BAYO AGBOOLA from Ibadan writes that the governorship contest is between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the main opposition, All Progressives Congress (APC) with an additional consideration of where the candidates would hail from in the state
What is more comforting and heartening according to the party faithfuls, is that the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo state is now united and set for total victory in the forthcoming general election holding in 2023.
To this end, the chieftain of APC, Comrade Kunle Olatunji, last week assured: “The successful reconciliation and repositioning efforts embarked upon by concerned stakeholders and party leadership in the last couple of months has shown clear indications that despite the prevailing situation of the various factions and groups struggling for the control of the party structure, there is a common position and resolution to regain control of power and government of Oyo state in 2023.”
According to Olatunji, “the reality in the political landscape of Oyo state currently points to APC as the party of first choice with the strongest network and formidable party faithfuls who have resolved to now work together and put behind them the bitter lessons of internal wrangling and deliberate infractions which allowed the opposition party of PDP to easily ride on to victory in 2019.
He further noted that “the array of strong and powerful politicians paraded across the various geo political zones by the Oyo state APC is quite impressive and intimidating such that it wIll be a very hectic and herculean task for the ruling party PDP to contend with it in 2023!”
Unknown to many, especially to non politicians, the power scheming for the Agodi Government House is, no doubt, at its peak despite the fact that the next governorship election in Oyo state is to take place in the year 2023, which to non politicians, is still farflung from now and deserves little or no prioritisation at this stage.
“With the boasting of the two main political parties in the state, it is glaring that Oyo state would start witnessing what could best be described as battle of the titans in its political circle between now and 2023.
Going by the words of chieftains of the two main political party in Oyo state and moreso, the fact that politicians in the state are on daily basis strategizing on what becomes of their lot in the next governorship tussle in the state.
As expected, the 2023 rat race for the Agodi Government House is predominantly between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the main opposition party in the state, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
It is a fact that times without number, the APC leadership in the state have confidently expressed the chances of their party winning the 2023 governorship seat without much stress with the chairman of the party’s Elders Advisory Council and former governor of Oyo state, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala saying, “the good people of the state are expecting much from us in APC as they can’t wait to have us in power again following the many disappointments they have gotten in the hands of the present PDP administration.
“Therefore, all hands must be on deck to justify the confidence reposed in us. All we are asking all leaders, chieftains and members to do is to cooperate among themselves and fashion out acceptable modalities with which we could achieve the desired success at the end of the day.”
As at present, the main calculation in the Oyo state political arena as regards the 2023 governorship is where the governorship candidates for the two leading political parties would come from the 2023 general elections, which to political minds in and across the state, will be a major factor in determining the winner of the governorship seat and the would be successor to Governor Makinde.
In resolving this major obstacle, reliable sources in the PDP and APC emphatically have said there is no doubt in the fact that the two leading political parties are presenting Ibadan indigenes as their governorship flagbearers for the election.
“Do you think another person will emerge from the PDP as its governorship candidate for the 2023 general elections, other than Engineer Seyi Makinde, the incumbent governor ? It is not possible, mind you, Governor Makinde is from Ibadan and it will be foolish and politically unwise for the opposition to be thinking of considering candidate from other area in the state as its governorship flagbearer. That is Oyo state for you.
Another political strategy now in place in the scheme for Oyo 2023 governorship is and will be the choice of deputy governor for whoever emerges as the governorship candidates from the two main parties in the state.
Presently, there are strong indications that the parties are scouting for popular and grassroots politicians from the Oyo North Senatorial District of the state comprising of 13 out of the 33 local government areas in the state, with 10 in Oke Ogun and the remaining 3 in Ogbomoso area of the state.
Going by what is on ground in the political parties in Oyo state, particularly, in the PDP and APC, the scheming and maneuvering to have their governorship candidates is at the peak.
The APC has about 8 governorship hopefuls, with at least five of them from Ibadan while the PDP is for now having the incumbent, Seyi Makinde on ground.
Though the governor at a Church service in Ibadan recently said, “One of the Pastors, while praying, talked about the first and second tenure. Well, I came out in 2019 to tell the people that I wanted to become the governor but I prayed to God that only His will should be done.
“And now, I don’t even know if it is the will of God for me to even seek or push out for the second tenure. The only prayer I want you to be praying is that God’s will alone should be done in my life.”
But all things being equal, Engineer Seyi Makinde remains the automatic PDP governorship candidate for the next governorship election, .
As it is presently, the coast within the PDP in Oyo state when it comes to the governorship contest seems to be unpredictable with the factional crisis rocking the party.
For reasons of this, the National Vice Chairman of the party, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, last Saturday blamed it on the PDP National Chairman’s alleged quest at sustaining his planned return as the National Chairman.
He said, “and because he wants to return as Chairman for a second term, he wants to hold on to the faction that supports him within Oyo PDP and elsewhere. It is through that faction loyal to him that he intends to return for a second tenure.
Whatever be the case, it is very certain that the 2023 governorship tussle in Oyo will be between the ruling PDP and the APC with the utmost consideration of where the candidate comes from in the state.
