Recently, the former Governor of Oyo State,
Otunba Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala,
launched his bid to regain control of Agodi
Government House which he vacated for
Governor Abiola Ajimobi in 2011. Ademola
Babalola was there
“Therefore on this day and at this defining
moment, I have listened to your appeals and
accepted your requests and hereby offer
myself to you in the name of God Almighty
to contest under our party (PDP) for the post
of the governor of Oyo state in 2015. I
promise to rule with the fear of God.”
With the above quotation of former
Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala at last week’s
official declaration on intention to contest
the February, 2015 governorship under the
platform of the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP), all appears set for the titanic battle
ahead as the race to secure the party’s
ticket next month hots up, among the
party’s leading governorship aspirants.
If there is anybody still in doubt as to
whether or not Akala, will contest, such
individual, by now must have realized that
Akala is in this race for real. The sixth
civilian governor of Oyo, who first had a
stint as governor of the state for 11months
in 2006 following the now quashed
impeachment of his former boss, Governor
Rashidi Ladoja, Akala later got elected as
substantive governor and ruled the state for
four years (2007-2011).
To him, the calls and appeals by members
of the public and supporters across the state
for his return to government house, were not
deafening but too loud and compelling
enough to be ignored, hence the reason why
his mind is made up to give it another shot
having failed to win the re-election in 2011.
And by the next election in 2015, it would
be almost four years after he left the saddle
following defeat by the incumbent Governor
Abiola Ajimobi of the then Action Congress
of Nigeria and now All Progressives
Congress (APC).
However, unlike in 2011 when he had a field
day as arguably the sole aspirant of the
party who went the whole hug to grab the
ticket as its gubernatorial candidate ‘on the
platter of gold’, this year’s contest, is
however a different ball game altogether as
no fewer than eight of his former aides are
not leaving anything to chance to give the
Ogbomoso-born ex-police officer a run for
his money and a test for his much-flaunted
popularity.
Leading contenders for the sole ticket of the
party are a former Senate leader, Teslim
Kolawole Folarin; a 47year-old oil magnate
and philantropist, Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde;
an Ibadan-based millionaire businessman,
Olufemi Ademola Babalola; two former
Deputy-Governors, Alhaji Hazeem
Gbolarumi; Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja; a
US-based Vascular Surgeon, Dr. Azeez
Adeduntan; a serving Senator who recently
crossed over from APC to PDP, Alhaji
Hamzat Ayoade Adeseun; a former council
boss and veteran journalist, Alhaji Kehinde
Olaosebikan are some of the politicians who
will confront Alao-Akala at the October’s
party primary.
The list is endless but other notable
contenders are former Minister for Sports,
Prof. Taoheed Adedoja; former SUBEB boss
in the state and Prof. Soji Adejumo.
Interestingly, save for two or three aspirants
above, others are former aides, business
partners and political associates of Alao-
Akala. To show seriousness with which they
are all presently attaching to their individual
aspirations, none of the aforementioned
graced Akala’s inauguration, fueling
speculations that the die is cast and
chickens may have come home to roost for
the ex-helmsman.
But Alao-Akala appears unperturbed by this
development as he was full of thanks to God
at the ceremony. The moment he was
handed the microphone by the rappateur to
speak at the event, he, in his charismatic
manner, bent down, knelt and thereafter
began to roll on the bare floor platform;
apparently in appreciation of God’s undying
love and kindness to him, all these past
years ‘with a promise that he will conquer
and regain the position he lost in 2011
again’. His accapela praise song
accompanied by a baritone voice was a
perfect reminder of the 18th century great
composers of the Westminster in Britain.
While rolling on the floor, the following
statements must have been running in his
minds “if I am to count my blessings all
these years; especially my political exploits
from being a former council chairman in
Ogbomoso North in 1999 to miraculously
emerging a deputy governor in 2003, acting
governor in 2006, elected governor in 2007
and now governor in waiting in 2015 going
by the presence of huge crowd of supporters
here at today’s declaration,”. To him
therefore, having been so kind to him all
through the journey of life, God deserves
nothing but all the praises he could muster
under the sun in appreciation of His ever-
faithful love for him.
All that notwithstanding, Akala, while
speaking at the epoch-making rally at PDP
state secretariat on Queen Elizabeth road
and the ground celebration held at
Watershed Events centre, also on Old-Ife
road, Ibadan, spared a thought for some of
his action and inactions in government by
saying that he was not oblivious and
unmindful of the fact that ruling a state as
cosmopolitan and politically sophisticated as
Oyo was not without some hitches, hence
the need for him to beg for pardon of those
he might have wronged one way or the
other.
He left no one in doubt that pleading for the
forgiveness from those he offended while he
was governor was a needful assurance of a
man ‘born well’ of a woman adding that,
“none of our actions were deliberate or
personal vendetta.”
Explaining reasons why he is gunning for the
seat of power, Alao-Akala said in the last
few months, he had received emissary from
across the state, urging him to come out
once again and contest for the post of the
governor of the state.
“I must say that these past three years, I
have had time to reflect on our
performances as I believe many of you have.
Did we satisfy the yearning of the masses?
As a government, did we provide the much
needed succor for the people? Were the
masses impressed by our people-oriented
policies and programmes?
“It is indeed gratifying to note with a deep
sense of modesty that we made positive
impacts on the lives of the people, as
attested to by the greater majority and also
the international community. The world bank
and the World Health Organization as well
as the UBEC, CBN, and the Federal Ministry
of Transportation recognized our
contributions by giving our government
awards on our performances on local
empowerment programmes, agriculture,
roads, transportation, education, health and
the environment among several others.”
While stressing that he ran his government
with human face, Alao-Akala however
regretted that “the present is characterized
by anti-people policies as evidenced in the
wanton destruction of means of livelihood;
imposition of higher taxes; capital flight and
outright dismissal of public servants on
flimsy excuses.
“Our government was characterized by
friendly policies, people-oriented projects,
accelerated commerce through micro-
finance loans at zero per cent and without
collateral, rural development, job creation,
that is, by using home-based and local
contractors for minor and major contracts,
opening of new roads in the rural areas,
release of grants to schools which enhanced
educational development; respect for the
work-force and job security for public
servants. This is in addition to purchase of
skip-eaters for environmental sanitation,
purchase of fully equipped ambulances,
renovation of public places such as Mapo
hall, Atiba hall, repositioning of because with
modern equipments and opening of new
radio stations in Ogbomoso and Oke-Ogun
axis. And more importantly, our
administration established good and
qualitative leadership as against the present
situation where we now experience
leadership of a Group Managing Director
running state affairs as a private
enterprise.”
He said if given the opportunity again, he
would re-invent the 13 point agenda he
pursued vigorously in his first coming,
stressing that, “I have heard the cries of
market women whose shops were destroyed
and means of livelihood taken away. I have
listened to the agonies of landlords whose
houses were destroyed without
compensation. I have seen civil servants and
top ranking officers of government sacked
ignominiously, but today I come to you with
a message of hope and assurance of a
better tomorrow. You shall be duly
compensated and those unjustly sacked
shall be reinstated. You all have seen how
our rating plummeted, with government of
the day struggling to pay our children’s
WAEC fees. Before I left three years ago, we
constructed over two thousand schools with
two awards from Universal Basic Education,
but today our children are learning under
dilapidated classrooms.”
In their solidarity and goodwill messages, a
former Chief of Staff to Akala, Dr. Saka
Balogun said God has answered the prayers
of PDP because of the perceived hardship
being meted out to citizens by the ruling
APC. He tasked all members to join forces
to send the government of the day packing
in the next election. To Balogun, whoever
emerges as the party’s candidate would be
supported by all and sundry.
Prominent fuji musicians like Abass Akande
Obesere, Taye Currency, Juju maeestro
Femo Lancster, among others addeed colour
to the event.
Others at the ceremony were the acting
Chairman of the South-West PDP, Lanre
Orimoloye, senator Brimoh Yusuf, Mrs. Kemi
Akala, Chief Babalola, Hon. Segun Odebunmi
(Bunvic), Mr. Festus Alade, Mrs. Kemi
Jayeoba-Olorunsogo, Hon. Depo Oyedokun
amongst others. Source: http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/when-ibadan-stood-still-for-alao-akala/188657/ 1 Like 1 Share 
|
