THE succession battle in Oyo State has become a high-wired political drama with all the major contenders going for one another’s jugular in a bid to influence who takes over from Governor Seyi Makinde in next year’s governorship election. At the heart of the roforofo fight is the incumbent Governor himself, Makinde, who is determined in having a say in who takes over from him in 2027. In doing so, he is bent on single-handedly choosing who becomes the gubernatorial candidate in his now almost dead People’s Democratic Party (PDP), as well as having an input in the rival All Progressives Congress (APC).
Those bent on ensuring that he has no such power and influence in both parties include his former friend turned foe, Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. Wike is being ably assisted by the former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose. The wife of a former governor in the state, Abiola Ajimobi, Mrs. Florence Ajimobi, is also very much interested in having a say on who becomes the next Governor of the state. Again, the Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, is also another powerful name that is equally interested in having a say in the governorship rumble.
When ambition and interest of powerful individuals collide, especially in partisan politics, there is bound to be conflicts and intrigues. That is what is presently playing out in the Pacesetter State.
Just last year, and while speaking at the 11th Omititun Annual Ramadan Lecture, Makinde told his audience that he would unveil his preferred candidate for the PDP governorship race by January this year. The Governor has repeatedly said that he will play a key role in choosing the party’s candidate. By March, 2026, instead of naming the person after his heart, Makinde came up with the qualities he is looking for in his preferred candidate. However, at the 12th Omituntun Annual Ramadan Public Lecture in 2026, Makinde, again, flipped the conversation. Instead of naming his successor as promised, he said that party members and residents would have to wait a little longer.
According to him, his successor will be chosen based on competence and loyalty to Oyo State, not personal allegiance. He emphasised that loyalty to the state is crucial, citing examples of past leaders who faced challenges after installing successors who weren’t loyal to the state.
What he is not telling the people is that the PDP has been crippled by the internal disagreements between Wike on one hand, and Makinde, alongside Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state on the other, as the only Governors left in the party. In the lead-up to the 2023 general election, the party had 12 governors, but after the 2023 general election, PDP produced just nine Governors. These states included Akwa-Ibom, Bauchi, Delta, Oyo, Plateau, Taraba, Rivers, Zamfara, and Enugu. The internal crisis which split the party into two led to the defection of many of the Governors to the ruling APC.
Though a close ally of Wike, as he was part of the five PDP Governors that worked against the party in 2023, Makinde has distanced himself from Wike, who has also vowed to pay close attention to who succeeds him as Governor.
The high-wired politics of the state took an ugly turn when Makinde chose to crown three Ibadan High Chiefs as Obas. Ordinarily, that should be good news to those concerned, as they were due for the promotion after the death of the 43rd Olubadan, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin and the enthronement of Oba Ladoja. The affected chiefs are Sharafadeen Alli, Akeem Bolaji Adewoyin, and Oyekola Babalola. The trio notified the State Government that they would not be able to attend the scheduled ceremony and sought a new date, preferably after the gubernatorial primaries of political parties.
But Makinde would hear none of that, and went ahead to crown the Obas in their absence. In taking that unconventional stance, Makinde was bent on simply stopping Sharafadeen Alli from becoming his successor next year. Alli is a prominent aspirant in the APC. Once crowned as an Oba in Ibadan, he can no longer partake in partisan politics according to the State’s Oba and Chieftaincy Law. Although the Nigerian constitution does not give room for such, as there are several traditional rulers that have been elected and sworn into political offices in the past, that of Oyo State is unique.
In their absence, Alli was conferred with the title of Ekaarun Balogun of Ibadanland, while Adewoyin and Babalola were installed as Ekeerin Balogun and Ekaarun Olubadan of Ibadanland respectively.
The development has since provoked widespread debate amongst legal practitioners, scholars, and traditional authorities, centring on whether a traditional ruler can be validly installed in absentia under Nigerian Law. On the day the three Obas were installed, the Olubadan also stayed away from the venue after informing Makinde that the three chiefs had written to him that they would not be part of the process. That development angered Makinde, who, Fayose alleged, began contemplating his dethronement.
The former Governor wrote on social media that: “I heard reliably that Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State is plotting the removal of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja. The plot is to commence this week, with Government Query to be issued against the Olubadan, citing his absence at the failed coronation of High Chiefs in Ibadanland two weeks ago, amidst other allegations. As for us, we will be watching the Sìgìdì of Seyi Makinde tó fẹ́ se eré ẹ̀tẹ́…”
Both Makinde and Ladoja immediately denied any dethronement plot, but few days later, Fayose was in Ibadan to meet Oba Ladoja, with whom he held a closed-door meeting. At the end of the meeting, he confirmed to the media that the plan to dethrone Olubadan was real.
Prior to Fayose’s visit to the Olubadan, there was another rumbling on the floor of the Oyo State House of Assembly when the Speaker and some members were alleged to be planning an impeachment move against Makinde, and that they were been sponsored by Olubadan and Ajimobi’s widow- Florence.
However, Oba Rashidi Ladoja has denied any involvement, describing the allegation as false, misleading, and capable of causing unnecessary tension in the state. In a statement issued by his media aide, Chief Adeola Oloko, the monarch warned against dragging the revered Olubadan throne into political disputes, stressing that such claims were illogical and unfounded. He noted that it was constitutionally impossible for a traditional ruler to remove a sitting Governor, adding that even a Local Government Chairman could not be impeached by any traditional authority. Ladoja reaffirmed his commitment to preserving the dignity of the traditional institution and urged political actors to desist from involving the throne in partisan controversies.
Similarly, Dr. Florence Ajimobi, in a statement issued by her media office, dismissed the allegations as “entirely false, baseless, and a deliberate act of disinformation” aimed at tarnishing her image and misleading the public. She denied ever hosting, attending, or participating in any meeting—whether in Lagos or elsewhere —where discussions on impeachment or destabilisation of the Oyo State Government were allegedly held. “At no time did Ambassador Ajimobi convene or participate in any such meeting,” the statement read, adding that the claims were “malicious political propaganda” intended to damage her reputation, particularly amongst the people of Oyo State.
Since the demise of her husband, Mrs. Ajimobi has become a formidable force in Oyo State politics as she has picked up considerable power and influence. Nobody gets anything in the state without her influence, following her ‘inheritance’ of the political structure of her late husband. This fact was further demonstrated when President Bola Tinubu appointed her as Ambassador to Austria. It is a well-known fact in Oyo’s political circle that ‘’Mama ni interest” (loosely meaning Mama has interest in whatever political gains that is being doled out).
However, the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Adebo Ogundoyin, confirmed that he was indeed, approached with a monetary inducement but he categorically rejected it. Dismissing claims that he received funds from APC-linked proxies to facilitate impeachment moves, the Speaker described the allegation as false, misleading, and politically motivated.
“I was offered monetary inducement, but I declined without hesitation, because no amount of money can buy my conscience or compromise my loyalty to the Governor, the party, and the people we were elected to serve. I remain fully committed to upholding the integrity of this House and will not be part of any agenda aimed at destabilising the government,” he added.
Who are those offering him money to impeach Makinde? He wasn’t bold enough to name names.
Now, Sharafadeen Alli is being positioned as the APC consensus candidate in Oyo. Alli, a former Secretary to the State Government (SSG) under Rashidi Ladoja, has long been regarded as a strategic force within his political camp.
On the side of the APC, Teslim Folarin continues to stand out as a key figure. A former Senator and the party’s candidate in the last governorship election, Folarin has sustained political relevance through youth empowerment initiatives and social intervention programmes. He also serves as an ambassador of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
Another high-profile name is Adebayo Adelabu, the current Minister of Power. However, recent developments suggest that Adelabu may be retreating from his governorship ambition. With President Tinubu’s directive that any cabinet member seeking elective office must resign, Adelabu appears to have recognised the political realities ahead.
There are indications that he may no longer be willing to relinquish his ministerial position; a move widely interpreted as an acknowledgment that his gubernatorial ambition may have hit a significant roadblock.
Not to be overlooked is Taofeek Arapaja of the PDP, who possesses deep political roots and enduring influence capable of shaping the direction of the race as alliances begin to crystalize.
Within the PDP, is Adedeji Stanley Olajide, popularly known as Odidiomo, who has emerged as a prominent contender. As a serving member of the House of Representatives representing Ibadan-North and Ibadan South-West Federal Constituency, Olajide has built a reputation as a grassroots politician with a modern, technology-driven governance outlook.
His growing popularity, particularly within Ibadan, coupled with his international exposure, places him in a competitive position within the PDP. Also in the PDP is Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, a former governorship candidate in Ogun State, who has openly declared his ambition to govern Oyo State.
Ajadi has anchored his aspiration on administrative experience and a commitment to accelerating development, though questions remain regarding the depth of his political structure within Oyo state.
With May 31st set for all the political parties to pick their candidates for all the elective offices by INEC fast approaching, it remains to be seen how Makinde intends to pull the strings in both the PDP and APC. Political watchers are saying that the PDP is dead and buried and that Makinde may be forced to pitch his tent in other political parties, especially the ADC.
Be that as it may, the rumblings and cold political permutations on who will take over from him next year continues.
See you next week.
- Akintunde is the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Glittersonline newspaper. His syndicated column, Monday Discourse, appears on News Point Nigeria newspaper on Monday.