Rilwan Adetayo Balogun
As the race for the 2019 Governorship election in Oyo State gets hotter, Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi is close to anointing a successor.
Surprisingly, he has proven political analysts wrong by not settling for the grandson of former Oyo State Governor, Adegoke Adelabu(Penkelesmi), Bayo Adelabu, who resigned from his position as CBN Deputy Governor to vie for Oyo State Governorship position.
According to information gathered by Political Stew, Ajimobi has stated that he’s not a big fan of Adelabu as his successor because he doesn’t have a number of listed qualities he has attached to his possible successor. He further revealed that he is desirous of the continuity in Lagos State and will only achieve that if his successor shares in his ideologies; a quality he hasn’t seen in Adelabu.
A former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Oyo State, Adebayo Ojo, Mr Jide Alao and a renowned worldwide consultant(name witheld) made last-ditch efforts to save the governorship ambition of the Parakoyi of Ibadanland, Adelabu but failed woefully on Saturday night in the North London home of the Gov of Oyo State.
Governor Abiola Ajimobi mentioned some examples like “Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Babatubde Fashola, Donald Duke and Liyel Imoke, Peter Obi and Willie Obiano, Nnamani and Sullivan Chime, Asiwaju Tinubu and Kayode Fayemi, Kwankwaso and Ganduje and Uzor Kalu and Orji” as situations where predecessors and their successors have been at loggerheads.
According to PS, Governor Ajimobi told the well respected trio that though nobody can fault the impressive academic qualifications of Bayo(Adelabu), his splendid career track record and massive financial war chest, but his loyalty is “questionable and totally lacking” that it would be too risky for him to allow a “too independent-minded person like Bayo to succeed him”.
Senator Ajimobi made ials made it known at the meeting that he does not need any favour at all either in form of having a stake in who gets appointed or in financial patronage but that all he desires to have a “loyal successor” who will not only continue his programmes, policies and projects to achieving the Oyo State of his dream but which will be better in terms of infrastructural developments than Lagos by 2027. Most importantly, he said he desires a successor who will execute all those ideas with courage and convictions.
Governor Ajimobi went further to say he needs a God-fearing successor like Abdul-Fatah Ahmed, the governor of Kwara State, who according to him is the most “loyal governor in this country under this political dispensation”.
According to Ajimobi, while Bayo Adelabu has been able to meet just two of his stated criteria for his prospective successor which are; superb educational qualifications and sound professional track record, local and international exposures and courage, Ajimobi said Bayo however, failed woefully in the other two criteria which according to him are; “Godliness and loyalty”
To Ajimobi, the failed criteria are however, the most important as both carry 50% of the total marks while the other 4 criteria jointly weigh 50%.
Conclusively, he told the three staunch supporters of Bayo Adelabu that in the order of preference and performance based on the above criteria, his anointed candidate who will be announced very soon shall be from the following aspirants:
1. Dr. Soji Eniade 85%
2. Dr. Joseph Tegbe 80%
3.Isaac Omodewu 79%
4. Adeniyi Akintola SAN 75%
5. Mr. Lekan Alli 72%
6. Dr. Adeduntan 70%
7. Dr. Moronkola Thomas 59%
8.Bayo Adelabu 42%
The meeting came to an undesirable end with Bayo Adelabu and his three loyalists leaving the governor’s home looking sullen.
Political Stew gathered that it was at “this point that Mr. Adebayo Ojo got unconsolable and wept openly while Bayo Adelabu tried to stay stoic and accept his fate but with little drop of tears as emotions betrayed him.
He stood up and thanked the governor and his three loyalists. He then informed or revealed to the Governor that he resigned from CBN to contest for the post of the Governor of Oyo State; that he did not do that out of desperation as his former office in CBN is worth more in terms of value than the governments of Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ondo and Ekiti states combined together.
A relentless Adelabu further stated that he only resigned in order to take Oyo State to bigger places by rendering selfless services to his people and that he is ready, psyched and determined to do that and that he would emerge as the governor of Oyo State with or without the support and endorsement of the incumbent governor, Ajimobi.
