Adelabu: After LG Consultation Tour, Oyo Ready For Next Level

The great Aristotle once stated that "you will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor". This is highly imprinted in the working ethos of Adebayo Abdul-Waheed Adelabu: the grandson of the great grassroot politician of the pre-independence era, Adegoke Adelabu Penkelemesi who was brave and courageous enough to resign from the CBN to contest for the post of governor in his home state, Oyo.

This singular sacrifice caused major uproar within the state, as only a few men can take such audacious expediment into the dirty turf of politics, yet he did it without an inkling of regret or pity from any quarter because it was only a tip of the iceberg as he immediately embarked on a consultation tour to all the 33 local governments in Oyo state where he contributed financially and handsomely to the growth and popularity of the ruling party, APC. He did this extensively while also uplifting the overall development of the state under the leadership of the governor, Abiola Ajimobi.

The consultation tour to the local governments took off on the 20th of June, 2018 with a prayer session at Taj-Mahal, the home of the great Ibadan politician, Adegoke Adelabu located at Oke-Oluokun, in Ibadan South-East LG to pay ancestral homage and seek spiritual support from the late political sage. The support was massive, a mammoth crowd engulfed the whole of Oke-Oluokun and the entire South-East LG with hold-ups and traffic on the roads, in fact the whole Ibadan was on lock down with the news all over the streets. The Bayo Adelabu Penkelemesi political train and with even more crowd support then paid a courtesy visit to the local government party house at Ibadan South-East in Ile-tuntun, before completing the trinity of activities on the day with an official declaration of his intension to run for the Office of the Governor of Oyo State at the State Secretariat of the All Progressive Party (APC) Oke-Ado, Ibadan.

There afterwards the consultation tour continued to the other local government areas in Ibadan metropolis with the Ibadan North-East LG where he lived his youthful days, had his primary and secondary school education, married and had his first child. The train then proceeded to Ibadan North LG, Ibadan North-West LG, Ibadan South-West LG. The trip to the outer Ibadan cities was not left out of the tour as Bayo Adelabu and team visited Akinyele LG, Lagelu LG, Egbeda LG, Ona-ara LG, Ido LG and Oluyole LG.

Just before the completion of the trip across the party local government council, the Agbaakin Parakoyi of Ibadanland paid an historic visit to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji, Ogunguniso I.

The leading aspirant for Oyo 2019, Oloye Adelabu while addressing the monarch expressed his readiness to rule Oyo state and take it to the next level, he thanked the high monarch's fatherly role in his political pursuit. He further asked for his prayers and support for his political aspiration to become the next governor of Oyo come 2019. The Olubadan then subsequently prayed and guaranteed his support for his political dream to rule Oyo state.

The Bayo Adelabu Penkelemesi train then made a dash to visit the whole Oyo zone but it did not commence until he paid a courtesy visit to the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III where he also apprised him with his intension and also to seek his support towards Oyo 2019. The Alaafin in his remark prayed for the success of Adelabu Penkelemesi towards 2019 while also mentioning the rich relationship between the two families: Adeyemi and Adelabu. The honourable representing Oyo zone then led the Adelabu train to the four local government: Atiba LG, Afijio LG, Oyo-East LG and Oyo-West LG.

The train also visited Ibarapa Zone which comprised of Ibarapa East, Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa West. More recently, the team also visited Ogbomoso Zone which comprised of Ogbomoso South LG, Ogbomoso North LG, Surulere LG, Orire LG and Ogo-Oluwa LG, where he also visited the Soun of Ogbomoso and inform the monarch of his readiness to take Oyo state to the next level in governance. Oke-Ogun was not left out of the show and the courtesy visit was also actualised when the train also paid a visit to the party leaders and executives. The Oke-Ogun local government include: Saki-East LG, Saki-West LG, Irepo LG, Oorelope LG, Atisbo LG, Olorunsogo LG, Iseyin LG, Itesiwaju LG, Iwajowa LG and Kajola LG.

The trip altogether brought so much popularity and more support for the ruling party, APC. Oloye Adelabu eulogised the efforts of the governor at making politics more attractive to the youths unlike in the past where chaos and social vices was the order of the day. He emphasized that governor has designed a blueprint on the overall development of the state and a worthy person is needed to manifest these vision of a better Oyo state.