Former governor Adebayo Alao-Akala is not leaving the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, insideoyo.com has reliably gathered.
Sources told insideoyo.com that there are efforts to lure the Ogbomoso-born politician back to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which he dumped for the Labour Party, LP, in the build-up to the 2015 governorship election in Oyo State.
But it was gathered that Alao-Akala, whose son is currently chairing Ogbomoso local government area in acting capacity, is not considering any move out of the APC.
In fact, he was said to be ‘scouting’ big players for the party within and outside the state.
Alao-Akala, it was also learnt, has been having series of meetings. Only three weeks ago, the social media was awash with photos of his meeting with Governor Abiola Ajimobi and former Senate leader, Oloye Teslim Folarin, in London.
On arrival from the United Kingdom, Alao-Akala’s former boss, Sen, Rashidi Ladoja, visited him at his Bodija residence to ‘allay’ fears that he does not nurse any grudge with his former deputy. In attendance were the only PDP House of Representatives member from the state, Honourable Segun Odebunmi, former Accord state chairman, Alhaji Basir Lawal, Alhaji Ado Marafa and some others.
Alao-Akala, insideoyo.com was told, had visited Ladoja at his Ondo Street, Bodija residence but met his absence. The latter however returned the visit immediately he got back home.
This was after the national caretaker committee chairman of the PDP, Sen. Ahmed Makarfi, had visited former members of the party in Oyo State. He met Alao-Akala’s absence.
Ladoja, at the close-to-two-hours meeting, was said to have told Alao-Akala that all that happened between them are things of the past. The duo, it would be recalled, had disagreements following the impeachment and reinstatement of Ladoja as governor. Alao-Akala, it was believed by Ladoja’s supporter as ‘too desperate’ as he didn’t hesitate before he accepted to fill the vacancy created by the impeachment of his boss. When Ladoja was eventually reinstated 11 months after, in December 2006, he was said to have ordered the relocation of Alao-Akala’s office to the Ministry of Environment. Since then, they have been politically separated. In fact, their attempt to form a coalition in 2015 so as to prevent the re-election of incumbent Ajimobi didn’t succeed.
At the meeting, Ladoja had advised Alao-Akala on the need to join them as so as re-enact the 2003 scenario when ‘we had a rainbow coalition which brought me in as the governor of the state. It is very important that we achieve the 2003 feat in 2019 and we are determined to give it whatever it will take to make it work.
“I went to Alao-Akala’s house because we don’t want to leave him or any other stakeholder behind in reforming the PDP and wresting power in 2019. During our discussion, he was very receptive to the idea. In fact, he agreed with us that APC must go in 2019
“What remains now is the modality for the coalition and we are working to put that in place. The idea is very popular among the people of Oyo State as well as political stakeholders. I can assure that it will work.
“God sparing our lives, we have a stakeholders’ meeting next week where we will finalise the modality and other necessary arrangements to set sail for the task ahead,” Ladoja had told Nigerian Tribune in a telephone interview.
But at a meeting with his supporters in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, Alao-Akala was said to have told his supporters that it would be difficult to compete for his men in the new PDP, adding that there are some persons he wouldn’t like to work with.
Though some of his men had advised that the APC is not their ‘natural habibat’, Alao-Akala was said to have advised them that they don’t have what it takes to compete against the ruling APC.
Insideoyo.com, however, learnt that just like those of Engr. Segun Oni (Ekiti), Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola (Osun) and some other former PDP bigwigs, APC national leader has ‘sealed’ Alao-Akala’s deal.
Meanwhile, some of Alao-Akala’s core loyalists- Honourables Gbenga Oyekola, Lanre Agoro, Gbenga Olayemi as well as his running mate in the 2015 governorship election, Barr. Sharafadeen Alli, are said to have moved to the PDP.
