How Ajomobi’s Death Triggers Oyo APC Leadership Power Tussle, Who Wins The Party Leadership Between The SENACO And LAMIST ?

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From all indication, the death of the immediate former governor of Oyo State, Senator Isiaq Abiola Ajimobi has triggers leadership tussle and rivalries in the Oyo State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC). Not less than four groups within the party are struggling to produce a successor to the late leader, who gave up the ghost of COVID-19-related issues.

Without mincing words, the party has, in the indeed lost top prominent leaders like, Chief Solomon Mojere Akindele, Chief Samuel Farinu and former leader of the party, Alhaji Salaudeen Olalere. These are the calibre of people that suppose to reconcile the lingering leadership crisis in the state. But death cheated them.


According to Information at our disposal shows that Ajimobi’s group, known as SENACO, has been ruling the party for close to a decade now. It is also reveal to be organizing strategic meetings to continue with the ruling. But the group loyal to the former governor of the state, Chief Lam Adesina, regarded as LAMISTS, are said to be fully ready to take over the ruling of the party.


It was discovered that the LAMISTS group has politicians like the son of Chief Lam Adesina, Hon. Dapo Lam-Adeshina, Fatai Ibikunle, Senator Monsurat Sumonu, Hon. Wasiu Olatunbosun, Senator Soji Akanbi and Hon. Bosun Oladele.

Another group of Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) decampees, spearheaded by the former governor of the state, Otunba Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala, Senator Teslim Folarin, and Senator Fatai Buhari were also included.
It was revealed that there is possibilities of the PDP decampees to work hand in hand with other SENACO leaders like Chief M. K. O. Laoye, former governorship candidate of the party, Adelabu, Joseph Tegbe, and Mrs. Florence Ajimobi to uphold the leadership structure.


To refresh our memory, Ajimobi assume the leader of the party immediately after the demise of Lam Adesina in November 11, 2012. But Ajimobi was a Senator in 1999 when Adeshina emerge the winner to become governor of the state. Ajimobi was given the party’s ticket as a member of the LAMIST group that had upper hand at the party as that period.


Coming to 2007 election, which the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) lost to the PDP, did not only weigh down the political dominance of the progressives camp in the state, but gave room for a personal-restructuring which Ajmobi spear headed. And this gave room for the progressives to emerge the winner of almost all elections organized in 2011 when Ajimobi assume the governor of the state.

His leader, Lam Adesina died a year after, Ajimobi eventually assume as the party leadership.
Meanwhile , the structure of office divided the progressives’ camp and those, who felt neglected by the Ajimobi’s government, accused members of SENACO of collecting all the good contracts and top political positions in the state.

Although Ajimobi during his lifetime frequently denied the emergence of the group, but the conflict among the two groups became known during the 2015 general elections and the loss of the governorship sit in 2019.


The truth is that the primary election that gave Adelabu the opportunity as the flag bearer of the party at last year’s election fuel the crisis and further divided the leaders. On the evening of the election, the Unity Forum emerge, dominated by a majority of APC governorship aspirants. The forum did not support the choice of Ajimobi and was of the opinion that if the late governor succeeded in selecting his successor, then SENACO would continue to rule over them and will never relent.

In fact, they classify Adelabu’s candidacy as a third term for Ajimobi. Although Ajimobi penetrated his way, but the political crisis continued till Ajimobi bow down to death.


However, Some members of Unity Forum fled to the PDP, some decamp to African Democratic Congress (ADC) while those who decided to remain in the party did not support the party interest.


It is not a doubt that APC in Oyo State is yet to bounce back from the post-election crisis and leadership tussle, and it was in process of this and the desire to get the party back on the move that made Ajimobi to set up a reconciliation group spear headed by Alao-Akala, but the committee had not made any remarkable impact before Ajimobi gave up the ghost.
We discover that the Unity Forum and LAMISTS group are said to be working hand in hand to support one of their own to assume the ruling of the party.

But a source within the alliance revealed that the process maybe difficult to realize because of the facts on ground.


However, SENACO group very loyal to Ajimobi is also unsettled and yet to bounce back from the death of their leader.

Akala, Folarin and Buhari remain the topmost political holders within the terrain but they are still fresh in the party and may need to put in more effort to convince the major progressives in the group.

The group consists of different politicians who often traced their political root to the defunct Action Group (AG), Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), Alliance for Democracy (AD) and the ACN.


Akéde Ọ̀yọ́ gathered that it would not be an easy task to replace Ajimobi, but belief , “that the new leader will eventually emerge among Ajimobi’s loyalists”. To him, the struture put in place by the former governor will continue for a long period in the party
Meanwhile, the current exco of the party, spear headed by Chief Akin Oke has denied any separate group in the party and “warned those spreading the rumour to stay away or face legal actions”.


Oke, pointed at some people he classified into “two groups of selfish elements, who either plan to showcase the party in bad image to the outside world with a motive to realizing their own personal political objectives, and the other one comprises shameless set of people who aspire to return through the backdoor after leaving the party over few years ago.


Despite all these, the part has display readiness to reach out to known aggrieved members of the party across the state, in order to support the efforts of the Reconciliation Committee organized by the late leader, Sen. Abiola Ajimobi, with an open plan to settle all issues and further strengthen Oyo APC.


Meanwhile, The committee, spear headed by former Governor Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala has commence its work figorously and the State Working Committee of the party is ready to carefully put their reports into use and possible recommendations for action as soon as possible.


At this point, it is important for APC in the state to work hand in hand with the present leadership in the state, in order to achieve collective growth and development. With team work, team spirit and artistic spirit, success and developmental project is ascertain.

We look forward to building more transparent and collective actions that will facilitate long-lasting relationship within the party in the state one of our sources prayed.

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