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After the February 25 presidential election victory for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Governor Seyi Makinde is fast reversing the gains of the opposition party to consolidate on his popularity ahead of the Saturday’s governorship election, writes Southwest Bureau Chief BISI OLADELE
Though the February 25 presidential election in Oyo State left echoes of pains for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Governor Seyi Makinde is reversing the gains for the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Con💍gress (APC).
The APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, had polled 449,884 to defeat Atiku Abubakar of PDP who polled 182,977 votes and Peter Obi of Labour Party (LP) who scored 99,110 votes. The APC also won the three senatorial elections and the majority of House of Representatives seats.
The development unsettled the PDP with many party chieftains and candidates blaming the poor performance on the G-5 factor. Makinde is one of the five PDP governors who formed G-5. They did not campaign for Atiku in their states because the national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, refused to resign to allow a southerner replace him for inclusiveness.
While the Oyo APC revelled in the gains, however, Makinde embarked on deft moves to reverse the gains and ensure that his popularity in the governorship election remains intact.
Though Oyo APC has made efforts to build on the presidential election momentum by engaging many more stakeholders to sell its governorship candidate, Teslim Folarin, and state Assembly candidates, Makinde is leaving no stone unturned in trumpeting his achievements and the need to allow him sustain them for the next four years.
He has also appeased National Assembly candidates who suffered electoral rout on February 25, and daily meeting groups, associations and community leaders, explaining the reason he should be re-elected.
The governor is also winning more endorsements and alliances with other political parties and religious groups. For instance, the LP leadership in the state announced Makinde’s endorsement at the weekend, even at the expense of its own governorship candidate. Observers say more of such alliances should be expected.
While all these are ongoing, Makinde is commissioning new projects to consolidate his popularity. For instance, the governor commissioned the aviation fuel tank depot, Ibadan dualized airport Road and Dr Omololu Olunloyo Park on Friday.
The aviation fuel depot is a game changer for the Ibadan airport.
With the depot, experts say aircrafts can now comfortably stop over to pick or drop passengers and cargo at Ibadan airport. Airlines can also airlift passengers for long haul international flights at the airport due to the availability of fuelling facility.
According to an expert who did not want his name in print, airlines can now fly to international destinations from Ibadan airport once a waiver is sought from the Federal Government for such flights.
He said: “The facility allows airlines to fly longer routes from Ibadan airport. The facility also supports operations as transit airport as well as full length flights to and from the airport.
“Larger planes can also land at the airport now because they can take energy to go longer routes.
“Aircrafts can also load other items from the airport. The facility opened a new vista for cargo services. The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) only needs to add a few facilities to enable full operation of cargo services at Ibadan airport because rule dump is available for airlines.
“All these translate to more businesses for the people of Ibadan. If the government constructs a larger hanger, Ibadan airport will simply become a hub because it is now easy for airlines to pick and drop passengers since they can refuel.
“Remember that the road leading to the airport has now been dualized by the governor. Add that to the already dualized Old Ife Road and the ongoing reconstruction of New Ife Road. So, things are being made perfect about the airport.”
Makinde’s Ibadan airport success is an answered prayer for fliers and National Assembly members who had previously laboured in vain to get the FAAN to upgrade the airport for cargo services.
For Makinde, his achievements speak for themselves, and are considered good enough to earn him a second term.
But the Oyo APC sees it otherwise. It says the governor is a failure who should not be allowed to continue. It lists thuggery, poor secondary education management and paralysis of the local government as reasons Makinde should be sacked.
The Accord Party candidate Bayo Adelabu, is also insisting that none of the other candidates is as qualified as he is, having served as deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), served as the chairman of Oyo State Security Trust Fund, and has 80 per cent of his investments in the state.
But with the power of incumbency, achievements and personal popularity, Makinde is the man to beat in the election.
As March 11 draws closer, it is clear that the coming election will perhaps be the toughest poll in Oyo State’s modern history.
(Culled from The Nation)
