Interviewers: Yinka Oladoyinbo
and
Busola Oworu
Source: Tribune
Chief Taofeek Adegboyega Adegoke, is an Ibadan traditional chief, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) and a governorship aspirants of the party.
In this interview with YINKA OLADOYINBO AND BUSOLA OWORU, he speaks on his political journey, his governorship ambition, and the dreams he has for the state. Excerpts:
You were once in Accord Party moved to the PDP and later to APC. Now you are back in PDP.
What were the reasons dictating these movements, was it ideological differences or what?
It is a matter of the ideology of the political parties, it is a matter of strategy, it is strategically reviewing of your position and what you want.
I was in ACCORD party because I want to play partisan politics. I started with PDP in 2008 but then I was out of the country, When I came back to the country and decided to play politics, I now decided and said who do I want to align with, because Baba Ladoja has good pedigree, so I went to Ladoja, because he was in Accord then and I want to be one of his political disciples, that was why I started with Accord. Originally, I have soft spot for PDP.
It is not because of the political ideology but because of the ideology of leader I choose to align with.
Baba Ladoja asked me what I wanted and I told him I wanted to become the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but I told him I have to start somewhere maybe from House of Representatives.
When Baba Ladoja in 2018, decided to move back to PDP I joined him. That was when Governor Seyi Makinde, moved from SDP and a lot of people defected from other political parties to the PDP.
But when Baba Ladoja moved back due to one reason or the other to ADC with Lanlehin and co, because I didn’t have intention of contesting, I had no reason to move to ADC, that was how you saw me and I remained in PDP.
Later when I started strategising about what I want, when to contest , what to contest for—it changed my decision and then 2019-2023 , the sitting Senator (Kola Balogun) was in PDP so the probability of Kola getting a return ticket was very high so the party believe in those who are already representing them so it is better to go and fight in another party than fighting your close friends or brother in the same party.
That was what informed my move to the APC, to fight for the Senate ticket. Although I did not get the ticket, the person who won the ticket eventually won the election as well.
When I didn’t get the ticket, I asked myself: What next? And I concluded that the next step was the governorship. I always tell myself: “Movement is improvement; stagnation is a disease.” So I returned to my former party, the PDP, and began working on my ambition to secure the governorship ticket.
You served as the DG of Bayo Adelabu’s campaign in 2023, and shortly after the election, people felt the relationship went sour. What happened?
The relationship did not go sour. Bayo Adelabu remains my brother and friend.
We still see each other regularly. I attended his birthday late in September, and many people were surprised to see me there because they had assumed there was a misunderstanding.
What happened was simply political alignment. After the APC Primary, Bayo was determined to contest at all costs, so he moved to Accord. He informed me of his decision, but I had no interest in contesting under Accord.
My friend, Ariba (Gbenga Olayemi), approached me and asked me to come and play a higher role by serving as Bayo Adelabu’s DG. I declined initially.
He told me Bayo believed I would not accept because, back in 2019 when he first contested against Makinde, I gave him certain strategic advice that he ignored and that decision affected his chances, because of that, I stepped back, travelled out of the country, and did not return until after the presidential election.
When I came back, many people were calling me, asking what could be done to salvage the situation.
I sent Bayo the steps he needed to take, but he again declined, saying he knew what to do. Ironically, the same steps he rejected were what he started running around trying to implement just a few days before the election when it was already too late. In 2023, I was not a member of Accord.
I only accepted the DG role because many APC elders who had moved to Accord with Bayo did not support Ariba as DG due to his non-indigeneship.
Immediately after the election was concluded, I told everyone that my role as DG had ended and that I wanted to move on.
I also made it clear that I did not want any situation where I would be labelled a traitor. I reiterated that I remained a member of the APC.
After reflecting on my next steps, I returned to the PDP and started focusing fully on my governorship ambition.
Why did you think that becoming the governor of Oyo State should be your next target?
For the betterment of Oyo State and what I want for my people.
When you want to turn around the life of your people, it is better done when you sit on a budget.
I have a dream, so I had to put into action because strategy without execution equals to nothing.
I already have my own ideas of Oyo State, of how I wish I were the governor this is what I will do. And the only way to achieve that is to continue to act, strategy without execution is equal to hallucination and how do you do that? you must participate.
A lot of people are running away because of the way it’s played in Nigeria but if we all run away when will there be change?.
What we lose by not taking part in politics is to be ruled by fools and we continue to complain. So, be ready to spend your resources and be determined, if you are not ready to spend your resources, you are not ready to participate, otherwise one will just be a armchair critics.
Because I want the best for my people and state so I decided the best thing is for me to participate.
You have spoken about the dreams you have for Oyo State, can you share some of the dreams?
No economy can develop without energy and power because we need it for everything and that’s why Oyo State, Ibadan included is crawling, the biggest city in West Africa.
The other day I got a list of moribund industries that used to be in Ibadan and they are 64 including Ferodo, Leyland and, Acedem, Dr Pepper and so on, those industries use to provide employment for the people of the state.
Also, when I see secondary students trooping out of their school, I do think about where they will be in the next few years, some of them would have become university graduates in five years, how do we provide them employment? What do we need to do for future generations?
That’s industrialization of Oyo State and to do that there must be power and energy.
When I heard that the government has already signed a 30 years plan to revitalize Ikere Gorge Dam I was happy because it will power electricity and that can power Oke-Ogun area and the other one that Seyi Makinde is doing here can power Ibadan.
So power is key and I’m going to focus on that because there is nothing that you can achieve without power.
The only way to attract industries to Oyo State is to provide source of energy, cheap energy, diesel is expensive so manufacturing company can’t rely on it, CNG is better but natural gas is now even cheaper than CNG.
So, if I can run my company here and my profit will go up why won’t I come here so energy is key. So, I will make sure I invest in energy because it is like solving one problem to solve other problem.
Even, individual you will see people coming to invest because there is energy.
Through that employment rate will increase which will also boosts economic.
Two, Oke-Ogun will be turned to the real food basket because we are blessed with agricultural land and Oke-Ogun has comparative advantage in terms of agriculture so know each zones and their strength.
Also, ensuring the road infrastructure from Ibadan to Ogboro not even Saki is good, but instead of this single carriage it’s supposed to be dual carriage lane to Saki, single carriage lane to the likes of Ogboro, Ago Amodu and those other areas.
I will also encourage irrigation because it would allow farming throughout the year. And then provisions of marketing board the likes of the one that western region used to have for easy trading of market produce.
Urban renewal especially Ibadan land, we need to re-plan and reset Ibadan. Even the new areas they just plant house no layout if you go to olodo now you will understand.
They didn’t plans the interior but can’t we plan it for them.
So, urban renewal is key. In my family house in Ile Abose, I wanted to drill borehole for them but I couldn’t because there’s no way the borehole truck will get there just here in Agbeni.
You sound positive and determined about your governorship ambition, but the incumbent governor has a major role to play, are you working together?
I’m positive because I am working with the dramatis personae, the people that matter with respect to getting the ticket.
I have met with the governor and I told him my ambition and identified him as the referee in this game and I have identified the linesmen that surround him, the leaders, elders of the part, opinion shapers, the people that matter and I have started informing them what I want to do and how I need their help.
I told the governor that I need his help with the support of God to achieve this and that does not mean I should go to bed and not do my work, I have also told other party members too and non-party members and some people who are not into politics but have roles to play including Bishops, Prophet, Imam.
I don’t doubt the role of the governor in this and I am very positive with God everything is positive.
As it stands now, as a member of PDP, do you think your party has a chance of winning election of 2027, considering the mirage of crisis that the party find itself in ?.
Yes, the party has a chance of retaining the governorship of Oyo State in 2027.
My prayers is that we will not blow away that chance, the fact that the incumbent governor is from our party, it gives us an edge.
So, we have to work for it not to blow away that opportunity.
What’s happening at the national level also we have to manage it because it could make or mar the chance of the party.
There is agitation that there should be power shift outside Ibadan, what is your take on this?
I support the agitation and what normally leads to this agitation is when other regions feel they are being oppressed.
If you have taken care of every zone, treating them equally know their needs then agitation will be minimal because they will feel like if they have been their own daughter or son as governor they will be better treated but if everyone is treated equally there won’t be agitation.
And it is definitely their right to agitate but in politics you negotiate.
It is not about agitating inside newspaper for rotational shift, but it is supposed to be a strategic negotiation and being deliberate about it and brainstorm on who do we need to align with.
They don’t give authority, you go for it and come up with deliberate plan.
It is not something that can be decreed or put down as a code because no region in Oyo State can do without Ibadan in election because of the political strength of Ibadan in terms of voters population. Ibadan has about 54% of the total electorate so that means for power to shift they have to negotiate.
I don’t have problem with governor coming from Oke-Ogun or any other regions as long as the person can perform.
If they gather together and put forward the right candidate and negotiate with Ibadan, Ogbomoso, Oyo and other regions to get it done.
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