By Babatunde Tiamiyu
According to a popular saying, charity begins at home and it is with this in mind that the Elders, the entire APC Party Structure and Leaders have converged on Iyaganku GRA Private Residence of Chief Bayo Adelabu popularly known as Penkelemesi for a bonding session.
In a welcome address, the Honourable Minister of Power, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Adebayo Adelabu registered his appreciation for playing host to all tendencies within the Ibadan South East party chapter which doubles as his home base.
He acknowledged the presence of overall leaders in IBSE Alhaji Mufutau Gbayawu, Hon. Mojeed Olaoya, APC Oyo South Senatorial District Chairman, Alhaji Akeem Akogun, Ikolaba Olubadan Oloye Wasiu Ajimobi, the party Chairman, Hon. Ashanke among others.
Chief Adelabu equally pointed out the significance of Ibadan South East to political evolution of grassroots administration in this clime. His grandfather, Alhaji Adegoke Adelabu of blessed Memory being the pioneer Local Govt Chairman ( Ibadan Native Authority).
Sequel to the above, Chief Adelabu used the occasion of these leaders presence to take them down the memory lane by recalling his voyage in politics in 2015 where he started identifying with the party (APC) right from Ward 9 ( his political Ward) Exco and by extension members of APC into the IBSE Local Govt under the able leadership of Baba Oyinda and State Chapter of the party anchored by Chief Akin Oke with the Capacity Governor Abiola Ajimobi of blessed Memory as both the overall Leader of APC and government in Oyo state.
Symbiotic relationship with the hierarchy of the Party right from 2015 earned Chief Adebayo Adelabu huge popularity among party stalwarts, gate keepers, and game changers.
Mock party Primaries were organized severally with Chief Bayo Adelabu topping the list on every contest leading to the Gubernatorial party Primaries in September 2019.
However, the absence of genuine reconciliation among aspirants, particularly gubernatorial aspirants, many of whom had spent fortune running the marathon race of party mobilisation coupled with other extraneous factors led us into an excruciating loss at the 2019 polls.
The death of the party leader (Governor Abiola Ajimobi) in June 2020 created a huge vacuum, which resulted in political horse trading in the build up to 2022 party primaries and eventual consequences of 2023 general elections.
As an Industrious son of Ibadan South East from Adegoke Adelabu Compound of Oke Oluokun in Ward 9, Chief Bayo Adelabu offered himself for service to humanity as Governorship Aspirant for 2027 Electoral Circle.
The foremost party leader in the Local govt., Alhaji Mufutau Gbayawu, the APC Oyo South Senatorial Chairman, Hon. Mojeed Olaoya, the Ikolaba Olubadan, Hon. Wasiu Ajimobi, the party Chairman, Hon. Ashanke and Hon. Kola Amoo, all spoke extensively on the need to work together to regain the occupancy of the Agodi government house in 2027 and it’s desirable that the governor comes from South East Local government.
Hence, the need for support and endorsement of their own son, Chief Adelabu in his renewed aspiration by all and sundry from the local government.
They all recalled they had been part of this journey from the beginning, but now is the time to realise the aspiration and bring the journey to a fruitful end.
In his own submission at the meeting, Hon. Akogun, who is generally known to be the closest ally and loyalist to Senator Teslim Folarin, stated that he was part of the visiting delegation to identify with South East LG APC as a leader and to visit his brother from the same neighborhood, Chief Adebayo Adelabu in spite of having belong to different camps in the past.
He emphasised that his presence at the meeting does not in any way signify the abandonment of his principal but as a step forward in achieving genuine reconciliation towards a resounding victory in 2027 gubernatorial elections.
He therefore reiterated the need to bring all APC gladiators together in genuine reconciliation for victory to be assured. He said he may have belonged to a different camp in 2023, 2027 is a new journey and we all must work together, forget the past and chart a new course for the party’s success. And he promised that he was ready to spare head the process.
At the end of the meeting, on the initiation by Hon. Kola Amoo, a resolution for absolute support and unconditional endorsement of Chief Adebayo Adelabu as the APC gubernatorial candidate in 2027 general elections by all South East APC stakeholders was proposed. This was unanimously approved by all present at the meeting.
After praying for divine support and guidance in the journey, every attendee pledged to work towards achieving this success at the party primaries while the need for continuous reconciliation and pacification of the aggrieved was recommended.
