The race for the Agodi Government House took a defiant turn this week as former Deputy Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) heavyweight, Engr. Rauf Olaniyan, dismissed suggestions that his gubernatorial ambitions have been derailed by internal party maneuvering.
Addressing newsmen in the state capital, Olaniyan appeared “unperturbed and unshakable” in the face of reports that his kinsman from the Oke-Ogun region, Otunba Alake Adeyemo, has been penciled in for the APC State Chairmanship.
In the complex arithmetic of Oyo State politics, a single zone rarely holds both the party chairmanship and the governorship ticket. However, Olaniyan was quick to downplay any perceived conflict of interest.
Olaniyan maintained that even if Adeyemo, a fellow Oke-Ogun indigene is indeed the “settled” choice for the chairmanship, it poses no threat to his own bid for the governorship ticket.
”My kinsman settling for the chairmanship post does not have any effect on me securing the governorship ticket,” Olaniyan stated firmly.
The former Deputy Governor even hinted at a tactical solution should the party find itself in a geographical deadlock. He suggested that if he secures the gubernatorial mandate, he has the political leverage to negotiate a balance.
”It is easier for me to tell the intending Chairman, as being speculated, to resign to give other political zones an opportunity if I finally get the ticket,” he explained.
Despite the friction often caused by zoning debates, Olaniyan positioned himself as a disciplined loyalist. He noted that if the APC leadership ultimately decides to concentrate both key positions in the Oke-Ogun axis, he would respect the party’s sovereignty.
Olaniyan believes his region’s prominence in the party hierarchy shouldn’t limit his personal ambitions.He urged party elders and stakeholders to prioritize “unity, progress, and development” over internal bickering.
Eyes on the Prize: He charged APC faithful to remain dedicated to a “victory at all levels” as the election cycle nears.