A leader of Allied People’s Movement, APM in Oyo State, Alhaji Adebisi Olopoeyan has revealed that former Deputy Governor in Oyo State, Alhaji Taofeek Arapaja made himself known in politics and beyond before Governor Seyi Makinde exist politically.
Olopoeyan made this known in a statement issued on Friday and made available to FRESHPAGE, the APM leader clarified this while responding to an opinion titled “Makinde Made Arapaja, or Arapaja Made Himself Relevant”.
Olopoeyan said he knows the trajectory history of Arapaja in politics. He stressed that Arapaja’s political journey and public service record predate Governor Seyi Makinde’s emergence as a political force in Oyo State. The APM leader said Arapaja’s contributions to party politics, legislative representation and executive administration gave him a familiar name in Oyo’s political history that Makinde is struggling to rewrite.
“Arapaja’s political career includes service as a member of the House of Representatives, where he represented his constituency and participated in national legislative affairs. He subsequently served as Deputy Governor of Oyo State under the administration of former Governor Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, gaining experience in the state’s executive leadership.
“His diplomatic career further expanded his national profile when he was appointed Nigeria’s ambassador to Jordan in 2012, with concurrent accreditation to Iraq reported in 2014. He later rose through the PDP’s leadership structure, serving as National Vice Chairman (South-West), Deputy National Chairman (South) and National Secretary”.
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Olopoeyan said the milestones achieved by Arapaja demonstrate that he had established a political identity through grassroots administration, legislative service, executive office, diplomacy and party leadership long before Engr Seyi Makinde became governor in 2019.
Olopoeyan remarked that Arapaja’s political history therefore deserves recognition as part of the wider story of Oyo State politics, independently of his relationship with any serving governor.
