Yet again, the APC Governorship Candidate, Senator Teslim Kolawole Folarin, has been exonerated of allegation of his involvement in the murder of late Alhaji Lateef Salako Eleweomo. Senator Folarin has also been vindicated from the evil mischief of the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, who flagrantly insinuated that Eleweomo was killed by Senator Folarin, saying that the file of the case was on his table.
It would be recalled that Alhaji Lateef Salako Eleweomo was murdered in 2010 at Olunloyo Akanran during the PDP Local Government Congress. The former Senate Leader Teslim Folarin was at the venue with his supporters to supervise the Congress when a warring faction of NURTW stormed the venue and allegedly gunned down Alhaji Salako Eleweomo. Senator Folarin was later arrested and arraigned before a magistrate court after which he was released. Late Adebayo Alao Akala was the governor then.
Since then, political opponents of Senator Teslim Folarin had always been throwing darts of allegation of the murder of Eleweomo at Teslim Folarin. They gleefully share a picture of Senator Folarin inside a Black Maria during his arrest. They forgot that being inside a Black Maria does not make one a criminal. The late fiery, radical lawyer, Gani Fawehinmi, spent more time inside Black Maria than his personal posh cars, yet he wasn’t a criminal. Chief MKO Abiola was transported to detention in Black Maria for claiming the presidential mandate given to him by Nigerians. So, being inside a Black Maria does not make Senator Folarin a criminal.
It appeared that the murder allegation was going to be Senator Folarin’s political albatross as his political opponents latched on every opportunity to assassinate Folarin’s character over the murder allegation. The matter of the murder allegation came to a climax when at the governorship debate organised by Splash/Lagelu FM at ICC, UI, Governor Seyi Makinde recklessly stated that the murder file indicting Senator Folarin on the death of Eleweomo was on his table in response to Senator Folarin calling Lamidi Auxiliary an ex-convict. The matter caused caustic verbal exchanges between Senator Folarin and Governor Makinde before the organisers of the debate intervened and sanity restored.
As a popular maxim goes, it takes truth a day to catch up with a lie running for twenty years. On Saturday, 4th March, 2023, Governor Seyi Makinde was featured on State Affairs, a popular program anchored by the top broadcast journalist, Edmund Obilo, on Splash FM. It was on the program that the truth about who killed Alhaji Salako Eleweomo was revealed. While the program was on, Edmund Obilo challenged Governor Makinde on his provocative statement that the file indicting Senator Folarin on the murder of Eleweomo was on his table. Edmund Obilo went to play an audio clip of his interview with late Otunba Alao Akala on the mystery surrounding the death of Eleweomo. In the audio clip, Otunba Alao Akala, when asked why he fingered Senator Folarin on the death of Eleweomo, responded that ‘FOLARIN COULDN’T HAVE KILLED ANYBODY AT THAT TIME’, that it was coincidental that Senator Folarin was at the scene of the unfortunate incident. Embarrassed at his own folly, Governor Makinde said that he was under pressure to make the statement against Senator Folarin. Has Senator Folarin not been vindicated that Lamidi Auxiliary is an ex convict, having been prosecuted, found guilty of allegations levelled against him, sent to prison and served out his prison term? YES! Has Governor Makinde not been found to be reckless and irresponsible in his allegation against Senator Folarin? YES! Has the governor not been seen to be a liar and a false allegator?
Now that it has been confirmed that Senator Folarin had no hand in the murder of Alhaji Salako Eleweomo, one hopes that the opposition parties, PDP and Accord especially, which have been using the spurious allegation to discredit Oloye Teslim Folarin would get serious on how to defeat the APC Governorship Candidate in the 11th March Governorship Election and wash their hearts of dirt of hate against an innocent gentleman. Oloye Teslim Folarin is not a man of violence. He abhors brigandage and this clearly confirmed by Otunba Alao Akala to the effect that Senator Folarin could not hurt a fly. Otunba Alao Akala made the statement when his political bickering with Senator Folarin was at its peak over the soul of the PDP in Oyo State. Yet, Otunba Alao Akala did not slander Oloye Folarin even though they were political sworn enemies at the time.
It is Seyi Makinde’s stock-in-trade to make a victim out of his political opponent which is what he has been doing by slandering Senator Folarin over an allegation he knew nothing about. It should be clear to Oyo people now who is truly meek and kind and who is lethal and fatal behind a facade of meekness. It is glaring now that Seyi Makinde appointed an ex convict to head his illegal PMS to be able to intimidate his political opponents and Oyo people to submission. Makinde claimed that an ex-convict deserved to live in the society. We didn’t know that Makinde’s government is a rehabilitation centre for ex-convicts except that he hasn’t been able to rehabilitate the PMS Chairman since there have been allegations of murder, maiming and violence supervised by the PMS Chairman.
Oyo people now have another opportunity to chase away violence and brigandage that PDP and Makinde government represent and return peace and tranquility APC is known for to the state by coming out en masse to cast their votes for Senator Teslim Kolawole Folarin. Late Governor Abiola Ajimobi did it before and Senator Teslim Folarin will do more if elected on Saturday, 11th March, 2023.
