Who succeeds Ajimobi?

Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi will bow out next years after completing his second term.  Who succeeds him in next year election?

The political parties are warming up for the succession battle. The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is pushing for continuity. But, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and KOWA Party are kicking. Aspirants are busy holding consultations and mobilising across the three senatorial districts. Their posters adorn and litter many buildings in many communities. All of them will face a major hurdle. At the primaries, it will be the survival of the fittest.

The next governorship election is expected to generate much heat. It did in 1979, 1983, 1993, 1999 , 2003, 2011, and 2015. The electorate are enveloped in sentiments when it comes to the governorship election because of the way power is wielded by the governor and its effect on residents, businesses and communities.

For this reason, many aspirants have appeared on the radar, persuading key leaders, groups and major stakeholders to accept them as the best. Succession is very important to Ajimobi, the APC leader. But, opposition parties are leaving no stone unturned, believing that they would mount propaganda against the APC government, based on its mistakes. But, the APC is not in a hurry to vacate the Agodi Government House in 2019.

 

APC aspirants:

For obvious reasons, most aspirants are in the APC. They include core party politicians, technocrats, businessmen and political jobbers.

 

Alao-Akala:

Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala is a leading contender in the APC. He was governor between 2007 and 2011 on the platform of the PDP. Akala has already rolled out drums to trumpet his ambition to return to the StateHouse. Since he was defeated by Ajimobi in 2011, he has not relented in his ambition for a second term. He contested in the Labour Party (LP) and lost to Ajimobi who enjoyed a historic landslide in 2015.

Although Akala is serious about his ambition and he has a strong support base, it is not clear if the APC leaderwill be willing to hand over the ticket to a new member. A party source said that the former governor may emerge as an indisputable senatorial flag bearer.

 

Adebayo Shittu

The Minister of Communication  hails from Saki in Oke-Ogun area of the state. He contested in 2011  on the platform of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and lost to Ajimobi. He was also an aspirant in the APC in 2015, but lost to Ajimobi again at the primary.

Since he was appointed as minister in November, 2015, Shittu has been using every occasion to express his interest in number one job in Oyo State.  He has stated emphatically on many occasions that he would succeed the governor.

Some analysts believe that he is relying on the influence of President Muhammadu Buhari to pick the ticket. But, top chieftains of the party differ. They said that his influence in the party is weak.

 

Niyi Akintola (SAN):

The erudite lawyer has been engaging major stakeholders on his ambition since 2016. He has the pedigree. Akintola played a great role in the emergence of progressive administrations in the Southwest in post-2003 period. He is popular among the lleaders of the region. He is a household name in Oyo State.  Having served as the  Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly, and as as a key member of the progressives for many years, Akintola believes he is well qualified to take over from Ajimobi next year.

 

Moses Alake Adeyemo:

The deputy governor, Adeyemo,  hails from Oke-Ogun. He is a top contender.  Often described as the most loyal deputy by his boss, Adeyemo believes he is well qualified for the job by reason of his position. He is a former chairman of local government.  He is simple and easy-going.

 

Yunus Akintunde:

A former Commissioner for Works, Akintunde is the only aspirant who hails from Oyo. He is pursuing his ambition with vigour, believing strongly that he can garner enough support to pick the party’s ticket and win the election.

The politician, who recently obtained a PhD in Environmental Energy, has promised to solve the electricity problem of the state, if elected. He promised to achieve this by deploying his expertise to develop alternative sources of energy for the state.

A core politician and successful business man, Akintunde is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring his success at the primary.

 

Soji Akanbi:

Soji Akanbi is representing Oyo South at the Senate. A follower of the late Lam Adesina, Akanbi has been building his political base through his foundation. He is a resilient contender for the APC ticket. He defeated Senator Femi Lanlehin during the senatorial election in 2015.

 

 Fatai Buhari:

Buhari represents Oyo North at the Senate. He hails from Ogbomoso. He won the election against all odds in 2015. Ten out of  13 local governments in his district are in Oke-Ogun.

A generous and simple politician, Buhari believes that voters will prefer him to other aspirants because of his sterling qualities.

 

Ajiboye Omodewu:

Omodewu is an astute politician. The Commissioner for Lands and Survey  is one of the closest associates of Ajimobi. A native of Otu in Oke-Ogun area, Omodewu was born into a political home. His father was also a frontline First and Second Republic politician. A simple and temperate politician, Omodewu is pursuing his governorship ambition with tact and decorum, hoping to build on the legacies of his leader, Ajimobi. It is doubtful if the governor will thrown his weight behind his ambition.

 

Adeolu Akande:

Akande is a Professor of Political Science at Igbinedion University, Okada. He was an aide to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. He is a former Chief of Staff to Ajimobi. He is a media strategist who has acquired some experience in governance and politics. Also a native of Otu in Oke-Ogun area, Akande hopes to deplore his talents, experience and resources to clinch the APC ticket. “I’m in the race to harness the potentials of Oyo State for its progress and well-being of its people,” he told reporters at Ibadan.

 

Adebayo Adelabu:

A deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Adelabu is the grand son of the late celebrated Ibadan politician, Adegoke Adelabu (aka Peculiar Mess). A young financial expert, Adelabu is exploring his family’s goodwill and personal qualities to achieve his ambition.

 

Sola Ayandele:

A native of Idere in Ibarapa Zone, Dr Ayandele is an environmental and building expert. He is a successful business man and former lecturer. Ayandele is the only aspirant from Ibarapa for now. He hopes to bring his wealth of experience as a business strategist and lecturer to bear on governance, if given a chance. He has already received endorsement of traditional rulers in Ibarapa. He has promised  to build bridges across other zones between now and 2019.

 

Soji Eniade:

Eniade is the immediate past Head of Service (HoS). He was  appointed by the governor as Executive Assistant after his retirement. A native of Ibadan with urbane orientation, Soji Eniade is bringing the rich political experience of his family into the race. He is also relying on the expertise and experience gained in the civil service in the last 35 years. He has promised to build on the achievements of the governor.

 

Aderemi Olaniyan:

Olaniyan joined the APC two years ago. He is a grassroots politician who hopes to bring his experience to  boosting the chances of the APC in Igboho, his place of birth. Olaniyan is hoping to explore his experience as a retired permanent secretary and an engineer to improve governance.

 

Esther Adesanya:

The only female aspirant, Adesanya is a lawyer and former commissioner under Ladoja. She was also a full-time commissioner in the Oyo State House of Assembly Service Commission during the first tenure of Ajimobi. The Ogbomoso-born politician is coming to the race with the conviction that the time is ripe for a woman governor in Nigeria. She also hopes to leverage on her experience as a successful business woman and public servant to compete for the ticket. She has started engaging major stakeholders with a plan for full blast campaign in coming months.

 

PDP aspirants:

Since it commenced what observers have described as a process of re-engineering, three aspirants have been have been struggling for the ticket.

 

Seyi Makinde:

Makinde is a successful business man who ventured into politics in 2007. He contested for the Oyo South senatorial seat on the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and lost. Since then, he has not relented. He picked the governorship ticket of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in  2015 election and lost to Ajimobi. Since he returned to the PDP last year, he has been engaging top stakeholders on his ambition to pick the governorship ticket. With his campaign christened: Omi Tuntun, suggesting a new beginning, the 50-year old politician is the leading aspirant in the party. But, Makinde is still battling another power bloc  in the PDP. The faction, led by Ladoja, has maintained that it willproduce the next candidate.

 

Femi Lanlehin:

Senator Lanlehin is a known figure in the Oyo politics.  Born into a political  family, his father was an Awoist and one of the first set of regional legislators in the defunct Western House of Assembly. Lanlehin was Special Adviser to former Lagos State Governor Bola Tinubu. He was in the House of Representatives in the Third Republic. Between 2011 and 2015, he was a senator representing Oyo South. He was also a governorship aspirant in the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in 2011. Lanlehin is believed to be the preferred candidate of the PDP leader, Ladoja.

Sharafadeen Alli:

Alli, a lawyer, is a one-time local government chairman and Secretary to the Government between 2003 and 2007. He was appointed as the Chairman, Board of Directors of Odu’a Investments Ltd in 2011 after joining the defunct ACN. Alli was a close ally of Ladoja before defecting to the ACN. He plans to ride on his moderate popularity to pick the PDP ticket.

 

AD:

Opatoki:

Opatoki is a quantity surveyor and a notable hotelier. A native of Ibadan, Opatoki is bringing youthfulness and private sector experience into the race. He is confident about his ambition, believing that the time for generational shift is here. He is already stepping up consultations with stakeholders.  He plans to make education and health development as his key campaign focus. His party has a weak structure in Oyo State.

 

Akin Onigbinde:

Dr Akin Onigbinde was the Speaker of the House of Assembly in 1992. A native of Ogbomoso, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) is campaigning vigorously to succeed Ajimobi. He hinges his campaign on the populist manifesto of the AD.

 

KOWA:

Olaide Olayiwola is the sole governorship aspirant in KOWA Party. A private sector person, Olayiwola, who hails from Ibadan, is campaigning hard against the APC. The hotelier and school proprietor is anchoring his campaign of the people-oriented manifesto of his party. Olayiwola is resolute about his ambition and he is not afraid of the big, popular parties.

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