Home City Review Why Adebayo Adelabu Will Make a Good Governor – Ajimobi

Why Adebayo Adelabu Will Make a Good Governor – Ajimobi

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R-L: Oyo's Governor Abiola Ajimobi, Adebayo Adelabu and his wife, Seyi...during an earlier electioneering campaign...
R-L: Oyo's Governor Abiola Ajimobi, Adebayo Adelabu and his wife, Seyi...during an earlier electioneering campaign...

The Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi is confident that Chief Adebayo Adelabu, the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is the next big thing as far as Oyo State politics is concerned.

There is no denying the fact that the All Progressives Congress worked enormously hard to arrive at the choice of Chief Adebayo Adelabu as its gubernatorial candidate.

Governor Ajimobi is, however, optimistic that the former Deputy Governor, Operations of the Central Bank of Nigeria has all the competence it takes to move Oyo State to the next level.

It may not be wrong to infer that for Adelabu, a grandson of the legendary Adegoke Adelabu ‘Penkelemeesi’ of Oke Oluokun, Ibadan, politics flows in his veins. As a 40-year-old, his grandfather became Nigeria’s Minister of Natural Resources and Social Services in 1955 and he was opposition leader in the Western Regional Assembly till he died in 1958.

Together with Chief Adisa Akinloye and other youthful Ibadan indigenes, he formed the Ibadan Peoples Party that won six seats in the election that followed.

The sobriquet, ‘Penkelemeesi’ came from Adelabu’s description of the opposition in the Western House of Assembly as “peculiar mess”, which his non-literate supporters ‘Yorubanized’. It was soon taken up by talking drummers who further helped to spread it.

Explaining how Adelabu’s candidature came to be, Governor Ajimobi disclosed that “before the APC gubernatorial primary, I prayed fervently that a God-fearing candidate should emerge and He has given us one. I can confidently say that we have endorsed Chief Adebayo Adelabu and he will win by the grace of God”.

Like his grandfather, who finished as the best student in his set at the Government College, Ibadan, Bayo Adelabu excelled in his academic pursuit, graduating with a First Class Degree in Accounting from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife. Apart from academic brilliance, many of his supporters are looking up to him to continue the prestigious Penkelemeesi legacy.

Adelabu, a businessman with investments spanning across the hospitality, entertainment, agriculture and real estate sectors is a man in whom Governor Ajimobi is well pleased. “I am happy to inform the people of Oyo State that our state will be left in the hands of a competent man of conscience, a man that also loves peace and above all, a religious man”, Governor Ajimobi said at the 2018 Maulud Nabiyy celebration.

At the flag-off of the APC campaign, the Governor also pointed out that Adelabu has a name to protect. “Adelabu Bayo Abdul Waheed is a Muslim like me, he has a name to keep, he has worked and risen to the highest peak of his career, he has a name to protect and he is the most qualified amongst the contestants and I strongly believe he will win this coming election and occupy the Agodi Governor’s office and continue with the good work that I will be leaving for him”, the Governor said.

Pointing out that adequate experience was not the only criterion considered before Adelabu emerged, Governor Ajimobi said “some of those who want to become governor in our state are being looked for by anti-graft agencies like EFCC and ICPC, so don’t vote for them because they are shady in dealings and questionable in character”.

Also speaking at the foundation laying ceremony of the Abiola Ajimobi auditorium inside Lagelu Grammar School, the alma mater of both Governor Ajimobi and Chief Adelabu, the Governor disclosed that God revealed who would emerge to him hours before the primary elections. “About 12 hours before the primaries, I went to God for direction in my room and something hit me that Adelabu was the right choice. He will become the next Governor by God’s grace”.

Senator Ajimobi also offered a prayerful advice that he felt would be useful for Chief Adelabu when he gets to the apogee of politics. “I pray that Adelabu will not be misled by some politicians”. He also appealed for forgiveness from all those he might have offended as he said “I beg everyone that might have been offended in the course of my decision to support Adelabu to forgive me. I didn’t choose Adelabu, but God did. God only used me to choose Adelabu; he is God’s will. Moreover, he is eminently qualified. He has characteristics similar to mine”.

Packaged by Wole Adejumo

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