Oyo 2027: The Emilokan Mantra And The Bitter Truth Bayo Adelabu Seems To Be Overlooking.
By Tijani Lateef
I see that the Hon. Minister for Power, Bayo Adelabu, has been trying so hard to position himself as the only choice for Oyo APC in the gubernatorial contest of 2027.
Not only that, he has been doing all within his power to position himself as the leader, anointed candidate, and peace maker within Oyo APC.
Truth be told, he has been failing on both fronts as he naturally should.
I have never seen a situation where the source of a problem, who deliberately refused to admit to his faults and show remorse, will turn out as the solution provider for the problems he deliberately created.
I have been asking myself where the spirit of entertainment by Adelabu is coming from.
In 2019, he was imposed as Oyo APC gubernatorial at the last minute, and the action led to the disintegration of the APC and eventual loss to the PDP at the time.
He was outsmarted in his bid to retain the ticket in 2023, and all hell were let loose.
For Adelabu, it was good for him to be imposed on the APC in 2019, but he would take none of it in 2023 if it would not favour him.
He and some of his followers left the APC to pursue their ambitions on the platform of the Accord Party, AP.
As gubernatorial candidate of the AP, he worked tirelessly against the APC and during a Radio interview, he described the APC platform as a disaster, a terrible platform where according to him, he was always ashamed to associate with when he was a member!
He lost the election woefully.
Infact, he scored just about 30,000 votes and even, the Presidential candidate of the AP who never campaigned in Oyo state for once in Oyo state got more votes than him, despite the fact that he campaigned vigorously in all the 33 Local Governments of Oyo state!!
Oyo APC was also lost as a result of the mudslinging of Adelabu and his followers.
In a surprising but sad turn of events, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu rewarded Bayo Adelabu with the sole ministerial slot for Oyo state.
After his appointment, Adelabu claimed that his decision to abandon the APC for AP was properly communicated to the appropriate quarters within the Party hierarchy, and would you doubt that fact?
After taking the ministerial slot for Oyo state, Adelabu said he had been asked to return to the APC, and he held a jamboree at the Oke- Ado Secretariat of the APC to celebrate his triumphant return.
Since his return to the APC, it is clear that he is
a man on a mission.
He has shown no remorse. He offered no apologies.
In fact, he never made any genuine attempts to reconcile with those who got injured by his actions of 2023.
He returned as a conqueror.
The chosen one who has no business explaining his actions to anyone in Oyo APC.
Unfortunately for him, he is overlooking the extent of the damage he has caused to a lot of people.
His gaze is fixed on Teslim Folarin, the one who outsmarted him to clinch the gubernatorial ticket in 2023 and the one he thought he had conquered.
He is surprisingly overlooking the extent of the damages and agonies he has caused thousands of Party men whom he deprived of the opportunities to fulfil their own dreams.
The ones who aspired to be elected as Honourable members of the Oyo state House of Assembly, those who wanted to be Commissioners, Special Advisers, Special Assistants, Chairmen of Boards and Parastatals, Local Government Chairmen, Councilors, Supervisory Councilors, Contractors, Consultants and many more.
There is no doubt that Adelabu is favoured by those who make him Minister to the detriment of Oyo APC.
However, he is swimming in murky waters because of his antecedents, and even those ones can do nothing to save him.
A little bit of remorse, humility, would have done him a lot of good, but he lacks both.
Even till now, he believes it is his entitlement to be the governor of Oyo state.
Some days ago, he was said to have doled out a sum of 12.5m Naira to some individuals in the name of Oyo APC Media.
A couple of days later, he was at Saki, where he was said to have met with stakeholders from Oke-Ogun 2 APC.
He was also said to have donated about 18m Naira.
I saw a video of him telling those present that he was prepared to champion a reconciliation process within Oyo APC!
Haha! I have never seen anyone like the Power Minister in my life.
You are the source of a problem.
You are the one who benefited from the crisis that has engulfed the Party since 2023.
You have never, for one day, apologized to anyone for your condemnable actions.
You wish to be the candidate of the Party in 2027 and you think you are the best candidate to champion reconciliation just because you are a Minister and in your thinking and imagination, the Leader of Oyo APC?
Where is the acceptability?
Where is the Legitimacy?
How could you exercise power without legitimacy, and you expect to be respected?
If I were Bayo Adelabu, I would perish the thoughts of seeking the APC gubernatorial ticket for now and concentrate on genuine and personal fence mending with people I have caused heart aches.
If it is meant to be, it will still be, and if not, there is still time.
The resounding loss of Oyo APC in the Ibadan North Federal Constituency By-election should have told him something, but he doesn’t seem to have gotten the message.
The electorates in Ibadan North rejected no one but him.
The ‘ Emi Lo Kan ‘ joke he threw at Saki will not work for him.
With due respect to the Power Minister, even he would be terribly embarrassed by the opposition beyond his expectations, assuming he emerged as Oyo APC Candidate in 2027.
What will he say if he is confronted by the video of him calling the APC all manner of unprintable names in 2023?
Bayo Adelabu is a victim of his antecedents and would definitely spell disaster for Oyo APC as its candidate.
I would suggest that he go back to the AP to contest on the platform of the Party.
At least, he shouldn’t find it difficult to convince those who gave him the permission to contest on the platform in 2023 and he will avoid the embarrassments of having to eat his words about how he used to be ashamed of being associated with the APC in 2023.
You can get every of our news as soon as they drop on WhatsApp ...To get all news updates, Join our WhatsApp Group (Click Here)
