Oduduwa News

As the race to battle for the seat of Agodi power house in 2023 draws closer, there have been inuendos, backlashes and politrickings among the political gladiators in Oyo State.

As the politicians scheme and make frantic efforts to ensure they are picked as the gubernatorial ticket of All Progressives Congress APC, a group of professionals in the party has taken it upon itself to x-ray happenings within the All Progressives Congress (APC), particularly as it relates to their slogan of Rescue Mission in the Pacesetter State in 2023.

In a statement received by ODUDUWA NEWS has the group’s statement as highlighted thus:

“Now that the stakeholders have started positioning themselves ahead of the all-important election, we are obliged to sound early Notes of Warning on the different gladiators seeking to fly our party’s flag in 2023.

“One of such aspirants, whom we have seen as a wolf in a sheep’s skin is Senator Teslim Folarin. How this three-time Senator of the Federal Republic, who flew the flag of the conservative Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015 has suddenly become a possible flagbearer of the progressive camp remains a big surprise to many followers of our party. And that is why his name is the quickest to prop up on the barometer for x-ray.

“Only the fainthearted would submit that the battle to unseat the Governor Seyi Makinde in Oyo State would come like a childsplay.

“Here is a man who has openly told members of the House of Assembly that though they have the constitutional power to remove the governor, the governor equally controls the park managers.

“With such a man, whom former Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State described as “quiet but deadly” the APC must guard its loins tightly to pose a serious challenge.

“But it was agreed that following the peace initiatives of our leaders, the APC in Oyo can only put its best foot forward in the 2023 battle. That cannot be done with a man whose root remains in the PDP.
If there is any iota of doubts about where this Senator stands, the recent analysis by the authoritative Nigerian Tribune is instructive.

“The Tribune said the choice of Folarin would not only return power to the camp of the late strongman of Ibadan politics, Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu, since his henchmen remains Bosede Adedibu, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja and Auxilliary. These are the same people working closely with Makinde.

“If we present Folarin as candidate, what option are we giving progressives? It means we want to kill the legacies of our leaders like Bola Ige, Lam Adesina and Abiola Ajimobi,” the newspaper analysed.

The Tribune further noted: “Folarin is aligned with former Governor Adebayo Alao Akala and the talk in the APC is that they have shared all available offices among themselves. Akala’s son, Olamiju is slated to be the Deputy Governor. Lowo Obisesan, Ajimobi’s Commissioner for Environment famous for demolition of people’s houses, is slated to become the Secretary to the State Government while Mogaji Akogun, another of Akala’s boys, is listed to be the Chief of Staff. They have chosen their three senators and 14 representatives.”

“The note of warning from the Oyo Governance Barometer is to note that picking Folarin as gubernatorial hopeful is returning power to the PDP as his mind, soul and body remains with the PDP”, said the group.

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), had moved the country’s democracy day celebration from May 29 to June 12 to honour the late Abiola.

Abiola, who is the spokesperson for the family, declared that since the declaration by Buhari, the family is yet to benefit anything from the Federal Government.

The Secretary, who lamented the death of Abiola, the breadwinner of the family, said the Federal Government has failed to fulfill all the promises made to the family.

He, however, commended the Federal Government for honouring Abiola with the award of the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic and the family for declaring June 12 as Nigeria Democracy day.

He said, “We are happy indeed that President Muhammadu Buhari deemed it fit to honour Abiola by giving him the GCFR and made June 12 official Democracy Day. Kudos to that.

“So far so good, we have not benefitted anything from the Federal Government.

“Ogun State Government right from Chief Olusegun Osoba to Governor Gbenga Daniel, to Governor Ibikunle Amosun, and now to Governor Dapo Abiodun, they always honour MKO Abiola every June 12.

“Ogun State Government will always come with all the machinery to mark the day. Our breadwinner has gone. We have not seen promises from the FG yet.

“On June 12, the state government is trying its best. I give kudos to them on June 12. Governor comes here always to pay solitary to the house and empower us to make sure June 12 is celebrated all the time.”

Meanwhile, Governor Dapo Abiodun has called on those calling for the disintegration of Nigeria to shelve the idea and embrace unity in the spirit of June 12.

The Governor, who stated this at an event organised by the State government to mark the celebration of democracy day, said, “MKO Abiola and his mandate should serve as a reminder to all of us that we are stronger together as a Nation.

“He (Abiola) broke all barriers such as religion and ethnicity that are being used in Nigeria today to divide us. He won across the length and breadth of this country, even at the backyard of his main opponents. It was a phenomenon that should remind us that we are greater than our challenges.

“Unless and until we embrace the essence of the MKO persona, internalize belief in self, faith in a united country, and other initiatives that help to engender a sense of shared heritage amongst Nigerian people, we will continue to be a country in search of Nationhood.

“Let us push all the negative and divisive forces and policies on the back-foot and embrace the symbolism of June 12. Let us join hands to make Nigeria work for all Nigerians.

“This will end all quest for self-determination and other sectarian agitations and calm frayed nerves. June 12 represents what will strengthen the country’s unity, indivisibility, and oneness.”

Nigerians in the United States have taken to the streets to join the June 12 Democracy Day protest.

In a video that surfaced online, the protesters were seen carrying a banner that boldly read, ‘Yoruba Nation America’.

Other protestors with placards written, ‘Yoruba Nation Now’, ‘1999 constitution is a fraud’, amongst others marched on the streets of Washington DC for the protest.

“We have come to draw your attention to what is going on in Nigeria…Crime against humanity is going on… Pay attention to Nigeria now before it is too late,” a voice said in the video.

The protest occurred alongside nationwide protests across Nigeria.

Several digital flyers, widely circulated on social media on Friday, had publicised meeting points in Lagos, Gombe, Calabar (Cross River), Yola (Adamawa), Bauchi, Abeokuta (Ogun), Yenagoa (Bayelsa), Port Harcourt (Rivers), Ibadan (Oyo), Ilorin (Kwara), Enugu, Akure (Ondo), Yobe, and Zaria (Kaduna).

One poster by #RevolutionNow read, “Join the June 12 protest. No more poverty, hunger and insecurity in Nigeria… Enough Is Enough! Nothing can stop an idea whose time has come.”

Another poster for a protest in Kaiserslautern, Germany read, “Buhari must go! Let’s come together to say no to government funding terrorism: Boko Haram terrorism and banditry, one litre of petrol equals N165, bad roads, poor hospitals, kidnapping, economic recession, police brutality, disregard for the rule of law, poor health sector, poor education.”

Similar flyers targeted at protesters in New York (US), Kaduna State and the Federal Capital Territory listed the same points but added, “N30,000 minimum wage, N13.5m senators’ salary, Nigeria is over N30tn in debt.”

One poster for a protest tagged ‘Buhari Must Go Party’ was aimed at supporters in London, United Kingdom. Similar ‘Buhari must go’ posters also targeted protesters in Toronto (Canada), Austin (Texas, USA), Calabar, Kebbi, and Lagos.

The Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde did not organise the June 12 rally in Ibadan on Saturday contrary to claims by the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), the governor’s media aide has said.

The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, while reacting to the statement credited to the APC said that it was mischievous for the opposition party to attempt to rope the governor into an event that was clearly organised nationwide by pro-democracy groups.

The statement read:

“Contrary to the wild claims by the APC, Governor Seyi Makinde did not organise the June 12 protests in Ibadan. He only ran into the protesters at Osuntokun Junction in Bodija and addressed them.

“As the Chief Security Officer of the state, it behoves the governor to calm down the protesters and ensure they only protest peacefully. And that was what he did.

“What the APC need to do is to advise its members to stop the perennial display of sadism by celebrating every unwarranted incident in the state.

“It is on record that APC elements, rather than join the push to ensure the sanctity of lives and property in the state, has been busy fuelling embers of discord in their bid to gain political benefit from perceived fallout of the crisis they are surreptitiously engineering.

“The APC should forthwith desist from wishing evil for the state. In a short while the veil will be lifted off those who are fanning the embers of discord.”