Folarin had repeatedly expressed confidence in his ability to defeat Makinde at the polls, while his campaign organisation was reportedly working on a range of political strategies aimed at strengthening the APC’s chances across the state.
A prominent member of Folarin’s campaign team told City People at the time that the campaign was exploring various political options within the law in its effort to secure victory.
“We are exploring every available opportunity within the provision of constitution to achieve positive results come 2023,” the campaign source said.
Door-to-Door Campaign
One of the major strategies reportedly adopted by the Folarin campaign was an extensive grassroots mobilisation programme.
Members of his campaign team had begun visiting different local government areas and political zones across Oyo State, while party structures in the various communities were being encouraged to engage voters directly.
The strategy was aimed at taking the campaign beyond large rallies and political gatherings by allowing party leaders and supporters to establish one-on-one relationships with voters in their communities.
Another strategy being considered, according to sources close to the campaign, was the possibility of a broader political alliance involving opposition parties and politicians dissatisfied with the Makinde administration.
Such an arrangement would have echoed the political coalition that helped Makinde secure victory in the 2019 governorship election.
Ahead of the 2019 election, an alliance involving the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP) helped consolidate support behind Makinde.
By the time the 2023 election approached, however, that political arrangement had changed significantly.
Opposition Sees Opportunity in PDP Division
Several prominent figures associated with the 2019 coalition had moved into different political camps.
Among them were Senator Femi Lanlehin and Senator Sharafadeen Alli, who had joined the APC, while divisions had also emerged within the Oyo State PDP.
Some PDP chieftains who had previously worked with the party were no longer politically aligned with Governor Makinde.
Those mentioned at the time included former Deputy Governor Hazeem Gbolarumi, engineer Femi Babalola, Alhaji Nureni Akanbi, Mogaji Ile’ba, Hon. Muraina Ajibola, Hon. Mulikat Adeola-Akande and Alhaji Adebisi Olopoeyan.
While some of the aggrieved politicians remained within the PDP while operating with opposing tendencies, Olopoeyan had moved to the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
The developments provided the Folarin camp with what it viewed as an opportunity to build a broader opposition platform ahead of the election.
Sources close to the campaign said discussions were already taking place in some political circles over the possibility of forming a new coalition that could challenge the incumbent administration.
Olaniyan Factor
Another issue that featured in political calculations at the time was the removal of Raufu Olaniyan as Deputy Governor of Oyo State.
Olaniyan, who hailed from Igboho in Oke-Ogun, had fallen out with Governor Makinde and was eventually removed from office following impeachment proceedings over allegations of gross misconduct.
He subsequently joined the APC.
Although Makinde replaced him with another Oke-Ogun politician, Bayo Lawal, some APC supporters believed Olaniyan’s removal could become an issue in the 2023 campaign, particularly in the Oke-Ogun area.
The Folarin camp was therefore expected to make political capital out of the development as part of its wider campaign against the incumbent administration.
Folarin’s Political Record
Beyond opposition politics, Folarin’s campaign was also expected to rely heavily on his political experience and record of representation.
His supporters presented his political antecedents, experience and grassroots relationships as some of his major advantages in the governorship race.
Folarin first won election to the Senate to represent Oyo Central Senatorial District in 2003 at the age of 39 on the platform of the PDP.
He was re-elected in 2007 and subsequently served as Senate Leader.
After leaving the PDP for the APC in 2017, Folarin returned to the Senate in 2019 on the platform of the APC, making it his third stint as a senator.
He had previously contested the Oyo State governorship election in 2015 as the PDP candidate but lost to the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi of the APC.
Empowerment and Constituency Projects
Within the Oyo APC, Folarin had increasingly emerged as one of the prominent political figures in the party following the death of former Governor Ajimobi.
His supporters pointed to his constituency interventions, empowerment initiatives and efforts to facilitate federal projects and employment opportunities as part of his credentials for the governorship race.
Among the initiatives highlighted by his camp was the distribution of more than 10,000 chickens to residents during the Christmas period, alongside the distribution of food items such as rice and vegetable oil.
Folarin had also nominated about 200 vulnerable women from Oyo State for a ₦20,000 cash grant under a Federal Government social intervention programme administered through the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.
His supporters also cited various projects and employment opportunities facilitated through federal institutions as evidence of his contribution to the state.
One of the major projects associated with him was a multi-million-naira Information and Communication Technology centre at the University of Ibadan’s Ajibode area.
At the time, the facility was scheduled for commissioning in January, with then-President Muhammadu Buhari expected to perform the commissioning.
Another project cited was a 200-bed hospital in Ona-Ara Local Government Area, which was expected to be managed by the University College Hospital, Ibadan.
Folarin’s camp also pointed to employment opportunities and placements facilitated for Oyo indigenes in institutions including the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Federal College of Education, the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies and the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The Road to 2023
With the election drawing closer, Folarin’s strategy appeared to combine grassroots mobilisation, opposition realignment, political alliances and the presentation of his record as a legislator.
For the APC candidate and his supporters, the objective was to convert dissatisfaction within parts of the opposition and the electorate into a broad political movement capable of challenging Makinde’s re-election bid.
Whether those strategies would be enough to defeat the incumbent, however, remained a question that could only be answered by the electorate at the 2023 governorship election.
0 Comments