₦airaland Forum

Ibadan, Oyo State (nairaland) November 11, 2014 - As the Oyo State PDP gubernatorial primary draws near, it is said that incumbent governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi is on bended knees praying that the party picks either Chief Alao-Akala or Senator Teslim Folarin, as its flagbearer, two men he believes that he can easily trounce in his bid to become the first governor of Oyo State to serve second term.

A casual observer may wonder why Ajimobi would want PDP to pick either Akala or Folarin. But to seasoned political pundits, Ajimobi's confidence in beating either of the two men is not misplaced.

Folarin, a two-term senator may be a big name on paper and probably in Abuja among his erstwhile colleagues in the National Assembly. But in his Oyo State base, he is a mere paperweight politician without any following, having emerged as senator in 2003 courtesy of the strong-arm tactics of late Lamidi Adedibu. And it was by riding on Adedibu's back again that he was re-elected as senator in 2007 without lifting a finger or trying to create a political base of his own. Even when he emerged as Senate leader and could have used the opportunity to build a following, he spent most of his time in Abuja, playing national politics to the detriment of his constituents at the grassroots who could hardly recognise his face or point to any project that he helped bring to the state.

Folarin's first real attempt to get political support on his own was in 2011. But his violent attempt to wrest the party's governorship ticket from Alao-Akala in 2011 ended even before it began. He tried to intimidate party members with a large contingent of policemen from Abuja which resulted in the death of Lati Eleweomo, a leader of the National Union or Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the state and one of Akala's staunch supporters. Akala angrily threw him into detention before yielding to pressure and setting him free. But to this day, the Ibadan-born politician is yet to exonerate himself of Eleweomo's murder.

To hit back at Akala to whom he lost the party's gubernatorial ticket, Folarin co-opted Senator Lekan Balogun, Alhaji Yekeen Adeojo and others to scuttle Alao-Akala's second term bid in the 2011 polls and thereby helped Ajimobi to become governor.

Now that he wants to be governor, he finds it difficult to get off his high horse to campaign for support across the state, the way the likes of Seyi Makinde has been busy doing. Instead, he has been holed up in Abuja begging his powerful friends to install him as the governorship candidate in Oyo State.

He is painfully aware that he cannot get the PDP governorship ticket in a free and fair primary election unless a decree comes from Abuja or the primary is rigged in his favour. Even if this was to happen and by some unusual means he becomes the flag bearer, convincing the voters who have never heard anything good about the two-term senator will be an uphill task. Pitted against Ajimobi, many voters will prefer to boycott the polling booth on Election Day or choose to reluctantly vote for the hated Ajimobi. Added to this is Akala waiting in the wing to seek vengeance by giving Folarin a taste of his own medicine.

In Akala's case, getting the support of the leaders of the PDP from the Ibadan axis which played a major role in aborting his re-election bid in 2011 is a major stumbling block. The enmity runs deep. Interestingly, it is not only the likes of Senator Lekan Balogun, Chief Adeojo and Folarin who are waiting to give Akala a bloody nose once again. There is also the intimidating presence of Senator Hosea Agboola in Oke Ogun to threaten Akala's governorship ambition. Agboola, a former commissioner in Akala's cabinet cannot stand Akala. The extent of their disdain for each other is exemplified in the confrontation between the duo at a recent meeting of Southwest PDP in Ibadan.

Akala is also disadvantaged by the fact that he is not particularly liked among members of President Goodluck Jonathan's kitchen cabinet. As it were, Akala and Folarin seem ready to cancel each other out in their zero sum politics of bitterness. Neither of the two men has tried to go to the grassroots to campaign for support. They don't appear to have developmental programmes for the state and none of them has so far offered any. The only governorship aspirant that the rank and file of Oyo State PDP has seen on the field is Makinde, the young and dynamic engineer who has been criss-crossing the state and making serious effort to sell the PDP to the people of the state. It is a development many consider can make him emerge a compromise candidate for the party in the November 29 primary.

For Ajimobi, coming up with a political strategy with an uncontroversial and scandal free and dynamic aspirant like Makinde is a problem that he unprepared to deal with.

Olanshile wrote from Ibadan, Oyo State

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Ibadan, Oyo State (nairaland) November 11, 2014 - As the Oyo State PDP gubernatorial primary draws near, it is said that incumbent governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi is on bended knees praying that the party picks either Chief Alao-Akala or Senator Teslim Folarin, as its flagbearer, two men he believes that he can easily trounce in his bid to become the first governor of Oyo State to serve second term.

A casual observer may wonder why Ajimobi would want PDP to pick either Akala or Folarin. But to seasoned political pundits, Ajimobi's confidence in beating either of the two men is not misplaced.

Folarin, a two-term senator may be a big name on paper and probably in Abuja among his erstwhile colleagues in the National Assembly. But in his Oyo State base, he is a mere paperweight politician without any following, having emerged as senator in 2003 courtesy of the strong-arm tactics of late Lamidi Adedibu. And it was by riding on Adedibu's back again that he was re-elected as senator in 2007 without lifting a finger or trying to create a political base of his own. Even when he emerged as Senate leader and could have used the opportunity to build a following, he spent most of his time in Abuja, playing national politics to the detriment of his constituents at the grassroots who could hardly recognise his face or point to any project that he helped bring to the state.

Folarin's first real attempt to get political support on his own was in 2011. But his violent attempt to wrest the party's governorship ticket from Alao-Akala in 2011 ended even before it began. He tried to intimidate party members with a large contingent of policemen from Abuja which resulted in the death of Lati Eleweomo, a leader of the National Union or Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the state and one of Akala's staunch supporters. Akala angrily threw him into detention before yielding to pressure and setting him free. But to this day, the Ibadan-born politician is yet to exonerate himself of Eleweomo's murder.

To hit back at Akala to whom he lost the party's gubernatorial ticket, Folarin co-opted Senator Lekan Balogun, Alhaji Yekeen Adeojo and others to scuttle Alao-Akala's second term bid in the 2011 polls and thereby helped Ajimobi to become governor.

Now that he wants to be governor, he finds it difficult to get off his high horse to campaign for support across the state, the way the likes of Seyi Makinde has been busy doing. Instead, he has been holed up in Abuja begging his powerful friends to install him as the governorship candidate in Oyo State.

He is painfully aware that he cannot get the PDP governorship ticket in a free and fair primary election unless a decree comes from Abuja or the primary is rigged in his favour. Even if this was to happen and by some unusual means he becomes the flag bearer, convincing the voters who have never heard anything good about the two-term senator will be an uphill task. Pitted against Ajimobi, many voters will prefer to boycott the polling booth on Election Day or choose to reluctantly vote for the hated Ajimobi. Added to this is Akala waiting in the wing to seek vengeance by giving Folarin a taste of his own medicine.

In Akala's case, getting the support of the leaders of the PDP from the Ibadan axis which played a major role in aborting his re-election bid in 2011 is a major stumbling block. The enmity runs deep. Interestingly, it is not only the likes of Senator Lekan Balogun, Chief Adeojo and Folarin who are waiting to give Akala a bloody nose once again. There is also the intimidating presence of Senator Hosea Agboola in Oke Ogun to threaten Akala's governorship ambition. Agboola, a former commissioner in Akala's cabinet cannot stand Akala. The extent of their disdain for each other is exemplified in the confrontation between the duo at a recent meeting of Southwest PDP in Ibadan.

Akala is also disadvantaged by the fact that he is not particularly liked among members of President Goodluck Jonathan's kitchen cabinet. As it were, Akala and Folarin seem ready to cancel each other out in their zero sum politics of bitterness. Neither of the two men has tried to go to the grassroots to campaign for support. They don't appear to have developmental programmes for the state and none of them has so far offered any. The only governorship aspirant that the rank and file of Oyo State PDP has seen on the field is Makinde, the young and dynamic engineer who has been criss-crossing the state and making serious effort to sell the PDP to the people of the state. It is a development many consider can make him emerge a compromise candidate for the party in the November 29 primary.

For Ajimobi, coming up with a political strategy with an uncontroversial and scandal free and dynamic aspirant like Makinde is a problem that he unprepared to deal with.

Olanshile wrote from Ibadan, Oyo State

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Ibadan, Oyo State (nairaland) November 11, 2014 - Good day, Ladies and Gentlemen, esteemed delegates and stakeholders of Oyo State PDP and the entire voting delegation for the forthcoming November 29th, 2014 PDP Governorship Primary Election.

I write this letter to solicit for free and fair Primary Election and the reasons why I should be given a chance.

PDP is the political Party of the grassroots and has always been the party which best represents what it means to be Nigerian…equality, freedom and prosperity. If our desire is to win the February 28th 2015 Governorship Election in Oyo State, then I strongly suggest that we create an environment for free and fair Primary Election within the party.

This is a time that we should close up our ranks to present a united front and not put PDP at a crossroads hence preventing the opposition from galvanizing support at our expense.

Do we want to win 2015 Governorship Election and future Elections? Now is your opportunity to prove it and support my candidature.

I therefore use this medium to enumerate some of the positive attributes my leadership will bring to Oyo State at large, if I am given the chance to lead.

My leadership:

- Will thoroughly redeem the image of the Party and regain the trust of the people of Oyo State.

- Will first consider capacity within the Party before considering capacity outside the Party.

- Will encourage participation of qualified Party members for key positions in the State.

- Will ensure proper disbursement of funds to key areas for infrastructural development of the state.

- Will set the pace for other leaders in the State to follow.

- Will interact properly with the leadership at the Federal level to move the State forward at rapid pace.

- Will be open and transparent making it possible for both Party stakeholders and indeed the people of Oyo State to make meaningful contributions for the furtherance and success of the State.

- Will be firm against redundant and financial waste in the State.

- Will encourage upcoming entrepreneurs and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

- Will enable, encourage and empower the youth as they are essential to the success of our State.

- Will ensure continuity of key projects that had been set up in the State.

Who to choose?

- Look for a candidate with a grassroots campaign and a deep understanding of the value of working with others.

- Look for a candidate who is open to building our party.

- Look for a candidate who believes that the PDP has a message that can win the next election on its own.

- Look for a candidate who will base public policy on solid research.

- Look for a candidate who will rebuild the trust which the people of Oyo State should have in their leaders and civil servants.

- Look for a candidate who will support the rights of the people of Oyo State.

- Look for a candidate who has the vision to see a way forward and the determination to carry it through.

I urge the party delegates and stakeholders to give me a chance to drive our great State to the Promised Land. Let's uphold fairness and progress. Let's give excellence a chance.

I have made up my mind to surrender my will to serve the Oyo State people, and I hope that many delegates, who read this letter, give me their support to make this happen.

Sincerely,

Seyi Makinde.

Take action and join the campaign team to ensure that Seyi Makinde emerges as the PDP Gubernatorial Flag bearer in the forthcoming Oyo State PDP Governorship Primary Election scheduled for November 29th 2014.

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Ibadan, Oyo State (nairaland) September 8, 2014 - Engr. Seyi Makinde has embraced ground-breaking technology that is helping him connect with voters, volunteers and supporters. Engr. Seyi Makinde has started an online movement as part of his activities towards winning the hearts of Oyo State people most particularly those who utilise the internet, handheld devices, social media and email for keeping up to date with information regarding the forthcoming PDP Governorship Primaries in October 2014 and General elections in February 2015.

The online awareness platform (http://www.seyimakinde4governor.com) is being anchored by Seyi Makinde's Online Campaign Team (SMOCT) and the site was developed specifically to rally the Oyo State youth, men and women in supporting Engr Makinde's aspiration with an aim of increasing campaign awareness.

The site explains and answers many questions about the achievements of Seyi Makinde and affords people a chance to share their thoughts on vital issues and respond to the governorship aspirant's programme and ideas. More than 5,000 people visited the site in the first week of its launch.

To be exact, some spectators say Makinde has raised the bar to new heights with the use of interactive web tools in the history of elections in Oyo State. Makinde's use of new technology seems to reflect his connection with Oyo State's young voters… "We are really targeting the under-25 to 30 audiences".

Engr. Seyi Makinde's Online Campaign is a major social media milestone because it ushers in a new relationship amongst potential voters and supporters. The online initiative will offer an unmatched number of individuals the opportunity to have a new kind of active, direct role in Makinde's campaign; additionally, I forecast that the Seyi Makinde online and social media campaign strategy will bring Makinde closer to all Oyo State people in contributing directly to the party's political development in the state.

Our intension is to make Engr Seyi Makinde a household name in Oyo State through the website and use of social media because a large number of Oyo State citizens are comfortable with using internet, email and mobile services.

Some of the progressive areas that Engr. Seyi Makinde intends to intensify efforts in order to improve the life of the hardworking people of Oyo State include Agriculture, Education, Health, Physical Infrastructure, Power and Security, thus boosting the economy by attracting investors to Oyo State.

In order to create more awareness about Engr. Seyi Makinde's political aspirations and state building objectives, the Online Campaign Team will carry out modernisation communication utilising videos, media and other web channels. The website www.seyimakinde4governor.com features a range of resources that will equip Oyo State people; inform and enable them to make the right choice and support a progressive candidate.

The web platform has made Engr. Seyi Makinde more accessible than any other governorship aspirants to date, thanks to technology. To find out more about Engr. Seyi Makinde's political activities, visit www.seyimakinde4governor.com for up to date and more valuable information.

Closing Remark

Olu Kola, UK Lead, Seyi Makinde Online Campaign Team (SMOCT). The website, www.seyimakinde4governor.com , provides news and updates on Seyi Makinde's campaign activities, information about his programmes for Oyo's State Development, news on Oyo Politics and lots more.

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