In Oyo State, it is always easy to project political swings based on the ‘temperature’ in town. Ahead of the 2011 and 2015 presidential elections, Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari were the names in town, and it was no surprise they won the elections. Ahead of Saturday’s governorship election, it is incontestable that the name in town is Seyi Makinde, just like the name in town was Bola Tinubu two weeks ago. If in doubt, take a ride in a tricycle, a taxi or a motorbike. Indeed, the fervor among the electorate regarding the re-election of Makinde as governor of the Pacesetter State is so electric that you wonder if other candidates are in the race. The interesting thing is that some of the other candidates who are huffing and puffing at the prospects of certain defeat on Saturday actually have a future to dream about, provided that they do not derail themselves through inappropriate conduct and go into political oblivion. They know that Makinde will be re-elected.
If, according to media reports, ahead of Saturday’s election, the camp of the main opposition in the state is in disarray as some support groups of the president-elect have thrown their weight behind Makinde’s re-election bid, it is simply because the Oyo people know who their next governor is. And it is the man who currently calls the shots in Agodi. No matter the antics of the opposition, they will never dislodge a record-setting, methodical, humble and humane leader who has taken the people out of the morass of despondency into hope and glow.
