All is still not well between ‘Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo State, and Ademola Adeleke, who would be sworn in as governor of neighbouring Osun State, this newspaper has exclusively gathered.
Rather than lead others to Osun to receive guests, being the only governor on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, before today, his deputy, Bayo Lawal is on the way to the Ibadan airport, Alakia to receive former vice-president and presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar after which they will journey together to Osun.
This newspaper understands that Makinde attended an event at IITA on Friday.
Governors on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, from the region, are expected to be represented by Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State at the inauguration.
Apart from Adeleke, Makinde is not disposed to the aspiration of Abubakar following the insistence of Iyorchia Ayu to remain as national chairman of the PDP.
Trouble had started early 2022 when supporters of Adeleke protested against what they termed Makinde’s interference in the affairs of the Osun PDP. They had accused him of not supporting Adeleke and favouring Dotun Babayemi.
Adeleke, this newspaper recalls, later went on to defeat Babayemi at the primaries. All through the campaign period, Makinde didn’t visit Osun to offer support. He, however, congratulated Adeleke when he was declared winner against outgone Gboyega Oyetola of the APC.
Though the PDP has expelled Babayemi from the party, Makinde was seen in a picture with him at a function in Rivers State, an action that irked the leadership and members of the Osun chapter.
Also, this newspaper understands that Makinde had a good working relationship with Oyetola. Apart from the joint ownership issue of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH, Ogbomoso, that was amicably ceded, Oyo and Osun under the duo, signed the contract for the award of 91km Osogbo-Iwo-Ibadan expressway reconstruction.
The inauguration of Adeleke brings to two the numbers of PDP governors in the southwest, leaving APC with four.
Source: Oyoinsight
