…A First Time Feat In Over 40 Years

The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate and incumbent governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, has won a historic election as the state helmsman for another four years, with 327, 310 votes.

The governor, with his victory, has effectively ended the second term jinx by being the first governor to be voted in for two straight terms in the socio-political history of the state.

His closest challenger in the breathtaking election and former governor, Rashidi Ladoja of Accord Party, polled 254, 520 votes, while the Labour Party standard-bearer and immediate past governor of the state, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, scored 184, 111 votes to come third.

However, one other historic feat Ajimobi attained during the gubernatorial election, is the was the resounding victory his party recorded at all the polling units in Molete Area in Ibadan. The ELITES gathered that, this area is predominantly controlled by the political dynasty of the late Chief Lamidi Ariyibi Adedibu, the former aristocratic noting power broker in Oyo State. Until last Saturday’s election, the four polling units in this Molete area, had never been won by he progressive parties, during any of the election seasons.

Sources disclosed to The ELITES that this record-breaking feat was facilitated by Chief (Mrs.) Folake Olunloyo-Oshinowo, a former member of the House of Representative and a Senior aide to the Speaker, Alhaji Aminu Waziri Tambuwwal, who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to APC, few days after the presidential election.

Olunloyo-Oshinowo, wife of Dr. Tunde Osinowo, the famous businessman and political strategist, and thousands of her supporters had joined APC last Wednesday, at an impressive ceremony, held at the Mapo Hall. She was received by Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, his counterpart from Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola who represented the president-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari and the National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Others who attended the ceremony were the Osun State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, Mrs. Abiola Ajimobi, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Patricia Etteh, all Senators-elect, House of Representatives-elect and many others.

The ELITES learnt that Olunloyo-Oshinowo’s decision to defect to APC was sealed after an intensive consultation with by her uncle, Justice Adesola Oguntade, a very close associate of APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Sources disclosed that former president a Olusegun Obasanjo also encouraged her to make the move.
Olunloyo-Oshinowo, who holds the highly revered Aare Egbe Omo Iyalode of Ibadanland, is a formidable grassroots politician and a great mobilizer.