The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Oyo

  • Oyo Labour campaign rally

    Oyo Labour campaign rally

  • Oyo lifts College of Nursing with N250m

    Oyo lifts College of Nursing with N250m

    Sixty-six years after its founding, Nigeria’s premier School of Nursing and Midwifery, Oyo State owned College of Nursing and Midwifery at Eleyele in Ibadan is witnessing its first major overhaul courtesy of a N250 million lift from the state government. OSEHEYE OKWUOFU reports that the institution is wearing a new look.

    Situated on a large expanse of land big enough to accommodate two modern sized tertiary institutions, the College of Nursing and Midwifery at Eleyele in Ibadan, Oyo State capital is one of five tertiary institutions located in Ido Local Government Area of the state.

    One notable aspect of Ido Local Government Area is its privileged position among the 33 local governments in the state to house the University of Ibadan, The Polytechnic Ibadan, School of Hygiene, Federal Cooperative College and the Oyo state College of Nursing and Midwifery, while other local governments, safe a few,  could hardly boast of one tertiary institution.

    When the Oyo state College of Nursing and Midwifery was sited at the old prefabricated Army Barrack in Eleyele in 1949, it was meant to set the pace for other tertiary education, especially in nursing education and practice in Nigeria.

    However, the College despite its significance in health care delivery in the country has not been given the required attention by successive governments in the state since its establishment.

    There is no doubt that the College has passed through pains to still maintain its old self as the first and oldest in the country.  Indeed, it has suffered many years of neglect and abandonment, with decay in infrastructure and instructional facilities.

    While the students lacked sufficient manpower in some of the core courses, the workers were poorly motivated until recently when the state government decided to give a lift to the institution. The N250m support from the state is in addition to efforts of the old students of the college to assist their Alma Mata return to its old glory.

    Oyo State commissioner for Health Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, who is in charge of the Ministry  supervising the College explained the effort being made to invite old students of the school living and working outside the shores of the country to partner with the state government in upgrading facilities at the College to meet the challenges of the future.

    He told The Nation that the effort is beginning to yield fruits following his visit to United Kingdom and the United States of America to meet the Alumnus of the College and during some of the meetings he underscored the importance of their assistance to the College.

    Besides, he stated that through the able leadership of the state governor, Senator Isiaq Abiola Ajimobi, the College for the first time in many years got the attention of the government, which graciously pledged to release the sum of N250million for immediate renovation of the hostels, offices, library and upgrading of the institution from School of Nursing to College status and onward certification and accreditation of the College by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.

    “And all these were in fulfillment of the promise made by Governor Abiola Ajimobi who visited the College during his campaign tour that when elected he would ensure that the institution reached its enviable status by upgrading its facilities . And truly the governor has begun to release part of the N250 million needed to renovate all the facilities. The male and female hostels formerly an eyesore have been renovated and wearing a new look. The administrative blocks, library and other blocks are now being worked upon. The government has also concluded plans to build more hostels in an effort to increase the intake of students from 50 to 100 or more because this is the first College of Nursing and Midwifery in the country and it should truly be a pacesetter in terms of facilities, manpower and the quality of students it turns out every year to meet the needs of preventive and curative nursing practice in and outside the country. And that we are certainly going to achieve with the efforts to lift the standard of the College “, he said.

    A visit to the College showed that over 80 percent of renovation works have been done and the students were thrilled by the lift. Some of them who spoke with The Nation said they now study under a conducive environment unlike in the past when staying in the College was worrisome and difficult.

    Before the renovation the physical infrastructure in the College were in poor state. The toilets were either blocked or out of use as a result of the extensive damage and ageing. In the hostels, all the electrical fittings have worn out, with damaged windows and doors. The offices were having to cope with old torn leather furniture, while the staff had to use of available outdated computers many of which were not functioning.

    But, today the College is equipped with modern facilities and split air conditioners in the offices.

    “We are not only happy to study here, but very proud to be students of Oyo state College of Nursing and Midwifery. It is the first and leading College of Nursing in the country and we are happy to have new hostels, toilets, lecturers and a conducive environment to study and excel. We appreciate the state governor, Abiola Ajimobi and we love him for the good work he has done in our institution”, one of the students who simply gave her name as Boluwatife said.

    In her submission, the Provost of the College, Mrs G.O. Owolabi spoke glowingly of the enviable records of the College over the past sixty six years particularly its exploits in nursing practice by its students around Africa, Europe, Asia, the Americas and other continents of the world.

    But, she noted that since 1949 when the College came into existence, the staff and students have never had it so good in terms of all round renovation of facilities and autonomy, until now.

    “This year 2015 the school should clock sixty six years. It was established on the 1st of April 1949. It is the first government owned school of nursing in Nigeria.

    The products have been performing excellently. At least, some report especially from the United States of America, United Kingdom, the Caribbean Islands and other continent of the world says they have been performing excellently. Even some of our products in Nigeria have been performing extraordinarily well, both in state owned and private health institutions.

    “They tell us that the quality of our training here is excellent. Despite the few challenges that the school has been facing over the years, the students have been performing. They have been contributing their quota both in preventive and curative aspect of medicine, in and around the world improving the quality of the products being churned out of the school every year.

    The school has enjoyed tremendously from this administration being led by Governor Isiaq Abiola Ajimobi in terms of upgrading the physical infrastructure and ensuring that we have enough lecturers vis-a-vis upgrading the school from the present School of Nursing and Midwifery to a college. That took effect on March 14, 2014 during the inauguration of the interim governing council members and subsequent meeting.

    “It will interest you to know that in terms of infrastructure, several millions of naira was released by the governor for the renovation of all the seven hostels; six female hostels, one male hostel. And as you can see the administrative block is still under construction. All the furniture, as old as over 50 years were changed in all the offices. All lecturers both at the department of nursing and that of midwifery all had their furniture changed. Our ICT Centre was equipped with internet-enabled computers. Aside from that, there was aggressive renovation of the school library.

    “We have air conditioners and the alumni in the United States also gave us 250 textbooks. It will also interest you to know that the Commissioner for Health attended one of the alumni meetings and he said they are to do more to partner with the state government, especially those who have their first degrees in Nursing, to improve what we have on ground presently in terms of man power. We are also trying to make sure that our faculties are properly staffed and we have more than enough staff on ground now.

    “And for the first time in its history, the school was given a kind of autonomy after being upgraded to a college, to present its budget. All that the school possessed  in terms of what we need, in terms of capital projects, salaries of our staffs and so on, which is a little over N1 billion was presented for onward approval by the House of Assembly and the Governor. So we are hopeful that the coming year, we’ll be able to execute some of these capital projects and the school will be able to stand on its own to pay its salary and be at par with other colleges in the state like College of Agriculture, The Polytechnic of Ibadan and other colleges under the Ministry of Education alike.

    As a matter of fact, the school has experienced transformation that is visible both in terms of structure, manpower and we are really optimistic that this will help the products of this institution.” The provost said.

     

  • ‘No room for electoral violence in Oyo’

    ‘No room for electoral violence in Oyo’

    Oyo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate Senator Teslim Folarin has called on the politicians to shun violence and mudslinging during the elections. He said, if the primary motive of contesting is to serve the people, elections should not be a do-or-die affair.

    The former Senate Leader said: “We must do nothing to promote violence and refrain from encouraging thuggery and hooliganism. What will be will be.”

    Folarin, in a statement by his media aide, Victor Oluwadamilare, said added:  “As we prepare for the election, all hands must be on deck to ensure a hitch- free election and smooth transition. Individual ambition should not be allowed to plunge Oyo State into a needless crisis because ,when two elephants fight, it is the grasses that suffer.

    “In everything we do or say, we should consider our people’s interest and wellbeing, since development only thrives in a peaceful and serene environment.”

    The flag bearer advised youths, who are being used as political thugs by bad  politicians for their inordinate ambitions, to desist from their nefarious activities. He said it is a deservice to democracy for them to create mayhem.

    Folarin wondered why politicians are recruiting thugs when their children are studying in comfortable zones abroad. He said it is wicked to to use the children of the poor as sacrificial lambs.

    The former Senate Leader urged his supporters to gird their loins as the state prepares for the poll. He told the visiting PDP members from Ibadan Southeast and Southwest local governments led byAlhaji Rabiu Anisere that victory is possible, if they work hard.

    The PDP members, who are supporters of  who are supporters of the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Oloye Jumoke Akinjide and former Deputy Governor Taofeek  Arapaja, promised to work for his victory at the poll.

    Anisere said that they decidd to support him because the crisis rocking the party is over.

    Folarin, who expressed gratitude to them, urged aggrieved members to forget the past and focus on the future. He said that there was no rift between him and Akinjide, and Arapaja, who are credible leaders of the party.

  • APC, PDP, SDP, Accord in war of words over Oyo

    APC, PDP, SDP, Accord in war of words over Oyo

    Major political parties in Oyo State have started a “war of words” over who wins the governorship election next year.

    The All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Accord and Social Democratic Party (SDP) yesterday explained reasons  their confidence of routing others in the February election.

    APC Chairman Akin Oke said the coast was clear for the “so-called jinx to be broken” (referring to inability of previous governors to win a second term).

    Oke hailed the emergence of four other candidates – Rashidi Ladoja (Accord), Adebayo Alao-Akala (Labour), Teslim Folarin (PDP) and Seyi Makinde (SDP).

    He described it as good for Oyo State and part of the beauty of democracy.

    Oke expressed confidence that the people would vote for continuity of the good works being done by Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

    He said other candidates are from the PDP, stressing that voters know their pedigree and cannot be deceived.

    The APC chairman said within the three and a half years that Oyo people have tasted the APC, they would not go back to the dark days again.

    Folarin’s spokesman Victor Oluwadamilare said the people desire a generational change of leaders into which Folarin fits.

    According to him, Ajimobi has tried his best, but his best is not good enough for the state. He said Ladoja, who he described as a fantastic man, is too old for the dynamics of governance and that Alao-Akala has offered his best, which was inadequate.

    Ladoja sees no candidate who can beat him in the election, based on his popularity and swollen number of Accord supporters.

    Accord’s spokesman Nureni Adeniran said: “The bulk of Ibadan votes will go to Ladoja. Ajimobi is the only strong contender in Ibadan but people are tired of him. Once Ajimobi is out, Ladoja is coming in. He clearly ranks number one. We are optimistic that Ladoja will coast to victory.”

    Makinde said he is the fresh blood which the people want, stressing that all other candidates have  shown what they can do, which has not improved the lot of the state.

  • Oyo Speaker commends residents for support

    The people of Afijio, Atiba,Oyo East and Oyo West Local Government Areas in Oyo State, have been commended for their active participation in the last primary elections of the All Progressives Party(APC) in the state.

    The Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly who is also the flag bearer of the party for Oyo Central Senatorial zone in the forthcoming 2015 election, Hon.  Monsurat Sunmonu,  stated this when she led other APC candidates for state and national assembly on a ‘thank you’ visit to the four local government areas.

    While appreciating the roles of all stakeholders,  Hon.  Monsurat Sunmonu  assured them that her impact as their representatives would be felt positively in all the 11 local government areas in Oyo Central Senatorial zone.

    In his remarks, former chairman of Atiba Local Government Area,who is also the APC candidate for the House of Representatives election, Prince Akeem Adeyemi said:” The crop of  APC candidates are God fearing and will do everything possible to take care of the welfare of the people.

    The team had earlier visited  the Akibio of Ilora, Oba Stephen Oparinde, in his palace for royal blessings.

    The monarch said he has full confidence in the team and promised them his readiness and the willingness of the people to support them.

  • Oyo govt urged to pay bursary

    Students of Oyo State in higher institutions have urged the state government to ameliorate their suffering by paying their bursary award.

    The students, who spoke through the president of the Federation of Oyo State Students’ Union (FOSSU), Damola Olalere, said the delay in payment of bursary and scholarship is causing untold hardship for them, especially those who are self-reliant.

    Damola, in a statement in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital last weekend, praised Governor Abiola Ajimobi for his developmental stride in the state but urged the governor to also prioritise the payment of bursary to Oyo students, saying it was the only pecuniary benefit they got directly from the government.

    He said: “Over 4,000 students have paid the N1,000 requested by the scholarship board but they are still waiting to receive their bursaries. The payment of bursary and scholarship grants will help us to augment what we get from home and give us a sense of belonging.”

    Damola said education remained the only tool that could liberate the society from the shackle of poverty, urging the government to leave no stone unturned in giving quality education to the youth at affordable cost.

  • INEC to Oyo PDP: Court has stopped your candidate

    •Makinde: PDP may not field candidate•Folarin: you are ranting 

    The governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Oyo State, Oluseyi Makinde, has said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may not field a  candidate in next year’s governorship election because of a  lawsuit.

    Makinde, who was a PDP aspirant, joined the SDP last Monday.

    He spoke at the unveiling of the structure of his new party in Ibadan, the state capital, at the weekend.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has written to the PDP National Chairman, Adamu Muazu, that a Federal High Court had restrained it from recognising any candidate who emerged from a primary, whose delegates differed from the one it ruled in favour of.

    The letter, dated December 9 and signed by the commission’s Secretary, Mrs Augusta Ogakwu, urged the PDP to act in line with the court ruling.

    The three-paragraph letter reads: “This is to confirm receipt of service of the Order of Federal High Court, Abuja, in respect of the above suit in which you were represented by counsel.

    “The court restrained the commission from accepting, recognising or treating as nominated candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, any candidate who did not emerge in accordance with the order of the court. You may wish to be guided accordingly, please.”

    Explaining why he joined the SDP,  Makinde said he approached members of the PDP national leadership before the primaries and he was assured of a level-playing field.

    He said they reneged on their promise because they worked in favour of Teslim Folarin.

    The SDP candidate said the party refused to allow the right delegates to emerge through the ward congresses.

    Makinde added that three of the five-member committee that conducted the ward congress endorsed the list of appropriate delegates but that the leadership chose to use a list allegedly prepared by a particular candidate.

    Consequently, Makinde said the litigations arising from the development may eventually ensure that the PDP does not have a valid candidate in the election.

    He urged his supporters to work for the SDP’s success in the February election.

    But Folarin described Makinde’s comments as the ranting of a defeated player.

    The PDP candidate, who spoke through his spokesman, Victor Oluwadamilare,  said yesterday that Makinde  wants to eat his cake and have it.

    According to him, the suit filed against his (Folarin’s) candidature by one of Makinde’s supporters would be thrown out because the latter has left the PDP.

    His words: “The problem with Seyi Makinde is that he wants to eat his cake and have it.

    “His suit will be thrown out because he has left the PDP. He can’t be in the SDP and be talking about the PDP.

    “The delegates who voted for Folarin have spoken. If the delegates had chosen him, he would not have been complaining.

    “It is an internal crisis and if you have not exhausted the internal mechanism process before going to court, you will just be wasting your time. He is just ranting.”

    On the INEC letter, Oluwadamilare said the commission did that only to show fairness to all parties, emphasising that the PDP would still reconfirm Folarin as its candidate.

  • Oyo students elect leaders

    The Lagos State chapter of the Federation of Oyo State Union (FOSSU) has elected leaders, who will steer the affairs of the union in 2014/2015 academic year.

    The election, which was adjudged to be free and fair, was held at the main auditorium of Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) in Isolo campus. It lasted for five hours.

    Babalola Davis, a student of University of Lagos (UNILAG), was declared president after the keenly contested election. Abdul Lasisi and Azeezat Adebayo, students of Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) were elected Vice President and Welfare Director. Gbemisola Adesokan, a UNILAG student, became Assistant General Secretary, while Ridwan Lawal from Lagos State University (LASU) was elected as the General Secretary, among others.

    The outgoing president, Rahman Adebayo, said that the association’s primary aim was to promote the Oyo culture and to redeem the lost heritage of the union. He said the union fostered unity among all the students of Oyo state origin studying in Lagos.

    Rahman urged the elected officials to ensure continuation of the values Oyo people are known for, adding that leadership position was for the dedicated and hardworking. He advised them to work together as a team, saying it would help them to surpass challenges.

  • How Ajimobi tamed Oyo warlords

    How Ajimobi tamed Oyo warlords

    There has been a lot of rejoicing in the camp of some political warlords in Oyo State in the last one week or thereabout. Violence, which had disappeared from the state in the last three and half years, suddenly reappeared like a malevolent spirit. For that long hitherto, their political albatross, Abiola Ajimobi, governor of Oyo State, rode the crest of popular acclamation. The horse he rode to the crest of the people’s hearts was no other issue than one in which, in their previous eight years of being in power, the political warlords failed woefully to address, and in some respects, found to have abetted. It was the issue of peace.

    With a peculiar swagger, Ajimobi mounted the rostrum and told the world the story of his pedigree of peace. He reeled into a comparative statistics that was damning to the past and eulogizes the present. Literally calling the proverbial short memory of the Nigerian to a contest, he reminded the people that under the duo of Governors Rashidi Ladoja and Adebayo Alao-Akala, Oyo State could be likened to either Syria or Lebanon. Guns boomed and daggers kissed human blood at whims. National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) kingpins held court and bloodshed became almost a state policy. Specifically under Ladoja, an NURTW kingpin and his co-thugs invaded the House of Assembly where the revered Obafemi Awolowo brought policies that transformed the West, shooting guns, smoking hemp at random and declared the Speaker ‘impissed.’ This kingpin was eventually shot dead in cold blood under Alao-Akala government’s watch and the allegation of his killing hung over the neck of another PDP gubernatorial aspirant. Vandalism of property became the norm and investors avoided Oyo State like a plague. It was that chaotic.

    You needed a travel advice to walk through Ibadan and a war arsenal to navigate through Olomi, Iwo Road and many other areas of the state capital. In the heat of this, NURTW kingpins and thugs were alleged to be permanently domiciled in the Government House and governments of the day abetted them. Indian hemp smoking became official norm at the Government House and its environs. Life was nasty, brutish and short.

    But like a genius, Ajimobi came and decreed a stoppage to all that. What was the magic wand? His pedigree of peace. He disconnected governmental link to the violent groups in Oyo State and sternly vowed to pounce heavily on malefactors. Against the grain of time past, he shut government door against the cells of violence and Indian hemp smoke disappeared from the firmament of Government House. He told NURTW operatives to appoint their officers independent of government prodding. Suddenly, thugs went out of job and hired killers lapsed into hibernation.

    Ajimobi followed this up with giving security forces a sense of belonging. He activated the anti-crime outfit codenamed Operation Burst and gave all the forces a sense of belonging. Funding them heavily, he purchased vehicles, equipment and provided logistics for the operatives. The latter thereafter went into the nooks and crannies of the crime world in the state and smoked them out. Crime statistics started to tumble, to the chagrin of violence cells of the political arms of the state. The calm jolted them and the peace gave them sleepless nights. Their bother was that Ajimobi was scoring ‘cheap’ gains at their expense as his mantra of eliminating violence jarred their nerves. And rightly so, because Ajimobi’s renown was hitting the length and breadth of the world. He was called Mr. Peace at every engagement and states, organizations seized in the jugular by violence started coming to him for a refresher course. Indeed, foundations and organizations within and outside the country invited him to deliver talks on how to turn a violent state into a peaceful hub.

    Then sprang the gang-up. Old political fox, Senator Ladoja, led the pack. He wrote a powerfully worded petition to the Presidency, alleging that Operation Burst was being used to witch-hunt political foes. And the Presidency leapt into action, interrogating everybody and everyone. At the end of the day, the authorities smelled the heavy aroma of the peculiar politics of Oyo in the allegation and shoved it off like an affliction. But the acrimony within the political gang would not abate over Ajimobi’s ‘cheap’ victory of peace.

    Ajimobi and subsequent events in Oyo State were to even infuriate the political warlords further. Financial Times of London did the first damage on their psyche as it ranked Oyo State as one of the 10 investment destinations in the whole of Africa. The warlords cried blue murder. A federal institution, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) rammed in the final nail on their coffin. As revealed in its report, total capital imported into Nigeria stood at $5.8 billion as at the end of the second quarter of 2014, relative to the $3.9 billion recorded in the preceding quarter. Of these, Oyo State’s capital importation increased by 697%, approximating $3.49 million, up from $500,000 between the first and second quarter in the year. This was like their death knell.

    Concrete facts of traffic of capital investment began to show. Investors trooping into the state have shown that these statistics are no mere fluke. A leading soya milk manufacturing company, largest bread-making factory in West Africa, Number One day-old chicks agricultural company, biggest support-service provider for the telecoms industry, largest vegetable oil production in Africa, etc have berthed in the state, not to talk of the largest Shoprite outlet in West Africa that has been recently sited in the state. Like a man who wears his accomplishments on his shirt sleeves, Ajimobi boasts that none of these investments could come in a hitherto chaotic Oyo State under Ladoja and Akal. No one can gainsay the fact that, with this, he had stepped on a live rattlesnake, courtesy this bloated swagger of his.

    To compound Ajimobi’s complicit infuriation of the political warlords who had been feeding the people the story of his hatred by the people, Ajimobi had the temerity to embark on a tour of the 33 local governments of the state on November 3, 2014. Oke Ogun area was his first port of call. This was where the opposition told the world Ajimobi was detested like a pestilence. The governor moved Government House to this hinterland, breakfasting with the people, lunching, supping with them and drinking their water in its rawest form. He mended fences with the aggrieved, dissolved age-long acrimonies and decreed projects into reckoning. The crowd of enthusiastic supporters burst at its seams. The warlords were jolted. The way this ‘blighter’ was going, they reckoned, the rug was caving in finally from their feet.

    Ibarapa followed. The same spellbound crowd trooped out. You didn’t need to be a psychologist to read the enthusiastic acceptance on the people’s faces. This writer veered off the governor’s convoy and meshed into the crowd. Comments from the ordinary folks were exceptionally patronizing. They perforated the misleading thesis of the warlords.

    Egged on by the widespread acceptance of his persona and government, Ajimobi thereafter proceeded on the final lap of the tour on Friday November 21. Ido and South West councils were slated. At Ido, the crowd was in an electrifying joy in their thousands. Security reports said the warlords were crestfallen and sad. How could this Ajimobi folk perforate all the concoctions and calculations this peremptorily?

    Ajimobi was still in Ido by the evening of that Friday when words came. The deed had been done! The river of peace had been finally polluted. Bile had been sprinkled into the still water. A policeman had been shot dead in Oke Ado area of Ibadan and the permutation of the warlords had come full throttle. Ajimobi’s thugs had killed a policeman, they sent the words into the bush telegraph. The All Progressives Congress (APC) vest-wearing thugs who allegedly shot the policeman must be Ajimobi’s thugs, they chorused. On Sunday, two days after this, and even on Monday November 24, a band of thugs unleashed mayhem at the Bon Photo area of Ibadan, maiming and destroying shops. The machination of the warlords had come full circle.

    But the logic they try to sell to the world could be perforated by even an aspiring student of philosophy. How come a government which in three and half years succeeded in eliminating crime, murder, thuggery and violence and which had been basking in the euphoria of this achievement all over the world, will, few months into the end of its first tenure, willfully destroy this flagship of its? How come Ajimobi toured 32 local governments and a few hours to the end of the tour, in his local government, “his thugs” will pollute the result of this success?

  • How Folarin emerged Oyo PDP flag bearer

    How Folarin emerged Oyo PDP flag bearer

    The outcome of the governorship primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State jolted some party juggernauts and residents of the state. Many concerned stakeholders had entertained fears that the party may not be unable to wriggle out of the logjam arising from the battle for its governorship ticket for the forthcoming general elections.

    But, it was not to be. The event ended with the emergence of former Senate Leader Teslim Folarin as the standard-bearer of the PDP for the governorship contest at the end of proceedings at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Ibadan, the state capital. Observers were not surprised at his emergence, having always seen the light pointing towards his direction since 2012.

    The journey to last Monday’s success actually began in 2010, when he was roped into the circumstances surrounding the death of the then kingpin of the Oyo State chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alh. Lateef Salako (aka Elewe omo).

    The unionist was stabbed to death in a location within Ona-Ara Local Government where Folarin hails from. He was arrested and arraigned for allegedly having a hand in the gruesome killing of the late commercial driver.

    Folarin was also detained on the charges, though he was the Senate Leader at the time. But, many keen followers of Oyo politics believed that the Senator was being persecuted for his ambition to succeed the then Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala in the 2011 election. Owing to his detention, he was unable to contest the election; a development that was an accomplished mission for Alao-Akala.

    But, Folarin came into the limelight within the PDP when he moved the motion earlier in 2010, urging the Senate to adopt the doctrine of necessity to allow the then Vice President Goodluck Jonathan to be sworn in as Acting President,  following ill-health of his boss, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. His motion was adopted, leading to the swearing in of Jonathan as President.

    For that singular act, Folarin sowed a seed, which he has been reaping within the corridors of power at the Presidency. His first harvest came early in 2011, when the Senate rose in his support and prevailed on the Presidency to secure his release. It worked like magic.

    His 2010 heroic motion had paved the way for him to realise his ambition of picking the party’s ticket in 2011, but for the murder charge.

    Aside enjoying the sympathy of Senate President David Mark and other active participants in that historic event at the National Assembly, Folarin also has a robust relationship with some leaders of the party at the national level. All these worked together for the success of the former Senate Leader last Monday.

    Thus, it was easy for him to hijack the leadership of the party in the state in 2012, after Alao-Akala left office.

    For any aspirant to emerge as the party’s governorship flag bearer in the state, he must have control of the party executive at the state and local government levels. In this regard, Folarin started warming his way into the hearts of the executives at the state and local government levels since Alao-Akala ‘stepped aside’ in 2012. So, aspirants that started jostling to pick the ticket in the last one year were only pursuing a shadow as far as the party structure is concerned.

    Only statutory delegates voted in the primary. These are members of the executive of the party in local and state levels, as well as members of the state House of Assembly, as well as those of the National Assembly.

    Now that Folarin has picked the ticket, however, some of his opponents are not willing to let go easily. One of them is Oluseyi Makinde who has vowed to challenge his candidacy in court, should he be presented as the party’s flag bearer in the next year election.

    Makinde’s group obtained a court ruling three days before the governorship primary, validating the delegates’ list used on the November 24 ward congress for last Monday’s primary. He described the primary, which produced Folarin as a nullity in the face of the law. Will Folarin scale through this and any other challenges that may arise?

    Again, analysts are quick to ask if the new PDP candidate is popular enough to defeat the incumbent Governor Abiola Ajimobi and his predecessor Rashidi Ladoja of All Progressives Congress (APC) and Accord Party respectively.