Alhaji Bisi Olopoeyan, is the Southwest leader of New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP). He spoke on his journey into Oyo politics and what he learnt under the tutelage of late Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu. He also spoke about his 62 birthday anniversary

Oyo State politics is considered as one of the most difficult and delicate to practise, how have you survived it all these years?
If anybody described me as one of the most consistent politicians in Oyo, I won’t argue because it has been a while since I have been into politics and I am very consistent. My recent political affiliation and activities in the just concluded 2023 elections shows that I am a committed politician.

I started my political career during the 1983 general elections as an active member of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN). But after the 1983 coup that ended the Second Republic and all political activities, I relocated from Ibadan to Lagos.

But when democracy returned in 1999, I moved back to Ibadan where I met with one of my superiors at Advocate Newspapers, the late Uncle Layi Ajakaiye. I let him know that I am still interested in politics, and he took me to Molete to meet with the late Chief Lamidi Ariyibi Adedibu, who introduced me to the late Political Garrison Commander that is where my real politics started.

I was very close to the late Alhaji Adedibu. I maintained a cordial relationship with him till his death. Part of what I learnt from Adedibu was the ideal of bravery and fearless politics, as well as the ability to voice at any opportunity.

I learned the act of forgiveness from Papa Adedibu in politics and that is why people, especially my loyalists see me as someone who easily forgives and instantly embraces any person that offended me.

Almost every associate of Baba Adedibu left him at one time or the other but he used to promptly forgive them as soon as they returned for reconciliation. He would continue to relate with them as if nothing had happened even though many of the dissidents got a better cut of the cake than those of us who never left him.

I am just saying this to let people know the kind of politics I learned from my mentor.

I used to hear and see so many people judging me from afar, unfortunately, when they come closer to me, they see the simplicity in me.

After Baba died in 2008, I stayed in the PDP and never stopped following the political path laid down by the late Adedibu during his lifetime. But then, the late Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala became the overall leader of the party in Oyo State after the demise of Pa Adedibu. I also gave my unflinching support to Alao-Akala until PDP lost Oyo to defunct Action Congress in 2011. But despite PDP ousted from power in Oyo, I still remained steadfast with the party at a period when many of us defected to the ruling ACN.

At a point former Governor Abiola Ajimobi made several overtures to lure him into the All Progressive Congress (APC) after it was formed but I didn’t yield to his invitation until 2019 when PDP reclaimed the state through the incumbent governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde.

Unfortunately, I left PDP early last year due to irreconcilable differences with the governor but thank God, we are back as friends.

The difference between you and Governor Makinde was resolved few days to the March 18 2023 gubernatorial election, how did it happen?
Yes, I and the governor had serious differences before the commencement of his first term, the two of us are not ready to shift ground, so we parted ways. But when it was time that God wanted us to come together, we did, like I always say, no one knows Governor Seyi Makinde politically better than I do, likewise himself understands my political theory very well.

So, it was easy for us to reconcile and we are back, better with more understanding than before.

Now that you and Governor Seyi Makinde have reconciled, do we see you in PDP soon?
In politics, nothing is impossible but at present, I am the Southwest leader of New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP). I have no reason to dump my party.

Today is your 62 birthday anniversary, what has life experience taught you in and outside politics?
I am delighted and grateful to God for allowing me to see yet another year. I give God the glory for who I am. I still feel inside me the way I used to feel when I was 40 years. I am strong as a 45 year old man. I thank God for the grace of good health and for keeping me alive to this day.

At this stage of my life, I noticed that God has a special love and interest in me, I have reached a stage in my life where I have to continuously thank God for his blessings on me and my family.

Looking at the way I was born and raised, I see every additional year I spent on the earth as a blessing, so I have decided to show special thanksgiving as an expression of thanks to God, my creator.

How would you describe your background?
My beginning was somehow rough and challenging with no hope of making any success but God takes control.

I was born as a normal child, to a family of eight, I am the seventh. My father was an artisan and my mother, Iya Ijesha was a petty trader. We were nurtured as Christians because both my parents are devoted Christians and as a result of this, it’s a ritual for every member of the Adeyemi household to attend Church.

We Attended Apostolic Church, Alafara Oje. I was Baba Ijo, while my mother was the leader of the Good Women Group in the Church. Our pastor then was the late Rev. Dada, from Afuleyin Compound, Labiran, Ibadan.

I lived with my parents and siblings at Beiyerura, an interior part of Ibadan, Oyo State. Growing up in such an area required extra hard work to become successful in life.

I attended CAC Primary School, Olugbode at Odo Osun, near Beiyeruka, where we lived from 1968 to 1973. But I couldn’t go further with my education after elementary school due to financial challenges of my parents. I really wish to forge ahead with my education.

With the financial crisis in my family, I had no choice but to engage myself. I got a teaching job, it was a lesson class for toddlers, called Je’leosimi. With that, I still help my mother in her trading business; I did all that for like three years. Later, I went ahead to learn a printing job at Charity Printing Press under Chief Iluyemi at Yemetu Barrack, Ibadan from 1976 to 1981.

Today I can say by the Grace of God that I am a successful man despite my rough beginning.

How did you eventually navigate through to success?
I started my first job at Adeniran Ogunsanya Printing Press, Orita Challenge on April 25, 1981, after spending a few months, I joined the popular Oodua Printing Press at Eleyele in Ibadan on August 11, 1981. I left there in December 1982 and went to Lagos. Luckily, it took me only a few weeks to get a job at Harrison Press Yaba and later Onward Press, Iwaya Lagos.

That was my first time in Lagos, I returned to Ibadan in 1983 to work with Advocate Newspapers, founded by Chief Adisa Akinloye, as the Head of the printing department, while Chief Lateef Oyelade, Gani Kola Balogun and Uncle Layi Ajakaiye served as director, chairman, and chief editor of the outfit. The medium was forced to stop operation when the military took over government in 1983. I went back to Lagos for the second time in 1984 to look for another job and I got one at the Iranian Embassy Press in Ikoyi. I left the place in 1986.

Since you resigned from your last job in 1986, what other thing(s) did you do?
I resigned to start my private business with Deytuns Motors, at No 42, Swenu Street, Western Avenue, Lagos.

I later ventured into the telecommunication business; I got a franchise of Africa’s largest mobile network operator, MTN. I became the first dealer in Oyo state to sell mobile phones, and accessories with my company name, Yembisco Nigeria Ltd.