2023: Why Makinde Refused To Back My Return To Senate – Olubadan’s Brother Reveals
The younger brother of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun Alli Okunmade II, Senator Kola Balogun has given the reasons why the Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, denied him a second term ticket.
This is coming weeks after Governor Makinde declared Mr Joseph Tegbe his anointed candidate for the Oyo South Senatorial District. According to Oyo reporters, Senator Balogun said the state governor was pressured by some powerful cartel who were of the fear that having a Balogun as the Olubadan and another Balogun as a senator would be too strong for the governor to control. The incumbent senator, in a statement titled ‘Real Facts Why Makinde Denied Olubadan’s Brother A Second Term Ticket,’ said the governor was initially against the idea of dropping him as a senator but later caved in to the pressure. “At the initial stage of preparation for the coronation of the Olubadan, the governor was unyielding but a group within his house impressed it on him the implications of having two Balogun brothers as the Olubadan and as a senator. “He initially rejected the suggestion by this group. A very prominent resident of Ibadan was with the governor on a pressing state matter when this same set of people came back to further convince him to stop my second term ticket. “He also rejected the suggestion for the second time. But subsequent efforts of these people brought in a former senator from the state and they made him to cave in to their demand. “Governor Makinde reportedly made some claims that I am not performing and that I am not taking care of the party leaders in the nine local government areas in Oyo South Senatorial District. “As a Christian, can he swear with the Holy Bible and with his life that those were the real and principal reasons he took that decision? “I challenge him to publicly swear before the PDP stakeholders; before the people of Ibadan, Oyo South Senatorial District and the entire state that he took that decision solely because of the reasons stated in the report. If he can do this, I will come back to openly apologise to him. “The allegation of non-performance against me is puerile. The record of my performance and achievements is in the public domain and it is hereby attached to this piece,” he said.
This article was originally published on Nigeria News