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By Samuel Adegoke
Two years to the next general election, a political realignment in Oyo State came to the open yesterday as loyalists of Sen. Rashidi Ladoja officially opened talks with the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
Ladoja is the leader of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) in the state. His followers, who are also members of the party, met with the leadership of the APC at hilltop Premier Hotel, Ibadan where they reached major conclusions on how they can join the APC to swell its ranks in the 2023 elections.
Though Ladoja was not present at the meeting, The Nation gathered that he was fully aware of the move, and that their attendance received his blessings.
The new move may have sealed the suspicion that all is not well with the relationship between Ladoja and Governor Seyi Makinde. The former governor midwifed the coalition that gave Makinde victory in the 2019 election but things seem to have fallen apart gradually in the last 12 months between the two gladiators. In the coalition were ZLP, SDP, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Alliance for Democracy (AD).
The 2019 governorship candidate of ZLP, Sharafadeen Alli led Ladoja’s loyalists to the meeting yesterday. The ZLP team include former Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Adeolu Adeleke; Messrs. Bimbo Adepoju; Waheed Akanbi; Barr. Koyejo Oyetunde; Alhaja Serifat Tanimowo; Mrs. Monisola Tegbe and K.K. Raji.
The Caretaker Chairman of the APC in Oyo State, Chief Akin Oke, led the APC team. Others in his team include Sen. Teslim Folarin; House of Representatives members Hon. Segun Odebunmi and Akeem Adeyemi.
There were also former Commissioner for Environment in the state, Chief Lowo Obisesan; the 2019 APC governorship aspirant in the state, Dr. Olusola Ayandele; Minority Leader of Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Asimiyu Alarape; former PDP chairman in the state, Yinka Taiwo; Secretary, APC Caretaker Committee in the state, Mojeed Olaoya; Secretary, APC Registration/Revalidation Committee, Olawale Sadare and a chieftain of Chief Wale Ohu, who is a staunch loyalist of former governor of the state, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala. The latter is the Chairman of the APC Elders’ Forum.
Ohu told reporters after the meeting that there was nothing new about the meeting, stressing: “This is a season of consultations, party consultations. The ZLP symbolises by the Ladoja group and the APC led by our own party chairman, Chief Akin Oke, are here for deliberation and consultation. That is why we are here.”
Asked to comment on the outcome of the meeting, Ohu stated: “It was a nice one. We are looking at a possibility of working together as politicians that we have been in Oyo State. The faces are not new. We know ourselves. We look at a possibility of making Oyo State better if we can now work together; that is the paramount thing in our mind and that is the essence of the sitting. So, that’s what we did today (Friday).”
Fielding more questions on the subject of discussion, Ohu responded: “Why don’t you wait till then? I think we are progressing. The meeting was a very nice one. Old hands met, threw banters and we did consultations. We discussed on how to move this party forward to move the state forward and the signal are very impressive.
When asked why Alao-Akala and Ladoja were absent at the meeting, he also said: “The meeting is not about Alao-Akala and Ladoja. The meeting is about the APC as a partywhich happens to have former governor Alao-Akala as a member, and ZLP, which happens to have former governor Ladoja as a member. So, the meeting was strictly between the APC and the ZLP. But the APC might be symbolic with Akala while the ZLP is symbolic with Ladoja.”
Speaking on the outcome of the meeting, the former Speaker of the state House of Assembly and a chieftain of ZLP, Adeolu Adeleke, stated: “We are in the period of consultations. So, we came together to consult on the political future of the two political parties. While it is true that ZLP and APC met, I can say this rightly that it is the Bodija; which is the umbrella of ZLP, is bigger than the party. There are many people that belong to Bodija, both in APC and PDP. So, it is just a conglomerate of ZLP and other loyalists of Senator Rashidi Ladoja. So, we came together to consult. We have not taken any decision to that effect. Then, in a couple of days to come, I believe the meeting will also come up with other political parties, that is PDP.”
Answering reporters’ questions on whether Ladoja approved the meeting or not, Adeleke said: “It will be extremely difficult for me to answer that question. But one thing that I can tell you authoritatively is that I can never engage myself in such a meeting without the consent of Senator Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja. So, I cannot tell you whether he gave the directive or not, but one thing I know very well is that I cannot involve myself in such a meeting without his consent. But I am not telling you and I am not confirming to you, and I am not denying it. I know I cannot engage myself in such a meeting without his consent.”