Oyo gov poll: Tinubu lures more opponents to APC

….As Ibadan family heads kick

AFTER a week that the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu wooed a former governor in Oyo State, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, to work for the governorship candidate of the party, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, the APC leader has made overtures to some chieftains of the party in the state ahead of Saturday’s exercise.

">Asiwaju Bola Tinubu

This was confirmed by Mr Dapo Lam-Adesina, the son of the former governor  of the state, at a meeting he held with several stakeholders of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, at the Felele residence of the former state governor.

This came as family heads in Ibadanland questioned Tinubu’s interference in the political activities of the state.

The family heads also cautioned Otunba Alao-Akala to be wary of his utterances against his former boss, Senator Rashidi Ladoja.

They said: “What is the interest of Tinubu in Oyo politics? It is an open secret that he is the one instigating two brothers (Ladoja and Akala) against each other. That is not acceptable to us. The candidates of PDP and APC are our sons and we don’t want external forces to create division between them.”

Dapo Lam-Adesina said: “Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (Jagaban) called me yesterday (Tuesday) and I went. But, I did not go there alone. I went with some chieftains of the party. I only told him that we have to go back and seek the opinions of our people to know the direction where we are going. We shall do whatever we jointly decide to do. We can work with any candidate of our choice, but we still remain members of the ADC.”

He alleged that it was the leadership of the party that actually destroyed APC.

“And up till now, all we complained about that led to our exit from the party are yet to be addressed. The leaders want to destroy all the legacies of my father (Alhaji Lamidi Adesina). They are trying all sorts of things to destroy the good legacy that my father left behind.”

“After eight years, the governor was invited to a radio station and when he was asked if there was anything during the eight years he governed the state, to immortalize my father. What he said was that he’s still looking into it.”

Speaking on his loss at the National Assembly election about two weeks ago, he simply said, “we have learnt our lessons. It was just about two weeks that we lost election, is it morally upright for us to be hobnobbing with other political parties. I, Dapo Lamidi Adesina, remain a member of the ADC.”