A Chieftain of People’s Democratic Party, in Iseyin Local Government Area of Oyo State, Alhaji Waheed Shittu Owonikoko has described the alleged defamatory statement uttered by late Bola Ige while as a Governor of old Oyo State, against Ibadan, as factor that orchestrated their sit tight syndrome on governorship till today.
The alleged malicious expression made by late Cicero of Esa-Oke, Osun State was in connection with description of Ibadan people as unlettered people,whose complete lifetime spent on butchering of animals.
Iseyin-born politician, while speaking with acrossnigerianews.com, noted that Ibadan was not like this before, untill character assassinated statement was made to ridicule their personality and human existence.
Owonikoko hinted that the statement made by Bola Ige triggered feud between him and late Busari Adelakun, who was the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters in his government, formed under the banner of Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN).
While in a memory lane, he narrated that the issue birthed political differences, acknowledging Ige as a prominent member of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), but Adelakun as an Ibadan man defected to the rival National Party of Nigeria (NPN), as their political ideologies clashed, and led to disagreements and animosity.
He added that, the conflict intensified during the 1983 gubernatorial election in Oyo State as Adelakun, along with other NPN members, opposed Ige’s candidacy, contributing to Bola Ige’s loss to Dr. Omololu Olunloye and tense political atmosphere.
Owonikoko maintained that the feud involved mutual accusations and counter-accusations, which further exacerbated the tensions between the two figures.
Owonikoko lamented that the rivalry between Ige and Adelakun had a lasting impact on the political landscape of Oyo State, which shaped the dynamics of political alliances and rivalries in the state till today.
In another related development, he appealed to power brokers in Ibadan to swallow their anger, eschew bitterness and acrimony which the statement had made them develop to others, adding that such slanderous statement was made while Oyo and now Osun States were together as old Oyo State.
Claiming now, Oyo State has been divided into five (5) zones and which Oke-Ogun trails behind Ibadan as zone with second largest local governments, clamouring it should be allowed to field candidates come 2027 political dispensation.
He passionately appealed for fairness, justice and consideration of the zone, as Ibadan had produced four (4) different governors since 1999 the pacesetter state had transited to uninterrupted civil rule.
Owonikoko however called on all sons and daughters of Oke-Ogun to come together, regardless of political affiliations, religions, local governments and other dichotomies, as the struggles for attainment of governorship require unity, oneness and togetherness among others.
