In Oyo, Akala’s war to break jinx rages

Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala of Oyo State, no doubt, has not been finding things easy about his resolve to
govern the Pacesetter State twice, a feat which no other governor in the state has ever recorded.
Since he assumed office, he has had so many battles. But, as he overcomes one, another is already waiting for him.
Some of the former governors in the state performed to the admiration of the people but, a large percentage see it as a taboo to govern the state twice. Today, the indigence's, the state capital, still make reference to the meritorious achievements of the former attorney-general and minister of justice, Chief Bola Ige, but they claim as good as he was, his dream for re-election was truncated.
Alhaji Yekini Adeojo, a serial gubernatorial aspirant,  some time said no matter how crafty, good and popular a governor is, if it remains a little for him to govern Oyo twice, somehow, things would turn against him.

Apart from the alleged role he played in the controversial impeachment of his former boss, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, on January 12, 2006, the ‘hatred’ some Ibadan people have for Akala is more than meets the eye.
Though he could not be said to be the mastermind of what many people described as the rape of democracy during the do-or-die politics of the former President Olusegun Obasanjo, some people said with the hasty manner he accepted the offer of steering the ship of the state, he could not claim innocent of the deed.
Since then, the relationship between him and some indigence's of Ibadan can be likened to that of a cat and mouse. The hatred continued until he contested the 2007 election and won. All overtures he has since been making to pacify some indigence's of the city have not recorded much  success.
His achievements
Chief Dejo Raimi, former Secretary-General of the South-South Forum and one of the chieftains of  PDP, wonders why the foes are fighting the governor. He said, “Why are they fighting Alao-Akala, I don’t know. When we say no man can rule Oyo State twice, there is a clause which people don’t take note of. That clause is unless you perform. And Akala has performed wonders. Look at renovation of Mapo Hall, Adeoyo Hospital, construction of roads, cleanliness in Ibadan.”
Honestly speaking, the governor has made some impact in the state. Though the roads don’t last long, he has added beauty to some of them..
Listing the achievements the governor has reportedly made, Raimi said, “We are lucky that the governor we have here has really performed. Some people are saying, “oh, he is not from Ibadan”. If he is not from Ibadan, he has 50 per cent of his cabinet from Ibadan.  That is one. Two, the man has really achieved. First and foremost, he has maintained peace in this state. Before now, we have never enjoyed this kind of peaceful atmosphere.
Maybe it is because he is a former policeman and he relates very well with the leadership of the police in this state. Three, he has developed this state very well. I’m a proud witness to that. When I took out my car, I went to Oke-Ogun, Iganna, Sepeteri, Ago-Amodu, Ago Are and other areas there.
The roads that were not passable before are now motorable. And if you come to Ibadan,  when you are coming from the expressway, you link Ojoo, Mokola Adamasingba, Dugbe, Oke-Ado, Molete. And from Challenge, he has constructed another road to Apata. Take another one, the road to Olodo, Beere, Agbeni, Mapo and the rest. I mean, these are wonderful achievements.
“Apart from that, we have had at least two governors who are Ibadan indigenes. We had Lam Adesina, and Senator Rashidi Ladoja. Which of them has ever thought of renovating Adeoyo State Hospital?  This man has done it. And they say he is not an Ibadan man. Not only did he do it, he did it in a record time. And I was told he awarded the contract to 15 different contractors and they finished it under a month”.
Akala’s cakes
He tried not to make Ibadan feel marginalized by appointing some indigence's of the city to join his cabinet, but as a plantain tree looking for the favour of the farmer uses its offspring to pacify him, the services and the much-touted ‘performances’ of the governor seem not to impress his foes. They insist that Oyo people don’t serve a person twice.
Though, teachers, doctors and some civil servants are begging for improved conditions of service, the governor has equipped the police with patrol vans, armoured personnel carrier worth N300m, and also the National Union of Road Transport Workers has benefited a lot from the governor.
The way things are now, enemies who are bent on truncating Akala’s dream are increasing daily. Teachers, some workers have all mobilized themselves to vote him out in the April election.
As if that is not enough, some of the traditional rulers like the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, who once had very cordial relationship have deserted the governor. The list of other former staunch supporters who have called it quits with him is endless.
His political foes have sharpened their swords ready to fight a common enemy.
They have instituted a legal action against the State PDP congress from which he emerged as the gubernatorial flag bearer.
They secured an order which restrained INEC from recognizing him as the PDP standard bearer. On the day the order was vacated, another traumatizing crisis erupted — the school children food poisoning palaver.
Though it was termed as rumour by some ‘spoilers’, it has caused some indelible scar on the political aspiration of Akala. The comments people were making about the state government when Sunday Vanguard moved round to ascertain the veracity of the story are unprintable. Up till now, many people who are predominantly illiterates are yet to be convinced that it was mere rumour.
On Friday, the governor’s former boss, Ladoja, organized a rally which left many mouths agape. According to observers, the numerous supporters that trooped out to rally support for Ladoja showed that the April election will be interesting.
Though, Ladoja, now flying the gubernatorial flag of Accord Party, said the election is not between Ogbomoso and Ibadan people, the way the mammoth crowd came out still beats the imagination of many people and a confirmation of the fact that Ladoja remains a force to reckon with in the politics of the state.
Many former loyalists of Akala have switched to the side of Ladoja. Already, they have been given tickets on the platform of Accord Party. Penultimate week,  President Goodluck Jonathan kick-started his campaign in the South West with the state government mobilizing Akala’s loyalists.  The crowd could never be compared to the one recorded at Ladoja’s rally. The whole city stood still for him.
It has been said several times that the incumbency power cannot be easily brushed aside in any election. But the mounting opposition and the influence of Action Congress in Ekiti, Osun, Lagos and Ondo have all combined to give the Oyo governor an excruciating headache on his way to Agodi Government House in April.
Eyes are watching, ears are itching to hear who becomes the next governor of the state. Akala, Ladoja or Senator Abiola Ajimobi?