The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala

  • Akala to supporters: join me in APC

    A former governor of Oyo State Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala has called on his supporters across the state to join him in his voyage to a new party, which he refrained from mentioning officially.

    But The Nation can authoritatively confirm the new party is the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    In a statement by the Director General, Akala Campaign Organization, Chief Wale Ohu, the former governor, who was the governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) in the March 9 election, said going by the results of the February 23 presidential and National Assembly election, not much can be achieved in isolation.

    The Nation had earlier reported his return to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as confirmed by a highly placed member of the party.

    It was learnt that Akala refrained from announcing his formal return to the APC on Friday so as not to hurt the sensibility of ADP House of Assembly candidates who were still campaigning.

    The leadership of the party was still holding consultations with the candidates as at press time.

    This came as the former governor shunned the ongoing alliance meeting of opposition parties in the state on Friday.

    While governorship candidates of other parties attended the meeting at Sen. Rashidi Ladoja’s Bodija, Ibadan home, Akala, who was the brain behind the alliance, was absent.

    Read also: Pro Buhari group to Atiku: respect verdict of Nigerians

    The Nation gathered that in a meeting with the ADP candidates on Thursday, the majority of them signaled intention to go on with their election under ADP, stressing that it was too late for them to back out from the race.

    Akala’s statement read: “After a careful consideration of the results of the last Presidential, Senatorial and House of Representatives elections and in furtherance of the development, progress and peace of Oyo State, far-reaching decisions have to be taken and actualized.

    “The ADP, after holding series of high-level consultations across Oyo State after the last general elections, has come to the conclusion that the sanctity, integrity and progress of Oyo State cannot and must not be compromised.

    “We have felt the pulse of the people whose support has brought us this far: it is important that we dance when they play the tunes.

    “We have given deep thoughts to the future of this state and have realized that not much can be realized in Isolation, hence the need to team up with the party that puts the interest of the masses on top of its priority list.

    “Looking at the results of the last elections, we have realized the need to restrategise and ensure that Oyo State is not left out in the cold.

    “To this effect, the Oyo state ADP and the Akala  Campaign Organisation hereby call on all our members, teeming supporters and well-wishers across the state to come on board in this move towards positioning our state for better national interest.”

  • Akala: count me out of alliance against APC candidate Adelabu

    The governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) in Oyo State, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, has said he will not join other opposition candidates to form an alliance against the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Adebayo Adelabu.

    Alao-Akala, who is a former governor, said he was not working for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate or any other for an alliance, as reported in some sections of the media.

    Speaking through his campaign organisation yesterday, the ADP candidate said the reports were aimed at “misinforming and confusing our teeming supporters the world over”.

    The statement by the Director General of the campaign organisation, Chief Wale Ohu, reads: “At a time, the rumour in town was that he was not serious about his governorship ambition and that he was going to play the role of a spoiler or work for another governorship candidate.

    “The most recent is that he is working for the PDP governorship candidate, Seyi Makinde.

    “The Akala Campaign Organisation hereby debunks all these insinuations. They are the handiwork of the propaganda machinery of the government in power in Oyo State, which is jittery and overwhelmed by the soaring popularity of Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala and to state clearly that the former governor is committed to taking the people of Oyo State out of the political mess they have been plunged by the insensitive APC government of Senator Abiola Ajimobi since he left office eight years ago.

    “Otunba Alao-Akala has toured the nooks and crannies of Oyo State, taking the message of hope to the citizenry, which was received with enthusiasm by the people.

    “Alao-Akala is not into any discussion, alliance or talks with the PDP governorship candidate Makinde or any other for that matter.

     

     

     

  • Akala, Oyo Senator in war of words

    Akala, Oyo Senator in war of words

    …Agboola has no political value …learn from history, Senator fires back

    After a lull, the Senate Deputy Whip, Hosea Ayoola Agboola, and former governor of Oyo State, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, appear to have resumed their hostility again.

    This development may not be unconnected to the fall-out of the controversial governorship primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, which produced Senator Teslim Folarin, and forced Akala to defect to the Labour Party (LP) and picked its governorship ticket.

    Agboola, who is running for a second term in the National Assembly, is alleged to be the arrowhead of  some PDP leaders who worked against Alao-Akala in securing the PDP ticket.

    Apparently displeased with Agboola’s alleged role, Akala, in an interview with newsmen a few days ago, claimed that he made the former a senator, stressing, “In every 12 disciples, there must be a Judas; people betrayed our Lord Jesus Christ. When you talk of people like Agboola, his electoral value is not something I will feel in my camp. Political value, yes; maybe one or two but in terms of electoral value, how valuable is he? Do you know where Agboola is from? He is from a village that, with due respect to him, if you bring an exaggerated map of Oyo State, you will need a microscope to discover it.”

    But in response, the lawmaker advised the former governor to learn from the nation’s political history, citing the example of President Goodluck Jonathan, who despite coming from a small community in Bayelsa State, is currently the president of the largest black nation in the world.

    Also, a group, Igbojaiye Descendants Union (IDU) in Itesiwaju local government area of Oke-Ogun, Agboola’s zone, has described Akala’s attack on their community as “unwarranted, ill-conceived and grossly unbecoming of a former governor of the state.”

    According to the group’s spokesman, Babalola Zaccheus, the community wondered “how Akala, who has in the cause of his political journey benefitted from the untiring support of the people of the community could attempt to bring down the same people so cheaply by despising their community in spite the fact that, he (Akala), passed nights in the same place when he was seeking people’s vote in his 2003 and 2007 campaigns.”

    The group added further, “We wouldn’t have joined issues with the former governor, but because of his aspersions on the community blessed with the highest number of electorate in Itesiwaju local government area of the state.”

    The community further reminded the former governor that “Senator Agboola’s political sagacity and prowess has rubbed-off positively on former governors of the state, including Akala because everyone he supports always coasts to victory.”

    “Yoruba people can see, feel and taste the deceit in President Jonathan’s promises. They cannot trust him after the humiliating treatment of the last six years of Jonathan’s Presidency’, the party concluded.

  • …plans high octane wedding for daughter

    ONE family whose penchant for elaborate celebration is not in doubt is that of Chief Rasaq Akanni Okoya. In this regard, another opportunity has presented itself in an impending wedding between Hadiza, one of the daughters of multi-billionaire industrialist, Aare Akanni Rasaq Okoya and Olamiju, her heartthrob and eldest son of former Oyo State Governor, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala.

    Already, April 12 has been picked for the solemnisation of the relationship, and the Oluwanisola Villa home of the bride’s father has already undergone a serious face-lift for the event, which promises to host many of the top players in Nigeria’s political terrain as well as captains of industry. The introduction leg of the wedding had held late last year when members of Olamiju’s family, led by the former Oyo State governor, visited the magnificent Eleganza Estate of the Okoyas in Ajah, Lagos. The session was attended by some prominent Nigerians, including the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

  • PDP has lost focus, says ex-Governor Ladoja

    PDP has lost focus, says ex-Governor Ladoja

    •Why my pact with Alao-Akala isn’t working’

    Former Oyo State Governor Rashidi Ladoja yesterday said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has lost focus.

    Speaking with reporters in Ibadan, the state capital, on a variety of issues in the country, Ladoja said the PDP has abandoned its founding objectives and is now “peopled with mostly politicians, who are opposed to the principles of democracy”.

    On the crisis in the party and past crises, including the one that led to his impeachment in 2006, the Accord leader said they were the reasons he could not consider returning to the PDP for now.

    Ladoja cited the recent Anambra State election as a window through which one could assess the party. He said owing to many problems, the PDP could not conduct a primary poll to produce a candidate until a week before the election.

    In Ladoja’s view, PDP National Chairman Alhaji Bamanga Tukur means well for the party, but the undemocratic elements in the PDP majority are frustrating his efforts to put the party back on the right track.

    He said: “Tukur came in to correct these ills, but I think he is seeing more than he expected. It is difficult. May be God will be kind to us one day, such that we can have democrats in the majority in the party, because whatever they do largely affects the country.”

    He likened his impeachment in 2006 to the current travails of Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, stressing that governance must have stopped in the state since the beginning of the crisis as Amaechi would be battling to save his political career.

    The former governor said the recent partnership between him and his successor, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, is not working because the latter is not willing to join the Accord.

    He said the joint committee set up by the two groups could not work because Alao-Akala did not show any sign that he would soon abandon the PDP.

    Ladoja said: “Alao-Akala approached me if we could work together. We did not even talk or think about what happened in the past. Yesterday is gone. We can only learn lessons from it to plan for tomorrow. All I want is to work for the benefit of Oyo State. We set up a committee, but personal interests changed many things. Bayo is not ready to get out of PDP. Our party does not have any privileges to offer. I think he does not want to leave PDP because of the privileges he enjoys there. As far as I am concerned, our doors are open

    “We want to work with Alao-Akala, but we cannot fold our arms and keep watching. PDP has factions and we cannot concentrate on only one while other factions are moving, and the Alao-Akala group is not showing enough commitment. We know what we want. Our door is open at all times for whoever wants to work with us or join us.”