A source within the Oyo state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday told Westernmirror that there is currently an uneasy calm in the state chapter of the party as Governorship aspirant and incumbent Senator representing Oyo Central Senatorial district, Senator Teslim Kolawole Folarin has been told to step down his ambition for Chief Bayo Adelabu.
According to the source, Teslim Folarin and the APC leadership in Oyo state under the control of Honourable Isaac Omodewu led state working committee are in one camp alongside the political structure of former governor Alao Akala especially in Ogbomoso zone.
Following the APC congress which produced Omodewu as the Oyo state chairman of the party leaving out others believed to be loyalists of Adelabu, political scheming and permutations in a bid to take control of the soul of the party have continued to heighten up across both camps.
The source said a directive by the APC national headquarters in Abuja has been handed down to Senator Folarin to step down his Governorship ambition ahead of 2023 for the party’s 2019 Governorship candidate, Bayo Adelabu.
The source however, said it was unclear who was pushing for the Adelabu mandate in Abuja but noted that it could not be unconnected with the Bola Tinubu’s political foot soldiers at the party’s national Secretariat.
It would be recalled that Adelabu, who was the APC governorship candidate in the 2019 general election came second behind the winner and the incumbent Governor of Oyo state, Seyi Makinde.
Westernmirror gathered that since the heightened political activities in the state and country, Adelabu has continued to boast and expressed confidence in clinching the APC governorship ticket for the forthcoming 2023 general election.
However, Senator Folarin is believed to have firm grip and control of the main opposition party, the APC in Oyo state but the source who craved not to speak anonymously said nobody within the opposition party could tell as of now where the political pendulum would swing.
The source added that, while Senator Folarin continued to leverage on Abuja APC connection to have control of the party in the state, Adelabu is strongly relying on the Lagos political might to have his way at the end of the day.
This online newspaper also gathered that former member of the APC who is now the Oyo South Senatorial candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Joseph Tegbe, was the preferred candidate of former Governor, late Abiola Ajimobi before the 2019 governorship election before former Lagos state governor, Bola Tinubu reportedly intervened to secure the party ticket for Adelabu.
The source noted that ‘Penkelemes’ as Adelabu is popularly known is relying on the Lagos might to have a repeat of 2019 ahead of 2023 in Oyo state.
Westernmirror further gathered that the polarization along political camps in the Oyo state chapter of the APC has dealt a big blow to the party as it continues to lose some of its strong stalwarts and financial backers to the ruling PDP.
Some the political heavyweights the Oyo state chapter of the APC has lost to the ruling PDP in recent time include Mogaji Joseph Tegbe in Ibadan, Engr. Mufutau Open Salawu in Ogbomoso, Olusola Akeem Akintunde in Akinyele, Prince Akintoye Simeon (Ogbomoso) amongst others.
