By Adigun Oladimeji
Currently, Oyo APC is disjointed, disunited and in disarray. The centre is not holding. Indiscipline is the order of the day and a lack of clearcut direction is plaguing the Party. To add salt to the injuries, there is no rallying point for coordination. Ha! These are worrying times for the Progressives family in Oyo.
Prominent Leaders, critical Stakeholders and most unfortunately, some elected office holders on the platform of the Party are publicly or covertly frolicking with Seyi Makinde while running down their own Party and sadly, there are no consequences!
Very recently, the father of a former member of the House of Representatives under the APC has been de-marketing the party at every public fora.
A sitting member of the House of Representatives in Egbeda/Ona Ara, Akin Alabi is also seen in a viral video admitting that after his own election in 2023, he and others worked against the APC in the gubernatorial and House of Assembly election.
Akin Alabi for me, just corroborated what we have always known.
He, and almost all the elected office holders on the platform of Oyo APC actually worked against the APC in Oyo during the 2023 gubernatorial election.
Not only them, most of those who are holding juicy positions in Abuja currently also participated in the show of shame.
Some weeks ago, Oyo APC lost a By-election that was supposed to be a walk in the park.
Why? Yet again, some party Leaders and stakeholders worked against the Party’s candidate.
We are gradually moving closer to the 2027 general election, yet, Oyo APC is yet to found their rhythm.
In an Oyo state House of Assembly of 32 members, Oyo APC has only four members and all of them are from Oke-Ogun!
None from Ibadan, none from Oyo, not one from Ogbomosho and of course, no elected member of the Oyo House of Assembly from Ibarapa.
Interestingly, the APC won the three Senatorial Districts and initially won nine out of the fourteen seats for the House of Representatives.
Some of us have kept asking ourselves whether we are all under a powerful spell.
I do not want to believe that we are.
The biggest problem facing Oyo APC is greed.
Everyone who think they have the capabilities to be Governor, want to be the Governor at the same time and the feeling of, if it is not me, then, we will rather throw it to the dogs is what has led us to this perilous junction.
Any time any day, even half of Oyo APC will defeat the PDP but where is the unity of purpose?
Where is the sacrifice? The dedication?
Someone told me recently that the rate at which certain stakeholders within Oyo APC have been compromised, working with Makinde underneath is so alarming.
You now need to ask yourself, to what end?
I am so reluctant to say this, but truth must be told.
The rate at which Oyo APC bigwigs have been compromised by Makinde is terribly alarming, most especially in Ibadan.
Yet, some still think that the gubernatorial candidate for 2027 must come from Ibadan.
Without prejudice, with the current situation, I do not see any Ibadan candidate that can defeat the PDP in 2027.
Charity they say, begins at home.
In 2023, the current Minister of Power, Bayo Adelabu and his followers did everything within their power to ensure that Teslim Folarin lost to Seyi Makinde.
Up till now, no one has done anything to pacify Folarin and his followers.
Assuming Bayo Adelabu is picked as the gubernatorial candidate of the APC for 2027, should we expect Folarin, his followers and those who lost their election to the House of Assembly in 2023 as a result of the anti-party activities of Adelabu and others, to embrace Adelabu and work with him?
No reasonable person should expect that they would.
The sharp and bitter division amongst stakeholders in Ibadan is too toxic.
I have seen some people talked about a neutral candidate.
Yes, I agree but from where?
Which candidate is neutral from Ibadan?
The only route to victory for Oyo APC in 2027 is for the Party to look beyond Ibadan when selecting a gubernatorial candidate.
There have been a resurgence of agitation by Oke- Ogun for the rotation of the Governorship to the zone.
If Oyo APC leverages on that wave of determination, it is game over for Makinde and the PDP.
Oke- Ogun has 10 Local Governments.
Their commitments to the Progressives family is reinforced by the fact that they were able to save our faces by giving us four members in the Oyo state House of Assembly in 2023 against all odds.
Without their heroics, the 2023 Gubernatorial and House of Assembly election would have spelt a historic disaster for Oyo APC.
Not only that, they also saved the face of the Party during the rerun election for the seat of Hon. Shittu Ibrahim of Saki West in 2024.
No one can deny the fact that Oyo APC is currently stronger in Oke-Ogun zone than any other zones.
Let us allow the goose that laid the golden eggs to enjoy the fruits of her labor.
Without prejudice, Governor Makinde’s PDP is currently stronger in Ibadan, no thanks to some greedy individuals who have been frolicking with him in the dark and working against the APC.
A word they say, is enough for the wise.
Adigun Oladimeji writes from Idere in Ibarapa Central Local Government.
