His Excellency, Governor Oluwaseyi Abiodun Makinde, Chairman and sole Forum member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Governors Forum has reportedly settled for the choice of Bimbo Adekanmbi as the gubernatorial candidate of whatever political party he might choose to join in the coming days.
It was also reported that the trio of Hon. Dhikirulahi Stanley Adedeji, Shina Peller and Ajadi Oluwafemi are his adopted Senatorial candidates.
Interesting choices.
Report also has it that Saheed Fijabi was adopted as a candidate for the House of Representatives for Ibadan South West/North West Federal Constituency but he allegedly declined the offer.
I will come back to Saheed Fijabi but let’s take a critical look at Governor Seyi Makinde’s choices for the gubernatorial and Senatorial slots.
The choice of Bimbo Adekanmbi did not come to me as a surprise.
In fact, I have been aware of Governor Makinde’s preference for him for about a year now and I told people who are close to me that he would eventually emerge as Governor Makinde’s anointed gubernatorial candidate, come rain or shine.
In fact, I have prepared the issues that will militate against his choice as Makinde’s preferred gubernatorial candidate a long time ago and I had no reason to update or adjust my strategy to contain him because, those issues are there.
They stuck to him and those who have been planning to foist him as Governor Seyi Makinde’s successor in 2027.
Let me start from home.
A couple of weeks ago, Egbon Ismaila Ashipa made a post on his Facebook page.
He alleged that Bimbo Adekanmbi is likely to emerge as Governor Seyi Makinde’s preferred gubernatorial candidate but he also said something seriously dangerous.
He alleged that Bimbo Adekanmbi is actually the candidate who enjoys the backing of Seye Famojuro!
The same Seye Famojuro. The Ijesa man who has been everywhere in the Government of Seyi Makinde!!
So, do you know the implications of that?
The fellow from Ilesa will remain behind the scenes, teleguiding Bimbo Adekanmbi, just as he did with Governor Seyi Makinde for good eight years, if Adekanmbi becomes Governor of Oyo state.
The same Governor Seyi Makinde who went about, telling us that he has no godfather as Governor of Oyo state for seven years now.
How come Seye Famojuro is so powerful, to the extent that Seye Famojuro would be suspected as being the brain behind his adopted gubernatorial candidate?
So, what would Bimbo Adekanmbi be, if he becomes the Governor of Oyo state?
A puppet, who would be running errands for Makinde and Famojuro, or what?
I have been saying that Governor Seyi Makinde needs to explain the roles of Seye Famojuro in his Government.
He also needs to explain the personal relationships between them, at least, to the extent of Famojuro’s interventions in critical matters of governance, despite the fact that he is not known as an appointee of the Governor.
Moving forward, the Governor has to come clean on their relationship because we won’t allow it to slide.
I am not aware that Governor Seyi Makinde and Seye Famojuro has denied the allegations raised by Alhaji Ismaila Ashipa in his Facebook post and everyone knows that Ashipa is an insider in Makinde’s Government.
Oyo state can not afford another Government where Seye Famojuro would be running riot as he has been doing for the past seven years now.
Let us also look at the choice of Bimbo Adekanmbi from another interesting angle.
Bimbo Adekanmbi was late Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s Deputy Chief of Staffs and Commissioner during his eight years tenure.
He was a member of the APC until about a year ago, though, it is alleged that he had been having some funny relationship with Governor Seyi Makinde before he left the APC.
You will recall that Governor Seyi Makinde appointed him as the Chairman of a Committee which was set up for the upgrading of the Alakia Airport.
I will deal with that appointment and the activities of the Committee in another piece.
Now, Governor Seyi Makinde has been Governor of Oyo state for seven years now.
During this time, he has appointed quite a number of politicians and technocrats, who, when unveiling them, he extolled their credentials and competence.
Dr. Debo Akande, former Commissioner of Police (rtd), Fatai Owoseni and many other professionals were appointed by Governor Seyi Makinde.
We also have the likes of Segun Ogunwuyi, his Chief of Staffs, and politicians like Dr. Nureni Adeniran, former Deputy Governor, Taofik Arapaja and the rest of them.
So, these people, who have been with Governor Seyi Makinde for seven years now, are lacking in competence to take over from him?
In other words, as a Leader, Governor Seyi Makinde failed to mentor someone from inside of his Government who could take over from him within a period of seven years?
By the choice of Bimbo Adekanmbi, Governor Seyi Makinde did not only indict those who have been following him about, serving in his Government for seven years, he also indicted himself.
The choice of Bimbo Adekanmbi as Governor Makinde’s preferred gubernatorial candidate is an admission of Leadership failure on the part of the Governor.
To make matters worse and for clarity, Bimbo Adekanmbi was discovered, tutored and mentored by the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi.
I challenge Bimbo Adekanmbi to deny this facts.
The same Ajimobi that Governor Seyi Makinde vilified and described as a failure.
The same Ajimobi, which Governor Seyi Makinde said the only thing he likes in him was his sense of dressing!
So, will Governor Seyi Makinde deem it fit to apologize to Ajimobi, now that he couldn’t find anyone within his Cabinet who is better than Adekanmbi as his successor?
The same Adekanmbi who was discovered, tutored and mentored by Ajimobi?
Adekambi left the APC less than a year ago.
How many members of the APC followed him to the PDP at the time?
Honestly, I pity those who have been following and believing in Governor Seyi Makinde for the past seven years.
Those who have been serving him diligently.
What would be their frame of minds now?
They have been rejected, condemned and disgraced by the same man they served diligently for years.
I have a question for those who have been comparing Governor Seyi Makinde with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In fact, some funny fellows even said Seyi Makinde is better than Awolowo.
Now, let’s ask them, did Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu run to the PDP to tap his successor, Raji Fashola SAN?
Fashola was Tinubu’s Chief of Staff.
Ambode was the Accountant-general when Fashola was the Governor of Lagos state.
The current Governor of Lagos state, Sanwo-Olu is also from within the system.
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu left a well crafted succession plan in Lagos state.
He is known and reputed to be a mentor of Leaders.
You can’t take that away from him. Can you?
The former Vice president, Yemi Osinbajo was once his Commissioner for Justice.
The former Governor of Osun state was his former Commissioner for Works.
Even, the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi is world apart from Governor Makinde when it comes to political mentorship.
Today, we are all proud of Dr. Zacheaus Adedeji, the Chairman of the Federal Revenue Service.
The gentleman was a Commissioner under the late former Governor Ajimobi, just like Governor Makinde’s adopted gubernatorial candidate, Adekanmbi.
So, who has Governor Makinde mentored for Leadership roles if he is not confident enough to choose a successor within his Cabinet?
It is so bad that even, none of his Cabinet members is considered good enough to be a Senator!
With the exception of Stanley Adedeji, the two other candidates for the Senate are complete strangers within the system.
Shina Peller was elected as a member of the House of Representatives on the platform of the APC and after falling out with the APC in 2023, he contested and lost the Oyo North Senatorial seat under the Accord Party.
Ajadi Oluwafemi is a relatively unknown personality in the politics of Oyo state until recently, when his Billboards flooded the streets of Ibadan.
He wanted to be the Governor of Oyo state, at least, according to the Billboards.
It is alleged that he contested for the position of the Governor of Ogun state in 2023.
What a team!
I read a very interesting piece about Saheed Fijabi.
It was reported that Governor Seyi Makinde eventually offered him the ticket to contest for the House of Representatives for Ibadan South West/North West Federal Constituency but he allegedly rejected the ticket.
After reading the report, I laughed till tears were rolling down my cheeks.
Isn’t it funny?
So much Ado about nothing.
Breakfast served.
I wonder what his next move will be.
Perhaps, he is considering jumping over the bridge once again ( fona). Honestly, karma is real.
Now, let us examine Adekanmbi further.
The gentleman is a Christian from Ibadan.
Governor Seyi Makinde tried to trivialize the importance of religious balance in the emergence of a Governor in Oyo state a couple of weeks ago.
When he was playing down the issue of religious considerations at a Muslim occasion recently, I knew he was preparing the minds of the Muslim Community in Oyo state for what is to come.
On that occasion, he talked about competence and played down religious balance.
So sad.
Is Governor Makinde saying that there is no Muslim in Oyo state who is competent enough to take over from him?
Religion was a very strong point upon which he campaigned in 2023.
At that time, the former Minister of Power, Abdul-Waheed Adebayo Adelabu was the candidate of the APC.
The outgoing Governor, late Abiola Ajimobi was a Muslim just like Adelabu.
The PDP and of course, Engr. Seyi Makinde, as he then was, were emphatic about the fact that Ajimobi, being a Muslim, could not be succeeded by Adelabu, another Muslim.
So, what has changed?
What is good for a goose must equally be good for another goose. ( Apologies to the Rt. Hon. Chief Dr. Akin Onigbinde SAN).
Governor Seyi Makinde has served eight years as the Governor of Oyo state.
He is a Christian.
The next Governor of Oyo state must be a Muslim.
Christianity and Islam are the two major religions we practice in Oyo state.
When we get to a point when practitioners of our traditional religion are strong enough to advocate for participation, they could also agitate.
For now, it is between the Christians and the Muslims and we must be fair and just.
I read some other reports which says that Governor Makinde met with the Leadership of the Allied People’s Movement, APM.
Some reports claimed that he would be adopting the African Democratic Party, ADP as his political platform.
May we not found ourselves in a tight corner like Padre Michael. ( Idaamu Paadi Minkailu).
Honestly, when I read those reports, I asked myself, is Governor Makinde just waking up to the reality that he has lost the battle of the PDP? ( Igba yi laaro).
No matter the choice of political party he decides to settle for, he and those who are remaining with him are bound to run helter-skelter against time.
The kind of the dilemma which Adewale Ayuba described as ” koloba-koloba”.
I will continue this episode as events unfold in the coming days.
However, I must register my condolences with those who must have been disappointed by Governor Makinde’s choices. ( E ku a te mora o, a o nii ri iru e mo).
What would now become of my Dear Aburo, the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly?
I did my best to warn him about the impending let down from the Governor.
My heart also goes out to him and others in this trying time.
Let us now talk about the Billboards.
I hope Governor Seyi Makinde is considering compensation for those who have erected Billboards with the PDP logo on his instruction, now that he is going to dump the party?
If they are not fit for nominations as gubernatorial and Senatorial Candidates, should they also forfeit their investments in the Billboards?
Sola Abegunde.
