By Adekunle Adegboyega
Former governor of old Oyo State, Dr. Victor Omololu Olunloyo has advised the candidate of Accord Party, Chief Adebayo Adelabu to join forces with Governor Seyi Makinde of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The elder statesman also called on the residents and indigenes of Oyo State irrespective of religious lineage to come out en masse on Saturday, March 18, 2023 and vote for Makinde.
Dr. Olunloyo, a renowned mathematician, made the appeal during an Exclusive Interview Programme anchored by the Chairman of Parrot Xtra Media Network, Olayinka Agboola and Seun Akinola of Splash FM in Ibadan.
The former governor, who faulted the naira swap policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), likened the governance and administrative style of Governor Seyi Makinde to the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
According to Dr. Omololu Olunloyo, “I have seen a lot of innovations by Omitunun 1.0 and I am very impressed by his administration. There are one or two points in which I will advise him in transforming Omituntun 1.0 to 2.0. I think his administration is excellent. His politics is not as strong as his administration, his administration his first class and I prayed that it should be continued. There are a few aspects of his politics that have to be polished. He came in through an alliance and he has not been extremely careful about holding that alliance together. His quality of his results in administration is the same thing with Awolowo. He was an administrator par excellence.
“So, in Oyo State, we have a number of people who are competing for the seat but I think they are not quite up to the task and they are not quite up to the level of administration that Seyi Makinde has attained. Not because of personal recognition and so on that he has been giving me, I am the most experienced politician in the western states. I was made a commissioner in 1962 at the age 0f 27, I had got a PhD before that, a BSc at 22 and a commissioner economic planning and community development in charge of census, commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs and commissioner for education and so on and so forth, WNDC, parastatals, housing corporation and I have been in the 55 boards and corporations, perhaps the most office person in the whole of South Western Nigeria.
“People of Oyo State should honestly vote for Seyi Makinde, some of the candidates who are vying against him, I would advise them to exercise patience. I am more or less the repository of information about Adegoke Adelabu, on the 25th of March, we are going to do what we usually do every year and I am going to give a talk. I have given two lectures under the Ibadan Foundation, the first and the last. I know Adelabu more than anybody, more than his son. In fact, the Adelabu man or I should call him my boy; he should be nearer to me than he is. His father never operated with money, he operated with conning and psychology. Adelabu should join with Seyi Makinde and he should await his time. I am convinced that when we polish him up the heritage he has in Adegoke Adelabu re-brought out, he will come out as a bold politician, who has a bold past and I think he will at one stage become what he ought to become,” Dr. Omololu Olunloyo said.
The former governor, therefore, enjoined all religious leaders irrespective of religious lineage to do away with sentiment and remember the good old days by voting the incumbent governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde for a second term.
“Other contestants too are my people, Teslim Folarin is my person, I once saved him from being killed after some people including the late governor, Christopher Adebayo Alao Akala, late Richard Akinjide, Jumoke Akinjide, Folake Olunloyo conspired against him over the murder of one time NURTW Chairman in Oyo State, Lateef Eleweomo. Therefore, he also has to be patient. What Seyi Makinde has done as a governor of Oyo State is more significant than what politicians are accusing him of. I want to appeal to the aggrieved to be calmed and support him,” Dr. Olunloyo submitted.
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