Chief Adebayo Adelabu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the 2019 election in Oyo State, has said that the party was resolved to return to the Agodi Government House in 2023.
He made the assertion on Thursday in Ibadan during a media parley to herald his 50th birthday celebration.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Adelabu, a former CBN deputy governor, would clock 50 years on Monday, Sept. 28.
Adelabu expressed confidence that the APC in the state was more united to dislodge the incumbent PDP government, saying that the party lost in 2019 to a coalition and not Gov. Seyi Makinde.
“The result of the coalition dislodged APC in Oyo. If we have contested election in our different parties, Makinde would not have won. He would have been third or fourth from the result.
“The Makinde-led government has not done anything significant in close to 18 months. With the poor performance of this government, it will be easier to dislodge it come 2023,” he said.
The former CBN deputy governor said that his ambition to contest the governorship seat in Oyo hadn’t waned, adding that he remained the best governor candidate in the party for the 2023 election
Adelabu said that his defeat in the election has afforded him opportunity of knowing more about how progressives in the state operated.
He said that the Makinde-led administration has disappointed the people, saying all the administration promised the people were still on their wish list 16 months after.
“Everything this administration promised the people of the state is still on their wish list 16 months after coming on board.
“With the caliber of people that have returned to APC, no party can stand in the way of our party,” he said.
The APC governorship candidate said that almost two years after Makinde was inaugurated, nothing concrete could be pointed to as achievement of his government.
“No state needs a governor before salary is paid. Salary is paid through statutory allocations and it goes straight to the Accountant General. They take it to the bank and pay.
“Why must that be the major achievement of any governor? When you embark too much on populist programmes, which in most cases, are not always giving the state sustainable development, it is more about immediate consumption.
“Populist programmes are short-lived. Within a short period, people will know that this man doesn’t really have so much to offer in terms of sustainable infrastructural development.
“It is going to two years now, can you point at one or two major projects that this government has completed? Everything is still on their wish list and if wishes were horses, beggars would ride,” he said.
Adelabu thanked God for sparing his life to attain 50 years, noting that his grandfather, Adegoke Adelabu and father AbdulRauf Adelabu died at age 43 and 33 respectively.
NAN reports that the week-long event would feature prayer session, inauguration of his completed projects and celebrations across the political zones in the state.(NAN)
