Adelabu gambles on Oyo governorship race
Was former Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu’s resignation from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s cabinet during the week a personal decision or a soft-landing granted him by the President? Barely 24
Was former Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu's resignation from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s cabinet during the week a personal decision or a soft-landing granted him by the President?
Barely 24 hours after he met with the President to present a report on the performance of the power sector under his leadership and even suggested a roadmap to solving the nation’s electricity problems, the news filtered out that he had resigned his appointment to pursue his governorship ambition in Oyo State.
The move has left political observers wondering what could have informed the sudden decision after he had initially made the move about three weeks earlier to meet the deadline given by the President only to change his mind and opted to retain his seat as power minister.
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His perceived bid had sparked speculations that he stands no chance, given the popularity of the Oyo South Senator, Sharafadeen Alli, who is also believed to be eyeing the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
Besides moving at a rapid speed in pursuit of his governorship ambition, Senator Alli is also believed to have the backing of the powers - that - be in Ibadan and outside Oyo state...Hence Adedibu’s decision to withdraw his bid for the governorship and leaving everyone with the impression that he had given up. His sudden change of mind three weeks after the deadline for resignation had expired has led to speculations that he feared being dropped by President Tinubu after the recent cabinet reshuffle that saw the exit of two ministers, considering the poor state of the power sector under his watch.
Even the President was said to have been surprised at Adelabu’s sudden change of mind and wondered if he was not about to take a gamble on the party’s governorship ticket. So he asked Adelabu, “Are you sure you can win?” To this, Adelabu said yes. Then the President asked again, “Are you very, very sure?” He said yes, if the President would be neutral in the matter. He was said to have told the President that those allegedly backing Senator Alli were behind Makinde in 2019 and so should not be trusted. The President listened attentively but only said he was neutral.
