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Courtesy Tribune
By Oladele Ogunsola / Correspondent, Ibadan.
For three consecutive days in the very first week of the year, the Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate of Oyo State and the former governor of the state, Otunba Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala, literarily shut down the entire Ibadan, the state capital, with a market-to-market rally in what could be termed market awareness campaign and during which the current administration
Otunba Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala
Otunba Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala
was given the piece of mind of the traders. Ostensibly to buoy the confidence of the governorship candidate, the traders in all the markets visited, from Bola Ige International Market, BIM, (formerly known as New Gbagi Market) on Ife Road to Aleshinloye Market in Ibadan South-West Local Government area of the state, Feleye, Labaowo, Agbeni, Amunigun, all in Ibadan North-West Local Government area, Oranyan, ‘Gate Iso parts’ and Bodija, the traders re-echoed their resentment against the urban renewal project of the current administration of Abiola Ajimobi of All Progressives Congress (APC) which culminated in shops and stalls demolition, asking the team led by Akala if they would not demolish shops to which the members chorused, no.
The traders did not stop at that, as they welcomed Akala and his team to most of the markets with antagonistic songs against Ajimobi such as ‘o gbagbe ibo ni, Isiaka, omo Gani Telo, nigba ti o n wole wa, to n wo iso wa, o gbagbe ibo ni’, ‘Ajimobi se bebe, o so onisoobu di olombrella, Ajimobi se bebe’, Ajimobi o lo, walahi a o fepe le, Ajimobi o lo, walahi a o fepe, igba re ni soka, igba re lomiyale, Ajimobi o lo, walahi a o fepe le’, ‘e ma gba fun won o, iso to ku loja ni won fe wo’ and many more, literarily translated, ‘you have forgotten re-election, Isiaq, the child of Gani the tailor, when you were demolishing our houses and shops’, Ajimobi has done wonders, he has turned shop operators to those operating under umbrella, Ajimobi has done wonders’, Ajimobi will go and we will bid him bye with curse, it was his time that there was flood disaster, it was his time that there was Soka episode’ (the last March incident when a forest was discovered around Soka near Sanyo area in Ibadan where suspected kidnappers were keeping their victims for rituals), ‘don’t allow them, they will only come to demolish the remaining stalls in the markets’ respectively.
From the Rotimi Williams Avenue, Old Bodija, Ibadan residence of Alao-Akala where the long convoy took off, it was the shout of Labour Party ! ‘O yato’ !! ‘Akala kaabo’!!! from the ecstatic residents who were trooping out to catch a glimpse of the former governor, who, in white caftan with a cap to match rode in an open-roof SUV black coloured vehicle through which he was hilariously waving to the crowd milling by the road-side.
The market to market rally which the governorship candidate described as the flag-off of his 28th February gubernatorial electioneering campaign through the long convoy of vehicles that accompanied him also created traffic snarl as all the routes leading to the markets visited by him were jampacked with vehicles and residents waving joyously at him. At the markets, the message was that of restoring hope and bring back smiles to the faces of the traders. He intimated the traders with his programmes for the masses ahead of the next month general elections. Should he win the governorship election in the state, Akala assured the people of the state that he would deliver his promises to them.
Rounding off the market tour with visit to some communities including Apata, Orita-Challenge, Orita-Merin and a quarry situated on the Lagos-Ibadan express way, the LP governorship hopeful assured the communities and associations of better days ahead, adding that he had done that before and would continue to provide succor for the people. “It is disheartening to hear that the people of Elebu are contributing money to build an health centre, a responsibility of the government.
Please leave me with God over your demands and I will never disappoint you. You know me very well and you have tested me’’, he said. The former governor said that the road constructed at Elebu was done by indigenous contractor, and that he borrowed no dime to execute such. Also speaking at the gathering, Gbenga Olayemi, the LP Chairman in the state said that the road constructed by Alao-Akala at Elebu community contributed so much to the economy of the state. He urged the people to be more committed to their survival by re-electing Alao-Akala, saying the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo had admonished the people to always be committed to self and societal development.
The LP governorship candidate, who was welcomed amidst fun fair by the communities and associations, was presented with lots of demands by the people including drainage system, completion of projects, healthcare centre, roads, support for market women to mention a few. The communities and associations equally pledged their support for the re-election of the former governor Alao-Akala. Prince Ade Adeyemi, speaking on behalf of the Elebu community said that Alao-Akala would always have solid support from the community, adding that he opened the community up for development. According to him, “we will support him so that the road he constructed at the area, which is 70 percent completed would be completed. I, on behalf of the entire Elebu community thank you for your support and development in this area. I assure you of maximum support from this community’’.
Briefing journalists after the long hours of tour which terminated at his campaign office, Destiny House, Mokola, Ibadan, Alao-Akala explained that he started the campaign at the markets because of the centrality of market to human existence. He disclosed that the traders, who on daily basis interact with people of diverse background were very important as media of information dissemination on what “we stand for and what we would do if given the opportunity once again”. The governorship hopeful expressed satisfaction at his acceptability by the people as reflected in their warm reception, assuring that he would continue from where he stopped in 2011 if elected on the 28th of next month and ensure that the confidence reposed in him “is not misplaced”.
He said there was the hand of God in his defection to the LP from the PDP, stressing that he had no regret over his action. According to him, “I have no regret leaving PDP because I have seen the hand of God in my political calculations, because I have been receiving massive support and applause from my supporters and admirers”. Alao-Akala, who defected to the LP when he failed to pick the PDP governorship slot at the primaries said, “I thank God for the rousing welcome I get everywhere I go for the campaign, especially at Gate Spare Parts and Bodija Markets”. He said that this support came his way because of the performance of his government when he was in-charge as the state governor between 2007 and 2011, adding, “if I did not do well, I won’t be able to go back to the electorate to ask for their votes once again”. The governorship hopeful assured of his acceptability by the elite the way the people at the grassroots received him having seen the difference in the various administrations in the state. He also promised to meet with them
with them and smoothen the rough edges if there is any noting that the grassroots people were straight forward in their demands expressed the hope that the elite would be forthcoming on what their expectations are from the coming administration of his.
In his usual characteristics, he made lasting impressions on some hawkers by buying from them and paying generously. A particular case was a girl hawking cooked rice from whom the governor bought two wraps and gave out N10,000 following which the girl threw away the whole tray of rice, possibly with about N500 worth of rice and bolted away in extreme joy.
