By Bayo Bernard
Amidst celebration of the victory of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP candidate, Seyi Makinde in the governorship election in Oyo state, the Pacesetter state was yesterday thrown into mourning over the death of a member of the House of Representatives, Temitope Olatoye, popular as Sugar.
The lawmaker was shot in the face in Ibadan, the state’s capital by yet-to-be identified gun men. He was later rushed to the University College Hospital, UCH where he later died.
Sugar has just been re-elected under the ADP platform before the assassins took his life.
His death has somehow diminished what would have been a massive celebration across the state over the election of the PDP candidate.
Makinde defeated Adebayo Adelabu, PDP candidate in the keenly contested election.
But the magazine learned that the PDP candidate has instructed his supporters not to embark on any jubilation because of the death of demised lawmaker.
Indeed, there won’t be celebration in the camp of former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala whose popularity has been significantly dwarfed by the loss of Adelabu, a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.
This is because the alliance formed by the two political allies has failed to produce victory for the APC candidate.
Sources from Ogbomoso told the magazine that the people of the ancient town turned against their leader over what they described as betrayer on his part.
Those who spoke with The Source said they were let down by ex-Governor Akala after he decided to join forces with a ‘Lagos popular politician’ to subvert the wishes of his people.
They were obviously referring to Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, who few days before the election met with the former governor to enlist his support for Adelabu the candidate of his party. Tinubu is the National Leader of the ruling APC.
Other APC stalwarts that visited Alao-Akala include Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti state and the National chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole.
APC lost relevance after what many people of the state considered the highhandedness of the incumbent Governor Abiola Isiaka Ajimobi who has become extremely unpopular among his people.
For instance, the clash between Olubadan of Ibadanland and the governor has further battered his image among the people of the cosmopolitan city, to the extent that community leaders vowed not to support his party in the election.
Recall that few days before the election, some magajis, family leaders in Ibadanland directed their people to vote for Makinde because they would not allow Oyo state to become an “extension of Lagos.”
Ibadan alone controls 11 out of the 33 local governments in the state.
The disagreement was over the coronation of coronet kings in the city against the wishes of the respected traditional ruler and Olubadan-in-Council.
The governor ala APC lost the support of the people of Ogbomoso over the manner Governor Ajimobi managed the affairs of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH.
His government shut down the university for months after failing to provide enough financial backing for the institution named after former Premier of Western Region Adegoke Akintola, a well revered personality among the people of the town.
LAUTECH is co-owned by Osun state another APC ruled state. Asiwaju Tinubu is the Pro-Chancellor of the university.
