Sectional Interest, Choice of Oke-Ogun APC Candidates May Block PDP’s Chance of Winning Oyo North

Sectional Interest, Choice of Oke-Ogun APC Candidates May Block PDP’s Chance of Winning Oyo North

*Hon. Shina Peller*

*Hon. Sola Ogunbode*

*Hon. Saheed Yusuff Alaran*

The emergence of candidates from the All Progressive Congress (APC) that have picked the Expression of Interest Forms to run for the Oyo North Senatorial ticket has weakened the chances of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’s consensus candidate, Chief Akinwale Akinwole, popularly known as ‘Wolekanle’ of winning the 2023 election.

The Chronicler Newspaper gathered that notable APC gladiators from the Oke-Ogun axis of the Senatorial District have been throwing their hats in the ring, by purchasing the party’s nomination form to go for the party’s primary, which has created a natural preference for an Oke-Ogun candidate against Ogbomoso candidate, as the two-time, incumbent Senator, Fatai Buhari is also from Ogbomoso part of the Senatorial District.

The Oyo North Senatorial District has ten local government areas from Oke-Ogun and three local government areas from Ogbomoso axis and presently, a major factor in the Ogbomoso politics, who hitherto was a PDP leader, Alhaja Mulikat Akande, has defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) some weeks ago and has also picked the party’s nomination form to vie for Oyo North Senatorial District’s slot.

Some Oke-Ogun APC candidates that have picked their nomination forms include Hon. Sola Ogunbode from Kajola local government, Hon. Shina Peller, the incumbent Honorable representing Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/Iwajowa federal constituency and Hon. Saheed Alaran, who feelers hinted would pick his form this weekend.

According to the opinions of the people of Oke-Ogun, it will be unfair for PDP to pick a consensus candidate from a zone of three local government areas that has had a two-term opportunity and leave Oke-Ogun of ten local government areas for whatever reason.

A member of Alliance for Oke-Ogun Development, Comrade Ismail Alani told The Chronicler Newspaper that the fact that the much-touted ‘Oke-Ogun Lo Kan’ project has not fetched the desired result in having an Oke-Ogun Governor should propel a sense of purpose towards having people from the region in the National Assembly and other important political posts to bring about the positive changes the region needs.

“You cannot tell me that we are that gullible in Oke-Ogun to still go ahead and vote an Ogbomoso man or woman this coming election, they have just gotten two terms in the senate, let the rest of the Senatorial District also have a taste.

“We all know our set target even before the 2019 election was an Oke-Ogun governor, but due to weak political structures and capabilities of our fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters in the various political parties, Ibadan got the shot again and we rallied support for the incumbent governor, we should not now be called fools by the parties leaderships with their recent decisions.

“We have resolved to support our own people in the coming election, whether our brothers and sisters are even from parties that are not popular like APC and PDP, we will give bloc votes to them in Oke-Ogun, that is our resolution,” Alani said.

A former Senator, representing Oyo North Senatorial District, Chief Gbenga Babalola who is a member of PDP was quoted to have frowned at the choice of an Ogbomoso candidate for the senatorial ticket at a stakeholders meeting, saying the action might backfire against the party.

Babalola who also has interest in running for the Senate under the umbrella party called on the party leadership to reconsider their decision.

Meanwhile feelers has it that Governor Seyi Makinde has been reaching out to individuals across parties and interests so as to have a final decision on who to support among various candidates agitating for different political offices under PDP, which might point to the fact that some shocking political decisions might soon be taken that will tilt success towards his party.