Checks by OYOINSIGHT.COM have revealed that Adebayo Adelabu, Teslim Folarin, Yunus Akintunde, Olusegun Odebunmi, Akeem Adeyemi, Saheed Akinade-Fijabi, Adedapo Lam-Adesina have picked their nomination forms for various positions they are contesting for under the All Progressives Congress, APC.
This is just as Governor Seyi Makinde’s men are working on bringing the two-term lawmaker representing Oyo North senatorial district, Fatai Buhari, into the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Buhari, who represented Ogbomoso federal constituency between 2003 and 2007, wants to take over from incumbent Makinde in the 2023 election.
Kola Balogun, who represents Oyo south senatorial district and who resigned his membership of the PDP last night, may be on his way to either APC or Social Democratic Party, SDP.
While Adelabu and Folarin purchased governorship forms, others like Akintunde bought (Oyo Central); Bunvic (Ogo-Oluwa/Surulere); Skimeh (Oyo federal constituency); Akinade-Fijabi (Ibadan North West/South West); Lam-Adesina (Ibadan North East/South East.
OYOINSIGHT.COM cannot confirm whether or not Olamiju, son of late former governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, has obtained his nomination form to contest the Ogbomoso North/South/Oriire seat.
Meanwhile, Oyo PDP is aiming to bring Buhari to fortify its squad ahead of the 2023 election. Recall that it recently brought Joseph Tegbe to its fold. “If Buhari agrees, Akinwole Akinwale, who has been given the ticket, would be made to withdraw while the senator would contest for the third term,” a source, close to government, said.
Asked if his boss has obtained either of the governorship or senatorial forms, an aide of the Ogbomoso-born ranking senator who did not want name in print said that “my boss is still in Saudi, where he had gone to perform lesser hajj. There is no way he would have obtained any of the forms that I won’t know. So disregard such story.”
Also speaking on a condition of anonymity, a top chieftain of the APC from the state who is concerned about the crisis in the party noted that “we must be very careful with what we do as we are entering election year. It is not even about APC alone. We may not have a ranking senator from Oyo state in the next dispensation. Senators Buhari and Folarin wants to be governor. Senator Balogun has been denied a return ticket. What that means is that we may have new persons from the three senatorial districts representing us. It portends great danger. Fatai Buhari has become a beautiful bride. I can also confirm that PDP is after him. So APC needs to put its house in order.”
OYOINSIGHT.COM cannot reach Buhari for comments as at press time but further investigations reveal that the leadership of the APC at the centre, mindful of the implication of losing the next election, has waded into the matter. “Apart from two former governors talking to Fatai Buhari to contest the North senatorial district again, the national chairman of the APC, who happens to be the lawmaker’s former colleague in the senate, is also appealing to the former reps member to contest again. In fact, some powerful pro-APC people might have bought the senatorial form for Sen. Fatai Buhari waiting for him to come and present to him. They know the importance of the lawmaker contesting in Ogbomoso/Okeogun senatorial district.
”Before he left for lesser hajj, his team was already formed and his campaign office was being put in place. I must tell you that as part of his strategies, he will be staging his empowerment ceremonies in Iseyin, Ogbomoso and Saki any moment from now,” added the source.
