As 2023 guber election draws near, the Oyo State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator Teslim Folarin appears to be resolute about his dream of ruling the state after the election next year.
Folarin hasn’t only promised to send the incumbent governor, Seyi Makinde packing in 2023 but has also put in place what he believes to be a formidable team to get the job done. It seems he is not ready to left any stone unturned to deliver on this promise. And that is why the team has since adopted some key strategies in making sure things work to their advantage in the coming election, according to Folarin’s camp.
“We are exploring every available opportunity within the provision of constitution to achieve positive results come 2023,” a prominent member of Teslim’s campaign team told City People.
One of the major strategies Teslim’s camp have adopted, we scooped, is the door to door campaign that team has since embarked upon. Teslim campaign team have been to virtually all the zones and local governments in the state. Their political machineries in those areas have also been alerted to adopt one on one engagement of the electorates. Another area the team is said to be working on is the possibility of merger arrangement of political parties. The merger arrangement between some political parties and their candidates, it would be recalled, did the magic for the incumbent governor in 2019 election. The last minute stunt gave birth to an alliance between four political parties, namely ADC, PDP, ZLP and SDP in favour of Makinde of PDP.
However, the coalition has since collapsed. Not only that the coalition has collapsed, several principal actors in the alliance are no longer with Gov. Seyi Makinde. The likes of Senator Femi Lanlehin, Sarafadeen Abiodu Alli etc are now in APC. Even within PDP, there is a faction which has been at loggerhead with Makinde. Former Deputy Governor in the state, Hazeem Gbolarunmi; Engr Femi Babalola; Alhaji Nureni Akanbi, Mogaji Ile’Ba; Hon Muraina Ajibola; Hon. Mulikat Adeola Akande; Alhaji Adebisi Olopoeyan and other chieftains of the party are not on the same page with Governor Makinde.
While other aggrieved members have stayed put to for another faction within PDP, Alhaji Olopoeyan has since pitched his tent with the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). So Teslim’s camp is going to take advantage of the fragment within PDP as well as other who have since fell out with Makinde to their advantage. In fact, it was exclusively gathered that discussions are already ongoing in some quarters which may bring about a mega alliance like that of 2019. The issue of the former deputy governor, Engr. Raufu Olaniyan is also there. Olaniyan was unceremoniously removed from office on the allegations of gross misconduct. He is from Igboho in Oke-Ogun area of the state. He has since joined APC. Though Olaniyan has been replaced by another Oke-Ogun man from Kishi, in person of Bayo Lawal but some believe the impeachment of Olaniyan may work against Seyi Makinde in 2023.
Apart from the above tactics, other factors that Teslim Folarin’s camp will be banking on is their principal’s achievements and immense contribution to the development of his constituency and the state generally.
Folarin, to his team, has some qualities that distinct him from other candidates in the race. Some of what was pointed out as his main selling points include his political antecedents, experience and his strong bond with people at the grassroot level. Having contested and won the senatorial seat to represent Oyo Central in 2003 at the age of 39, on the platform of the PDP. He was re-elected for a second term in 2007 on the platform of the same party. He also won the guber ticket of PDP and contested in 2015 but lost to late former governor Abiola Ajimobi of APC. He however decamped to APC in 2017 and also won his Constituency seat on the platform of the party in 2019, making it the third time he would be in the Senate. He is a former Senate Leader.
Folarin is seen as a rally point within Oyo APC since the demise of Ajimobi. And he has been living up to expectations as a leader. He has been doing his possible best for his people. Especially in the areas of poverty alleviation, empowerment and capacity building and employment.
For example in this season alone, Folarin has given out more than 10,000 chickens for Christmas. Not to talk rice, vegetable oil and other incentives.
Folarin recently nominated about 200 vulnerable women from Oyo State for 20,000 cash grant/support from Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development. This is aside his several developmental projects and employments that he has facilitated to the state.
The multi million naira ICT Centre for the University of Ibadan, at Ajibode area of Ibadan is set for commissioning this January. President Muhammadu Buhari will Commission the project. 200 bedded hospital in Ona-Ara Local Government, to be managed by University College Hospital (UCH). Employments for Oyo indigenes to Local Content Development Commission, Federal College of Education, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Kuru, INEC just to mention but few.
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