…as Gov. Makinde Remains Unsettled by Kidnapped Schoolchildren Crisis
By Olusesan Laoye
Since the primary election conducted by the All Progressives Congress (APC), agitations over who will fly the party’s ticket in the 2027 governorship election have continued to rock the party, threatening its prospects of presenting a common front.
In the same vein, the kidnapping of schoolchildren in Oyo State by bandits has kept Governor Seyi Makinde sleepless and reportedly caused him to abandon his proposed presidential ambition, as the fate of the captives would, to a large extent, determine the outcome of the election in the state. At the weekend, he assured the people that both the captives and their captors were in the Oyo National Park and regretted the deplorable conditions to which the children were being exposed.
Although, in some quarters, it is believed that a candidate has emerged, there are also strong agitations in other quarters that no one has emerged from the over 15 aspirants who contested for the governorship ticket.
The crisis over the governorship ticket had begun even before the party fixed a date for the primary election. The man at the centre of the controversy is the serving Senator representing Oyo South Senatorial District and former Secretary to the Oyo State Government (SSG), Senator Sharafadeen Alli, who is alleged to be claiming victory.
Some party members claimed that he had used the influence of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, to pressure the Abuja office of the party and the Presidency to impose him on other aspirants and secure the ticket.
The insinuation became widespread across the state, with many regarding Alli as the anointed choice of the Presidency, especially at a time when former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, had not openly declared his intention to contest the governorship race.
Adelabu, who was initially touted as President Bola Tinubu’s preferred candidate, did not resign his ministerial appointment for the race on time, eventually doing so at the last minute, after the likes of Senator Alli, H.E. Engr. Rauf Aderemi Olaniyan, Dr. Ololade Usman Bakare, Barr. Akeem Agbaje, Prince Musibau Asanike, and Engr. Hakeem Oyedele Alao had already established strong grassroots structures for the contest.
Fierce Contest, No Consensus
It was at the peak of the fierce contest that the governorship primary was conducted. The aspirants approached the exercise with the mindset that they would not agree to any imposition or consensus arrangement, insisting that whoever emerged must do so through a transparent and convincing process.
However, some aspirants maintained that there was no winner, protesting that no proper primary election took place, despite claims that Senator Alli had emerged as the party’s preferred candidate.
What added fuel to the already tense atmosphere was the statement credited to the state chairman of the party, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo, and some elders, suggesting that Alli had been selected at the highest level as the preferred candidate of the party.
Chief Adeyemo’s statement attracted severe criticism from five governorship aspirants, who accused him of bias and open favouritism towards a particular aspirant before the results of the primary election had been officially concluded.
The aggrieved aspirants argued that the chairman’s actions and pronouncements were premature and compromised the neutrality expected of his office by publicly endorsing and raising the hand of Senator Alli before the National Working Committee (NWC) officially declared the results.
They maintained that such actions were contrary to the principles of equity, justice, fair play, and due process, and unanimously called for the chairman’s resignation.
According to them, his conduct amounted to imposition, lack of transparency, and poor leadership.
The aspirants, including Adebayo Adelabu, who operates independently, and the members of the newly formed G-5 group – Rauf Olaniyan, Hakeem Alao, Akeem Agbaje, and Musibau Asanike – passed a vote of no confidence on Adeyemo and demanded his immediate resignation.
Other Grievances
Among other complaints raised by the aggrieved aspirants were allegations that the primary election was marred by irregularities, poor distribution of election materials, voter intimidation, and manipulation of figures.
According to them, these developments further demonstrated the chairman’s inability to provide fair and effective leadership.
What heightened their anger was the chairman’s perceived attempt to impose a particular aspirant despite his earlier pledge to ensure fairness, unity, and an end to godfatherism within the party.
Party members argued that it was contradictory for a chairman who had preached peace, cooperation, and the rejection of personal interests during his inaugural speech to now be accused of actions capable of destabilising the party, barely six months into office.
With the developments within the APC, there have been speculations that some members are planning to leave the party, a situation that may affect its electoral fortunes, as happened in similar circumstances in 2023 when Governor Seyi Makinde secured a second term in office.
This tension prompted both Adelabu and the G-5 aspirants within the party to call for calm among their supporters.
Adelabu urged his supporters, who were already angered by Adeyemo’s actions, not to leave the APC, insisting that the outcome of the Oyo governorship primary was still pending.
The former Minister of Power appealed to party members to remain calm in view of the uncertainty surrounding the outcome of the party’s primary election.
According to Adelabu, the APC National Headquarters had not authorised any individual, group, or committee in Oyo State to announce the outcome of the primary contest.
Appeal for Calm
According to him, reports circulating on social media and other unofficial channels about the success of a particular candidate should be disregarded pending an official pronouncement by the party leadership in Abuja.
“However, it is important to remind ourselves that the National Headquarters of our party has expressly directed that no individual, group, or committee at the state level is authorised to announce the final outcome of the primaries,” he pointed out.
He added: “Consequently, any purported list of candidates being circulated on social media or through unofficial channels should be treated with utmost caution until the national leadership of the party makes its official pronouncement.”
He then appealed to party members and supporters to remain patient and law-abiding.
“At this crucial stage, no one should allow himself or herself to be misled by rumours, propaganda, or premature victory claims designed to manipulate public perception, create confusion among party faithful, and influence ongoing consultations within the party,” he said.
Adelabu also expressed concern over reports that some party members had defected to opposition parties over alleged consensus arrangements.
“I am particularly concerned by reports that some of our members, feeling aggrieved by the rumours surrounding the purported consensus arrangements, have begun defecting to opposition parties in protest,” he said.
“Let me state unequivocally that I condemn these defections in their entirety.”
The G-5 aspirants also called for caution among their supporters, although they expressed concern about the state of the democratic process in the Oyo State chapter of the party and the country in general.
While the group lamented that democracy in the state had not been nurtured with sincerity and justice, they maintained that Democracy Day should serve as a reminder of the sacrifices made for civilian rule. However, they regretted that the ideals of accountability and fairness remained largely unfulfilled in Oyo State.
They argued that the current political climate was one in which citizens’ expectations of good governance had yet to be met.
According to them, democracy goes beyond periodic elections and must be reflected in transparent leadership, equitable distribution of resources, and respect for the rule of law.
They maintained that the absence of these values had left many residents disillusioned despite decades of uninterrupted democratic rule in Nigeria.
The aspirants urged their supporters across the state’s 33 local government areas to remain steadfast and not lose faith in the political process. They also advised them to maintain peace, remain law-abiding, and continue constructive engagement ahead of future elections.
Among the party leaders and stakeholders worried about developments within the APC is Senator Teslim Folarin, the party’s governorship candidate in the 2023 election and former Senate Leader. He urged party members to remain calm and have confidence in the National Headquarters of the party, stressing that no official verdict had been delivered and no candidate had been formally declared as the party’s flag bearer for the 2027 governorship election.
According to him, only the national body of the party has the authority to announce who secures the party’s ticket.
At the height of the arguments over the viral governorship primary results, which were said to be unverified but were circulating online and indicating a landslide victory for Senator Sharafadeen Alli, the APC State Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, officially dismissed the figures as fake, unauthorised, and misleading.
He stated that only the APC National Secretariat in Abuja is authorised to collate and announce the results.
Similarly, the APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, sought to douse tensions in the Oyo chapter of the party by downplaying the controversy over who would secure the governorship ticket.
According to him, such disagreements are normal in a political party where many capable individuals are interested in contesting for public office. He maintained that the APC has established constitutional procedures for resolving disputes.
“You see, I can’t say anything further until we hear from the national office of the party, and that is where the final decision will come from,” he said.