The battle for the Agodi Government House job might have been narrowed down to two candidates in Oyo State barely 24hours to election, if information in some quarters is anything to go by.
Before now, the race was touted to be between the incumbent Governor Seyi Makinde (PDP), Senator Teslim Folarin (APC) and Oloye Adebayo Adelabu (Accord).
A top source who spoke on the condition of anonymity but close to the powers-that-be in the state said the candidate of the Accord might have “agreed” to collapse his structure and work for the re-election bid of Governor Makinde.
But, another source who works as a close aide to Adelabu denied the information saying there is and will never be anything like that.
The source said Makinde’s bid to persuade and penetrate Adelabu’s camp might have yielded result after the governor made an overture to the wife of late Ex-Governor Abiola Ajimobi.
According to the source, parts of the conditions placed on the table to win the support of Ajimobi’s wife and an endorsement of Adelabu was to return a property that has been a subject of litigation between the Ajimobi’s family and Makinde’s led Oyo government.
A property, Quarters 361 was part of lands whose ownership were revoked by the Makinde led administration through a revocation order dated February 10, 2020. It was made public in a statement on February 13, 2020 signed by the Chief Press Secretary, Mr Taiwo Adisa.
Quarters 361 was originally said to have been acquired by former Governor Rashidi Ladoja when he served as Governor. His successor, Adebayo Alao-Akala revoked the land and reallocated the same to late Alhaji Abdulazeez Arisekola Alao, the late Ibadan businessman and Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Edo and Delta.
The late businessman in turn was said to have given out the land as gift to Senator Abiola Ajimobi, the immediate past Governor of Oyo State, through a “Deed of Gift” registered in the Land Registry.
The veracity of the “Deed of Gift” is already being questioned and has become a subject of investigation.
Another part of the offer on the table as put forward by Makinde according to the source was a support for Adelabu’s governorship ambition upon the completion of his (Makinde’s) second term in 2027.
The source, said the matter had degenerated into family rancor in the Ajimobis as Fatima (daughter of Governor Ganduje), the wife of Ajimobi’s only son, Idris, who is contesting the Ibadan Southwest II state constituency in the House of Assembly was reported to have lashed out at the former First Lady for agreeing to a deal with Makinde.
But, another source within the APC and close to the former First Lady denied knowledge of such development.
The source said Dr Florence has been known to be an upright leader, woman and mother who believes and upholds the tenets and beliefs of his husband and as such would never be party to any of such mischief.
The source added that, even if Makinde had put the offer on the table, Mrs Ajimobi would still never have agreed to any deal.
He pointed out that, the former First Lady has been working assiduously to deliver the APC candidate, Folarin just the same way she delivered Tinubu and other NASS members in the presidential election.
He furthered that, Mrs Ajimobi has also been at the forefront of ensuring the electoral victory of her son and other party candidates in honour of her husband who would have done the same thing if he was alive.
Another source within the Accord who also doesn’t want to be named but who served as a former aide to the late Ajimobi, while vouching for the ex-First lady said she could never have agreed to such a deal.
The source added that even the ex-first lady is aware that her husband would shake in his grave if she ever agreed to such an arrangement, noting that Makinde had never been fair to the family of his immediate predecessor in office even when the late former governor was alive.
He recalled that, about 48 hours to the election, Adelabu, while featuring on a radio programme, had insisted that he would not drop his ambition for another candidate and was very confident of victory.
Also, a source close to the camp of the PDP said that although there have been many overtures to Adelabu, the former CBN deputy governor remained adamant, insisting that he wants to be on the ballot.
The source said the news may be based on speculations and hearsay, noting that to the best of his knowledge, Adelabu has not agreed to endorse Makinde or collapse his structure for him.
Additionally, the source said announcement of endorsement by a candidate 24 hours to the election may not make much difference as many sympathisers may out of anger vote for opposition while many others will still vote for the party.
