Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
Former governor of Oyo State and governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) , Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, has finally agreed to work for the success of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) during the March 9 poll in the state.
Our correspondent gathered that Alao-Akala made the resolution after meeting with National Leader of the APC and former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, as well as the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, on Tuesday and Thursday this week.
Tinubu and Osinbajo were said to have made an overture to Alao-Akala after APC lost the just-concluded presidential election in Oyo State to the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the loss of the state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, to the PDP in the Oyo South senatorial poll.
As gathered, Alao-Akala still holds the ace in the five local government areas of Ogbomoso and it is expected that he will determine the voting pattern in the area during the governorship and House of Assembly polls. But for the votes from Ogbomoso, APC would have won the presidential election in the state with a wide margin.
Alao-Akala, in a statement he issued on Friday evening and personally endorsed by him, said: “Following the outcome of the just concluded presidential and National Assembly elections, I, Otunba Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala, the Oyo State 2019 governorship candidate of Action Democratic Party (ADP), have decided to form an alliance with the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Adebayo, Adekola Adelabu, ahead of the March 9 governorship and state House of Assembly elections in the state.
“However, all the ADP candidates for the House of Assembly seats will go to the elections with my maximum supports.
“It is widely known that I initiated alliance talks with the main opposition parties in Oyo State vis-a-vis my great party – the Action Democratic Party ((ADP), the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP). My boss, the former governor of Oyo State and Osi Olubadan, Senator Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja is a mediator.
“Meanwhile, during the alliance process, I received an emergency call from the Presidency. In the meeting with the Presidency, I was prevailed upon to work for APC. My response was that I should be given 48 hours to consult with my people, the opposition parties’ alliance committee as well as the teeming members, the leaders and the stakeholders of my great party, ADP.
“On resumption of the alliance meeting, my boss (High Chief Rashid Adewolu Ladoja) told me point blank in the presence of other governorship candidates that I was not in consideration for governorship due to my place of birth – Ogbomoso.
“According to him, ‘we need an Ibadan man to slug it out with another Ibadan man, which is Bayo Adelabu.’ With the statement, my geographical place of birth is the only crime I committed.
“Since I’ve been unfairly and technically booted out of the alliance talks, I consulted with my party stakeholders and supporters, whose supports have brought me this far. Having realised that my 2019 governorship agenda cannot be realised in isolation based on the present situation, the only option remaining for me is to form an alliance with Mr. Bayo Adelabu of APC.
“I remain in ADP and all our candidates for the House of Assembly seats will stand the March 9 elections with all my support. But I will work for the victory of Bayo Adelabu of APC.
“Bayo Adelabu is ready to work with ADP to adopt and implement the core values of our party and my manifesto. The Presidency approached me for an alliance based on our performance and grassroots network, not only in Ogbomoso but also in Ibadan, Ibarapa, Oke-Ogun and Oyo.
“Our core values and philosophy as indicated in our ADP manifestos, ‘Rescue Mission Agenda,’ have been adopted by Bayo Adelabu with Presidency as witness. I have therefore, as a candidate of ADP, accepted to support Adelabu of the APC for victory and therefore form a coalition government.
“My solemn gratitude goes to our members, state and national leaders of ADP for the ample opportunity given to me to lead and fly the flag of the party. Though, my decision is a very tough one, it is for the progress of Oyo State.”