be known.
According to reports, he resigned from his position within the Makinde Government because Governor Makinde allegedly discountenanced the report of the Governor’s Advisory Council, GAC, which favored a particular gubernatorial candidate different from Bimbo Adekambi.
When I read the reports on Monday morning, I remember the chest beating by Adekambi. I remember a popular phrase in Christiandom, ” back to sender “. Traditionalists would call it ” Arobi”.
Which party is disintegrating now? I think Bimbo Adekambi will need to revisit his village at Adigun. Whatever it is they are casting in the air is not working against the APC. Rather, it has become a case of the ant hill. When it falls, it falls on itself. ( Bi okiti ogan ba ji, ori ara e nii jii si).
No wonder Governor Makinde has become extremely desperate.
He has turned the Oyo State Signage and Advertisement Agency, OYSAA to a weapon of mass destruction against opposition political parties.
Suddenly, the OYSAA has come out with new regulations, targeted at the opposition and already, the Agency has commenced demolitions of Billboards of opposition parties.
The Oyo state Government is now making it mandatory for Candidates vying for political offices to apply for and pay very outrageous amounts of money to obtain a permit from the OYSAA.
I have written a comprehensive piece about this new regulations by the OYSAA.
Just last week, a gubernatorial candidate of one of the opposition political parties accused the Oyo state Government of pulling down his picture and replacing same with that of Governor Makinde and his party despite the fact that his payment was yet to expire.
I am always surprised each time Governor Makinde’s lickspittles and attack dogs came for me.
They would pretend not to see what their idol is doing bad and will begin to cry like a goblin each time you expose him.
In 2019, as candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Engr Seyi Makinde, as he then was, enjoyed a free time, campaigning all over the place.
The Governor at the time, the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi, placed no encumbrances in his way. At any rate, that man was too civil for such shenanigans. Thankfully, Makinde’s anointed gubernatorial candidate, Bimbo Adekambi was part of that Government and I wonder how he feels now under the present dictator.
The most annoying part is the reasons adduced by the Agency for coming up with such a draconian regulation.
According to the Agency, the ” policy is aimed at ensuring orderliness in campaign activities, improving public safety, protecting public infrastructure from damage and maintaining the aesthetic outlook of cities and Communities across the state.”
The Agency also said ” the regulation would guarantee fairness in access to approved advertising spaces, while strengthening monitoring and enforcement of campaign advertising rules”.
The question is, why is Governor Makinde just waking up to the realities that warranted this reasoning now?
What has changed so much, that we need these draconian regulations to correct them?
The Governor is jittery, no doubt, but, how would this shenanigans save him from the imminent political disaster that is awaiting him?
Let us assume that he has the power to prevent the opposition from erecting Billboards, does that guarantee him and his political party victory?
At best, this current tactics is a proof of admittance of fear and anxiety.
Not even the OYSAA regulations would make any difference.
A defeat for the APM is imminent and it is ordained.
When a horse is about to pass out, it kicks so violently, but, regardless of how violent it kicks, it will still die.
The one thing that is crystal clear is that Governor Makinde does not have monopoly over the ballot boxes and the general election will not be conducted by the Oyo state Independent Electoral Commission, OYSIEC. So, why should anyone panic?
If the Governor likes it, he could paint every public structures within the state in the colors of his Cassava party. So far as it doesn’t translate to votes, it will amount to a mere waste of resources and emotions.
In President Tinubu’s shoes, only God knows how Governor Makinde would have been treating the opposition by now.
( Imado o ba se bi elede….).
Sola Abegunde
