*Forgetting the Cowhide While Dreaming of the Cow Chase: The Story of Oyo State’s Main Opposition Party |Deji Ola*

There is an old saying that when a man dreams of being chased by a cow, he must not forget that he once ate the cowhide without caution.

In politics, this proverb speaks directly to the danger of forgetting the consequences of past actions while hoping for a different outcome in the future.

This perfectly captures the present situation of the Oyo State APC as conversations around the 2027 general elections continue to gather momentum.

The party appears to be dreaming of a return to power, yet it has conveniently forgotten the political cowhide it consumed through years of governance failures, poor leadership decisions, internal betrayals, and policies that left bitter memories in the minds of many Oyo people.

Today, that same cow has returned, this time in the form of political karma. And it is chasing them. Interestingly, history can never forget the hardships they inflicted on the good people of Oyo state before the current administration came on board. Or should we all pretend that people have suddenly forgotten pre-2019 era of instability, disjointed leadership, inconsistent salaries, oppression and a governance style that fell short of the aspirations of the state.

Political memory may sometimes appear short, but where pain has been deeply felt, remembrance becomes permanent. This is the burden the APC carries into every political conversation about 2027. The challenge becomes even greater when placed side by side with the transformational governance that Governor Seyi Makinde has brought to the state.

When he assumed office in 2019, he inherited not just a state in need of development but people whose faith in purposeful leadership had been severely tested. His approach, restored confidence in governance and rekindled hope.

Through deliberate infrastructure development, economic expansion, agribusiness reforms, prudent financial management, security interventions, and a people-first style of administration, he has steadily rebuilt public trust in government. What once looked like impossible expectations have become measurable realities. That is why the political calculation for 2027 is not as simple as the opposition would like to imagine.

According to many public affairs analysts, APC is not only battling the consequences of its past in Oyo State; it is also carrying the heavy baggage of growing dissatisfaction with the governance style currently being witnessed at the federal level.

Across the country, economic hardship, policy inconsistencies, and widespread frustration have made the ruling party’s brand increasingly difficult to market.

For Oyo APC, this is an additional burden. It means they are being confronted by two cows at once. The first is the karma of their past governance in the State, while the second is the growing public frustration with the realities being experienced under their party at the center.

Both are chasing hard and no amount of political rebranding can erase those memories overnight. This is why the opposition’s permutations for 2027 often sound more like wishful thinking than grounded political reality.

The good people of Oyo state are wiser. They have seen the difference between governance that merely occupies office and governance that intentionally transforms lives. We have experienced what leadership with vision looks like under Governor Seyi Makinde. They understand what continuity means.

And when the time comes, their choice will align with the direction of progress already established.

The truth is simple, you cannot recklessly eat the cowhide of bad governance, forget the consequences, and then act surprised when the cow of accountability comes chasing. The memory is still fresh to permit a return to the governance of disappointment.

Oyo has been repositioned to a deserving status under the leadership of Governor Seyi Makinde. This is a political capital no opposition can easily overcome.

Deji Ola writes from the ancient city of Ibadan.