Colonel Gbenga Adegbola (retd) is seeking the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State in 2027. In a virtual interaction with journalists, he speaks on the Oyo Agenda, factors that could work in favour of his party in 2027. KUNLE ODEREMI brings the excerpts:
IT is interesting to note that your ambition to guide Oyo State towards new leadership has sparked discussions among various interest groups. What are your thoughts on this dynamic?
The entire Oyo State has highly intelligent people. It is good that my entry is beginning to open the minds of the people who are the ones bearing the pains that have become too hard for them to continue bearing. As they begin to understand the power that democracy has given them, they have woken up from mental suppression to realize that now is the time to use their power to make a meaningful change.
As we look forward to the 2027 elections, opinions suggest that Oyo may emerge as a key battleground between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the APC. How do you perceive this scenario?
This is how I see it. On the contrary, Oyo State APC is not a party of battlers. We are all brothers and sisters of the same political family, the APC. We need peace and fortified unity for APC to rescue the state. Therefore, we should brace up against opposing parties because competition always tries to bring out the very best of the party aspirants. This is why I have adequately prepared and joined the APC for the people to decide. I expect anything and everything from other contestants. Some may emerge to contend within the party, and others who feel displaced may choose to even [defect] to another party. It is within their right and choice. I believe in building the electorate as a strong institution instead of presenting an individual as a strong leader because. As a people, we are strong, but as individuals, we are weak, and this is the reason the broom is an unbreakable bunch being the symbol of APC. My present focus is to support the strengthening of the state APC to become the true image of the glory of the ruling party at the national level.
Your declaration for APC caused so much rejoicing. Some say you want to run for the Senate; others say you wish to be the next governor of Oyo State. We also heard you want to ‘buy’ the ticket. What is the true position?
For me, the time has come for all APC members to unite by joining forces together to rescue the State from the PDP. It is never an easy task to defeat an incumbent or ruling party. United we win. Therefore, we will work to cement the cracks in our structure to be formidable and impenetrable. Only those who lack confidence feel jittery, just as the weak feel threatened. However, this is not yet an election campaign season. When the time comes, it is still the people who will ultimately decide who becomes their candidate. It is an insult to the good people of Oyo State to think that anyone can buy the ticket in cash and carry it. Let our focus be on helping the state party executive to build a stronger APC and upgrade the party from its previous state. My supporters, in their own rights, have decided that I am the preferred and most qualified to contest to be the state governor by 2027.
Many believe that winning the APC primaries is crucial for success in the gubernatorial elections. Do you feel you possess the necessary attributes and support to secure the APC nomination in Oyo State?
Ability to secure victory at the party primaries will make me the candidate of the APC, and a strong contender to win the general election. My growing acceptance across the state, among the electorate, is advancing. As a son of the soil, I am proud to attend The Polytechnic Ibadan and Ladoke Akintola University Ogbomoso, both in Oyo State above all other educational institutions I attended in Nigeria and abroad. I am a Fellow of five reputable professional institutes and a Distinguished Fellow of the Africa Institute (DFAI). Also, I am Certified and Chartered in Accountancy, Treasury Management, Strategic Administration, Security, and Public Administration, and a Certified Management Specialist at the prestigious London Graduate School. In my distinguished service in the Nigerian Army, I was decorated with MSS, FSS, CMH, and River Niger Star-RNS (COAS Award for Bravery), amongst others.
Ibadan has historically been a centre of power since the era of the Western Region. What are your perspectives on how Oyo State can reclaim its glory as a political centre that holds significance in the South-West?
Oyo is a special state, and indeed a pacesetter. Pa (Chief) Obafemi Awolowo, of blessed memory, remains the greatest political sage of Nigeria. Chief Awolowo never presented himself as a person. He, as an individual, was a people. That was the strength of his campaign, which had far-reaching acceptance by giving others a sense of belonging. In like manner, I have presented myself not as a selfish or self-centred person but as a people because I am prepared and ready to bear the interest of the people; thus, this project should be seen and felt as our project, not as my project. Remember, the former Premier’s seat of Power and immense political influence was the old Ibadan, which is the present-day Oyo State, the enviable headquarters of the old Western Region, making it the glorious hub of Western region politics and a foundation worthy of emulation for our politics today. His legacies are evergreen as they still survive into the present day. Though his shoes are too large for me to fill, considering that his coverage was beyond Ibadan, even beyond the region, at a national sphere, 2027 will be the time for us to rescue Oyo State from the putrescent era of the PDP to restore progress to the state for the survival of the existence of the common man who can barely afford a meal a day.
Oyo State is known for its rich diversity, which encompasses traditional worshippers, Christians and Muslims. What approach would you take to promote peaceful coexistence among these groups, especially in light of current security challenges?
My case is special but not uncommon. I have wonderful biological parents and a native origin. One of my parents is a devoted Muslim. My other parent is a devoted Christian. And, we all hail from a native community. In this way, I learnt religious tolerance or peaceful coexistence, which began from my home, my upbringing and across Oyo State as a modern cosmopolitan, multicultural or broad-based society. I have much respect for all the great political leaders and elders in the APC, who I met in the party when I declared, and together, we will operate in unison. I have the solution to security challenges. I will establish a structure that deactivates the beneficiaries of insecurity and set up economic productivity, women and youth engagement which altogether will surely go a long way in further disarming insecurity.
How equipped is the APC to reclaim leadership from the PDP in Oyo State in 2027? Are you receiving the backing and endorsement of the APC as you pursue your goal?
It is possible to reclaim leadership from the PDP in Oyo in the upcoming 2027 elections. A ruling party that is prepared at the National Secretariat cannot expect less from its Oyo State Secretariat. We are equipped. The build-up is not build-down, meaning that the build-up is from the LGA to the state and then to the national. What is ongoing is the galvanizing of progressives across the state for President Bola Tinubu and the state APC to make it a revived and truly formidable force, ready for the 2027 elections. Every aspirant receives equal encouragement, without any form of bias or favouritism from the party. The onus is for each aspirant to prepare adequately knowing the strength of opposition from the incumbent government and state ruling party. We want to build a victorious political tower and have estimated what it takes to complete the structure. For me, I think the matter of endorsement is rather in the hands of the people, I mean the electorate.
Coming from the Oke-Ogun area, which has yet to see a governor arise from its ranks, do you view your candidacy as an opportunity to change that narrative? There is a notion of – Awalokan – among the Oke-Ogun community. Do you see yourself as a strong candidate that embodies their aspirations?
Loyalty and discipline have been the hallmark of the Oke Ogun/Ibarapa people. They have a proven reputation for respect to the state above their area, section or district. The vacancy is for a governor of the entire Oyo State, not a governor of any section of the state. No community is master or slave to the other. History is in the making. Considering that respect is reciprocal, everyone’s expectation is for our enduring respect to beget the respect of those who, over the decades, have received respect from the Oke-Ogun people. In this way, a state candidate will not be seen as an indigene of Ogbomosho, Oke-Ogun or Ibadan, amongst others. Oke-Ogun is not short of competent aspirants. In fact, the notion among the Oke-Ogun people for their son to become the 2027 governor of Oyo State is blowing hot in the air. But, like I always say, I want the state to be my constituency. The people already believe in me, even though I prefer to be an Oyo State aspirant cum APC candidate when the party’s members at the primaries shall decide.
