Peter Ayoade, Ibadan
The 2019 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State – Chief Adebayo Adelabu Penkelemes has declared that he is happy that he didn’t win last year’s gubernatorial elections against the incumbent Governor Seyi Makinde. He vowed to dislodge the governor in 2023.
Former Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria disclosed this in Ibadan on Thursday, during a media parley and lunch with journalists in commemoration of his 50th birthday anniversary.
According to Oloye Adelabu, losing the election has afforded him opportunity of knowing more about how progressive family in Oyo state operate.
In his words, “I will be a better governor in 2023 than 2019 because I have become wiser politically, closer to party leaders and grassroots politics. I can now relate well with the party faithfuls.
“My interest in contesting is existing and will never die. I’m so confident and optimistic we shall dislodge PDP-led government in Oyo State come 2023. With the ongoing reconciliation process within Oyo APC, no party can stand the way of APC, come 2023”.
Oloye Adelabu while reiterating his commitment to a better Oyo State, described Engr Seyi Makinde’s administration as lacking foresight.
Reacting to the performance of the Makinde-led administration, Oloye Adelabu said nothing reasonable has been done since Makinde was inaugurated as the state governor.
According to him, “everything PDP government has been doing is not directly beneficial to the masses. A good government must understand the needs of the people which the current administration has failed to do. Philantropy is good but it should not be a basis for selecting a leader”
“It is evident that I will remove Makinde in 2023. He lacks ideas. Everything this administration promised the people of the state is still on their wish list 16 months after coming on board. With the calibre of people that have returned to APC, no party can stand the way of our party,” he said.
Adelabu stated further that no state needs a governor before salary is paid. “When salary is paid through statutory allocations and it goes straight to the Accountant General, they take it to the bank and they pay. Why must that be the major achievement of any governor?” he stressed.
“Makinde is decieving people with his populist programmes, which, in most cases, are not always giving the state sustainable development, it is more about immediate consumption. Populist programmes are short-lived. Within a short period, people will know that this man doesn’t really have so much to offer in terms of sustainable infrastructural development”.
Adelabu, who promised to come back with full force vowed to dislodge the current government noted that the factors that led to Makinde’s emergence are no longer available couple with the caliber of people that are in APC which will ease the taking over of government from PDP.
The Parakoyi of Ibadan land was full of thanks to God for sparing his life to reach 50 years, noting that his grandfather, Adegoke Adelabu and father AbdulRauf Adelabu, both died aged 43 and 33 respectively.
