Oyo 2015: A Two-Horse Race to Agodi House

by Olaolu Jacob
Xclusive magazine reporter

Front runners: Governor Abiola Ajimobi, Otunba Alao Akala and Engineer Oluwaseyi Abiodun Makinde

The political activities towards 2015 gubernatorial election are afoot and very active in Oyo state. The political battle is between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and foremost opposition, People’s Democratic Party (PDP). And going by antecedents, whoever the PDP presents as its candidate is sure to carry the day. That means the ticket is not there for the picking for incumbent governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi.

Recently, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and the Chancellor of the first private university in Nigeria, Igbinedion University, Okada Edo State, Sir Gabriel Igbinedion, speaking in a separate event in Ibadan, the state capital, asked the electorate to give Senator Abiola Ajimobi a second term. Politial analysts who are conversant with the political history of Oyo state have observed that Oyo electorate do not vote for the same governor twice. Even the well-loved late Chief Bola Ige was not returned by the electorate. This mythology may count against Governor Ajimobi come 2015.

Moreover, the incumbent government is believed to have elitist projects, building bridges and roads, which the masses, mostly artisans, have not really benefited from. Hence the people of the state are waiting for 2015 to use their votes to change power to a more masses-friendly government.

Xclusive Magazine gathered that Governor Ajimobi will likely go against one of the four PDP Gubernatorial aspirants already shown keen interest in the race to Agodi House. They are Mr Gbolarumi Adio, Former deputy governor Taofeek Arapaja, former governor Otunba Alao Akala and a political greenhorn, engineer Seyi Makinde. The contest appears to be between former governor Alao Akala and young and rich engineer Seyi Makinde.

Otunba Alao Akala
The government of Otunba Alao Akala was an era of what most people from the state refer to as stomach politics. Xclusive Magazine gathered that many indigenes of the State came into instant wealth, and businesses that were hitherto dormant in the state flourished. It also witnessed a lot of thuggery and miscreants held sway especially in the state capital, Ibadan, where many residents practically ran for cover anytime the governor’s convoy and his mob passed through the township. It remains to be seen if this same political scenario of sheer terror will play out again should the former governor clinch his party’s nomination.

Otunba Alao Akala

Engineer Oluwaseyi Abiodun Makinde
Born on the 25th December 1967, Engineer Oluwaseyi Abiodun Makinde’s entry into the politics of Oyo state is causing a lot of rumblings and ripples to the supposedly serene political water of Oyo state. If looks and age were to count, then Engineer Makinde’s suave looks will be an edge over others. Furthermore, Xclusive Magazine can authoritatively report that Seyi Makinde boasts of a large financial war chest, with a chunky 20 billion Naira already earmarked to pursue his governorship ambition, and this may be an icing on the cake. An associate of Engineer Makinde who wants to remain anonymous confirm this much when he confided in Xclusive Magazine that “Engineer Seyi Makinde is young and he’s as accessible as he looks, the youths of the State will not only get carried away with him, they would clamour for him because he has transformative agenda for all and sundry. The youths are tired of old and recycled leaders.”

Engineer Oluwaseyi Abiodun Makinde

The coming weeks will determine who clinches the PDP slot. Xclusive magazine hopes to do a one-on-one interviews with all these top contenders. One thing is clear though, Oyo state will not remain the same again come 2015.