From: Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
All arrangements have been concluded to formally welcome former governor of Oyo State, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, to the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, on Saturday.
Alao-Akala served as governor of Oyo State from 2007 to 2011 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Alao-Akala, who defected from PDP to the Labour Party (LP) prior to the 2015 general elections, is expected to lead other political heavyweights in the state to the APC from LP, PDP and Accord.
The defectors include former Senate Leader, Sen. Teslim Folarin; former deputy governor of the state, Amb. Taofeek Arapaja; former Secretary to the State Government, Chief Ayodele Adigun; the only federal lawmaker elected on the platform of PDP to the House of Representatives, Segun Odebunmi, as well as Rauf Olaniyan, Ayoola Makanjuola, Alhaji Rasaq Gbadegesin and their teeming supporters.
National Leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, former Interim National Chairman of APC, Chief Bisi Akande, and APC chairman in the state, Chief Akin Oke, as well as some APC governors from other states are among the ranking members of the party that are expected to welcome the defectors at a grand rally scheduled to hold at the historic Mapo Hall, Ibadan.
The party’s Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr. Olawale Sadare, said in a statement he issued, on Wednesday that, “For the sake of record, Ibadan will witness another epoch-making political event similar to the one we held for President Muhammad Buhari during the build-up to the 2015 general election.”
He stated that the opposition activities in the current political dispensation would be grounded to a halt the party would welcome the heavyweight politicians from other political parties into its fold at the rally tagged as the mother of all defections in the politics of Oyo State.
Sadare nited that some of the bigwigs had joined APC since 2016 “and a whole lot of others that are just coming in would be unveiled at an unprecedented rally holding at the ancient Mapo Hall, Ibadan on Saturday, December 16, 2017.
“With the calibre of active and experienced political players coming on board to reinvigorate our great party ahead of the 2019 general elections, it is pertinent to state here that the battle for the soul of the state to determine who takes over from the trailblazer, Sen. Abiola Ajimobi, would be fought and won only within the APC.
“With all intents and purposes, we crave for a viable opposition as a necessary impetus for good governance and democracy growth in the Pacesetter State, but what the combination of PDP, LP and Accord Party had offered in the last couple of years fell below the standard, thereby necessitating the need for the ruling APC to activate its checks and balances mechanism for the good of the process.
“Apparently, the sterling performance of Governor Ajimobi in offering in the last six years coupled with his exemplary leadership qualities must have appealed to the patriotic zeal in the new entrants, who are coming in to strengthen the APC and thus put paid to irresponsible politics of opposition which some lazy bones and few unscrupulous elements still promote to actualise selfish goals.
“What this indicates is that the unrelenting activities of Governor Ajimobi in relation to his reformation, restoration and transformation agenda for the state would get another boost as many active stakeholders are getting more involved while the dream of a brighter future for our dear state is becoming more realizable by the day.”