Becoming the governor of Oyo State is not a matter of “I just woke up and it’s my turn.” Far from it. The throne at Agodi is built on strategy, influence, and the unseen hands of political kingmakers.
In 2017, I was in my Abuja home when Alhaji Isa Funtua called, summoning me to meet him by 11 p.m. at a suite in Transcorp Hilton. Because of the role he played in my life, if I was even on top of my wife and I saw his missed call, I would jump down immediately to return it. That was how deep our father–son relationship was. He was one of the few people whose contributions I can never write the story of my life without mentioning.
Our last meeting was destined. The very day he died, I was among the last people to see him. I was walking out of a barbershop as he walked in. We spoke for almost 35 minutes. A few hours later, news came: Baba had returned to his Maker. He loved journalism, and as a publisher he understood the terrain. He always teased me about my height and said I looked more Fulani than he did. Whenever I wrote an article, he would advise me to be either assertive or diplomatic — because readers believe whatever they see on paper. “We must be careful with what we write on the internet,” he warned often.
But that is not today’s story.
By 10:45 p.m. that night, I arrived at his hotel suite. I met him with another elder statesman, the late former FirstBank chairman, Chief Ajano Afonja. Alhaji Isa Funtua opened the conversation immediately: Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s tenure was ending in less than 24 months, and they were thinking of who should succeed him.
He asked my opinion on Bayo Adelabu — then Deputy Governor of the Central Bank under Godwin Emefiele. I nodded, telling him Bayo was my junior at Lagelu Grammar School and just two years behind me at Obafemi Awolowo University. I had seen him frequently with the late Aare Arisekola Alao, who was his mentor.
I asked Baba whether they had informed Bayo and his boss, Emefiele. He laughed. “Who is Emefiele to stop us if we want something?” he said. “The boy is brilliant. His CV is intimidating.”
I asked whether Senator Ajimobi was aware. Baba replied: “Not yet. It’s not time.”
Then he asked which key political figure they needed to bring into the project. Without hesitation, I said: “Former Governor Rashidi Ladoja.”
I reminded him that while Ladoja and Ajimobi were politically at odds, one call from him could resolve that. Baba smiled — Ladoja was his close friend, their relationship had grown into brotherhood.
I then asked: “What about Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu?”
Baba replied that they would send someone Asiwaju could never refuse — Oba Otudeko.
By 2018, Bayo Adelabu had resigned from the CBN — pushed out by the influence of Alhaji Isa Funtua. To be honest, I don’t think Bayo had any political interest before then. He was a technocrat with a towering résumé. Why a Fulani powerbroker wanted him as Oyo governor was not disclosed, but I knew they were planning to make Emefiele president. Maybe they wanted their boys as governors.
At that time, any news about Adelabu broke first in my newspaper or on my Facebook page. What I didn’t know was that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was monitoring every move from Lagos.
One early morning in 2018, he sent for me. He asked directly what I knew about the plan to make Adelabu governor. He asked if Ajimobi was aware. I told him that based on what I knew, Ajimobi had not been told. I also told him that Ladoja — now Olubadan — had a commitment with Engr. Seyi Makinde and may not endorse whoever Ajimobi presented.
Asiwaju sighed. “Wole, my problem is with you Ibadan people. Your parapo politics is impenetrable. If I call Ajimobi, he’ll talk in parables. If I call Ladoja, it’s almost impossible to change his mind.”
I then asked him:
“Are you sure Adelabu will even be loyal to you? He is the candidate of a group that does not want you to become president. And are you sure they will give you the APC ticket?”
He admitted he wasn’t sure.
“Let’s keep praying and pushing,” he said.
The next morning, while jogging on the Ikoyi–Lekki Bridge, I ran into Engr. Seyi Makinde, now the incumbent governor of Oyo State. We’ve been friends since primary school — a friendship of mutual respect. While we were talking, he said APC’s candidate would likely be Olasunkanmi Tegbe. I told him plainly:
“No. Tegbe will not be the name on the APC ballot.”
We both laughed. Later, he said he would visit me at home.
Back in Ibadan, some respected egbon came to tell me Tegbe would be the candidate. They swore Ajimobi had assured them. I simply said:
“In a few days, EFCC Chairman will tell Ajimobi who the APC candidate is.”
People later accused Ajimobi of sabotaging Tegbe. That’s not true. Buhari was president, and Isa Funtua was a kitchen-cabinet member. What could Ajimobi have done? His political leader was Tinubu, and both of them were uncertain about their futures. Adelabu was never Ajimobi’s candidate — he was the candidate of Isa Funtua and their presidential movement.
At Kabiyesi Oba Tajudeen Ajibola’s book launch, I was asked to sit in the front row with gubernatorial aspirants. I quietly declined and sat separately. To become governor of Oyo State is not about sitting in Ibadan and erecting giant billboards. It is far deeper.
And so far that I maintained my stance on never contest any election in my life again.
I have no business sitting with Oyo State gubernatorial hopeful in the front row.
It requires the backing of God, the incumbent governor, Abuja kingmakers, and the good people of Oyo State.
Like the Yoruba say:
“Eni ti oju re o ba ri oran ri, loma npe poison ni banana.”
(He who has not seen trouble before is the one who calls poison a banana.)
Mogaji Wole Arisekola,Publisher of The Street Journal Newspaper writes from Ibadan.
