Ogun 2019 guber race: Adeola planning to stage a comeback

Ahead the 2019 gubernatorial election in Ogun State, new developments, political scheming and undercurrent are playing out on daily basis, giving a blurred picture of who will be the likely successor to the incumbent, Senator Ibikunle Amosun.

Senator Solomon Adeola, popularly called Yayi, representing Lagos West Senatorial District at the Upper Legislative Chambers, who reportedly withdrew from Ogun State Governorship race, weeks ago, may be staging a return, The Guardian authoritatively learnt.

The withdrawal of Adeola, a staunch member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), touted as one of the aspirants, with the capacity to upset Governor Amosun’s plans, did not only alter existing permutations but further widened the crisis within the ruling party in the state.

Adeola allegedly withdrew to return to the legislative chambers, when the coast seemed to be unclear for him to succeed Amosun. That much was confirmed by sources close to him that he had left the race, basically due to two reasons-one, the fact that “Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is not in support; secondly, that Adeola doesn’t want to move out of APC to realise his gubernatorial ambition.”

In the last two weeks, the planned defection of his followers, who rely on his platform to achieve their political aspirations, has partitioned the APC in the state, but his return is said to open a new vista into the 2019 race.

A source close to the Senator told The Guardian that top echelon of the party; in conjunction with Tinubu are already strategising to ensure that Adeola returns.

The source disclosed that the development evolved due to the ‘success’ recorded by the party in Osun State with the use of Direct Primary, which ensured that the candidate presented by party chieftains emerge as the standard bearer.

A confirmation to this, according to another source is the fact that the return of Adeola to the Senate might be difficult based on calculations that Tinubu and other chieftains of the party in Lagos State may have ceded the Lagos West Senatorial District ticket to Senator Obanikoro, with the claim that his mother hails from the area.

“Though Amosun is in control of the structure in Ogun State today, but if the direct primary option is adopted, there is no way the governor could win because not only the delegates will be voting. Adeola’s return will be a surprise, just as his withdrawal was. If he returns APC will again bounce back, but with the current situation where his followers are defecting to other parties, the party will struggle at the poll to retain the state.”

If this comes to reality, the current partitioning of the APC, and looming mass defection, The Guardian learnt, might be stemmed. Sources have confirmed earlier that the final defection is being delayed till after the gubernatorial primary, as party stalwarts are patiently waiting to see if there is going to be imposition, as is being alleged that the governor might settle for his Chief of Staff, Tolu Odebiyi, a rumour that had been debunked.