Ibadan, the capital city of Oyo State practically stood still on Wednesday when the immediate past deputy governor of Nigeria’s apex bank, Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Chief Adebayo Adelabu formally declared interest in Oyo’s governorship election.
Some parts of the city were locked down for hours as Adelabu, who rode in a motorcade of about 200 vehicles, paid homage at the grave of his grandfather, Chief Adegoke Adelabu, in Kudeti where prayers were offered for the realisation of his governorship bid before leaving for the All Progressives Congress (APC), Secretariat in Ibadan South-East.
He donated a branded new bus and N500, 000 to the party with a promise to make N250, 000 available monthly for the running of the party.
Adelabu, who was received at the State Secretariat of APC by the state executive led by the state secretary, Alhaji Mojeed Olaoya, anchored his decision to run on his “passion for the progress of the state” and the happiness of its people.
According to him: “I believe that talents, knowledge, training and experience are nothing if they are not put into achievements in the direction of human progress. They are like books on dusty shelves. They are inconsequential until when their contents are advanced towards uplifting the society.
“All the acquisitions from the universities, work, knowledge and professional practices as well as insights from private endeavours would go down the graves at the appointed time.
“The possessor might, therefore, put them into diligent actions for humanity. The useful man must do something useful if his existence is to have real values. These emotional statements constitute a glimpse into the guiding principles of my desire,” he said.
Adelabu, who is the Agbaakin Parakoyi of Ibadanland, explained that his focus would be on the economic prosperity of the people of the state, industrialisation, raising the internally generated revenue profile and leveraging on the resources of technology.
He assured the party leaders of his desire to build on the rebirth of the state achieved by Governor Abiola Ajimobi through what he called the governor’s restorative management of the affairs of the state in the last seven years.
After leaving the State Secretariat of APC, he returned to Bayse One Hotel located in Jericho, Ibadan to hold a Press Conference.
Credit: oyoinsight.com
