• the ‘SENACO’ connection
AS the people of Oyo state, especially members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), await the announcement by the House of Assembly, InsideOyo can authoritatively reveal that strong allies of Governor Abiola Ajimobi who man some of the local government areas as caretaker committee chairmen have been dropped.
Topping the list are the quartet of Yekeen Popoola (Irepo) who chairs the state chapter of the Association of Local Government of Oyo State (ALGON), Dr. Wasiu Olatubosun (Ibadan North West), Hon. Najeemdeen Bolaji ‘Gbayawu’ (Ibadan South East), Hon. Adejare Saheed ‘Alaran (Iseyin).
For long, there has been speculation whether or not they would be returned as caretaker committee chairmen of their respective local government areas.
Before the election was postponed, the quartet, it was learnt, had been told to shelve their ambition.
According to a source who prefers anonymity, “they were very close to Governor Ajimobi until now. They were always planning ahead for him, especially during the 2015 re-election bid of the governor. But the governor suddenly turned against them. It was later discovered that it was the handiwork of a powerful female permanent secretary in the state. The quartet are not in her good book, it was gathered. And that is why she did everything to get them removed.”
Another source corroborated the first source, saying that: “Ajimobi had to succumb to pressure this time around. His loyalists -members of the Sen. Ajimobi Campaign Organisation (SENACO), are still bitter that many of them didn’t win the primaries in 2015 and many times, they have told the governor that it is imperative he puts his people in position of authority as 2019 draws near.”