2027 Oyo APC roadmap and Alao

By: Biodun Adeyemo

IN a clime where politicians are seen as more interested in seeking power for personal aggrandisement, Oyedele Hakeem Alao, has succeeded in portraying himself as a rare species, who is committed to his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its success in elections. 

Since the last general election in the Pacesetter State in 2023, the APC gubernatorial aspirant though not a mouth piece of the party has done more than enough to put the administration of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on its toes through constructive criticisms and objective appraisal of  official policies and actions with facts.

Indeed, he has brought purpose to opposition and in the process turning him to a clear voice for the masses that have hope that his time will soon come to make the difference in the state.

Alao, as a staunch APC member, has the record of regularly tasking the administration to make life better for the people. Press releases from his Media Office consistently stated that the people deserve an administration that put their interest first.

For instance, in an open letter to the authorities recalled that Governor Seyi Makinde was in the forefront of those that kept the administration of late Governor Abiola Ajimobi on its toes. He took the Ajimobi administration up on a number of capital contracts awarded by the government and the need for transparency and due diligence.

Other releases which Alao not only made sure are in print and social media but also aired on major radio stations across the various zones in the state are one in which he tasks the administration of Governor Makinde on the activities of his administration on different sectors.

Similarly, the Asiwaju of Irokoland is always concerned about the need for government to be inward-looking so as to avoid unnecessary debt burden, conserve foreign exchange and protect local industries. According to him, a growing debt burden could jeopardise the future of the state.  He maintained that since the removal of petroleum subsidy by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the money accruing to the states has tripled. “The people of Oyo State deserve leadership that values transparency, prudence, and genuine development,” Alao stated in a press statement recently on the state of the nation.

By the next general election, the Oyo APC would have been out of political power in the state for eight years. I believe we should have a lot of lessons because of the intrigues and lack of compromise that led to the party to the status of opposition. We must gird our loins; reset the needle and plot the graph properly this time around so that we can return to our winning ways.

We must plan, re-strategise and make sure that it is only those that the caps fit form our First Eleven, so to speak in the battle ahead.  The contest ahead is not for the fickle-minded but for the party members that have only paid their dues and have continued to prove as the conscience, backbone and pillars of the Oyo APC.

ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE: Buhari’s body arrives Katsina for burial

The stakes have not only got higher; they have become more challenging and demanding. So, the APC must be ready to make the right choices in its deliberate and calculated moves to reclaim its rightful place in the politics of 2027. Power is never served a la carte. You must work for it assiduously and conscientiously.     

With what Alao has continued to do to promote the APC and constantly knocking the PDP-led government in Oyo State to be up and doing to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people, the political compass of the state deserves to be moved in his direction as one thing is certain – his political story is still unfolding.

•Adeyemo, a Public Affairs Analyst writes from Okeho, Oyo State