The political drums and songs towards the next electioneering year in 2023 are strategically being played. The political foot soldiers and the gladiators both are already buckling up, while the former has gone a little further by blowing the vuvuzela of the political ambition of their principals. On social media channels these days, posts, write-ups, and comments have started flooding the digital shrine, all hailing and strategically declaring their supports for numerous political heroes.
In Oyo state, as it is in other states of the federation, the political gladiators are strategically positioning themselves in the eyes of the public and their different political parties as competent candidates for various offices in 2023. However, of most significant political office in the pacesetter’s state with the juiciest cup, is the office of the governor and there are few contenders who might not have made a public declaration but whose political foot soldiers have taken the words out albeit strategically.
Follow me below and find out about these 3 politicians, whose eyes are on the juiciest office in Pacesetter’s state come 2023 and who would wish to unseat the incumbent Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde.
 Sen. Fatai Omotayo Buhari
Popularly called “omoluabi” “The workaholic lawmaker” a former House of Representatives member, Commissioner of Local Governments and Chieftaincy Matters, and currently a two-term senator representing Oyo North in the Red Chamber of the National Assembly. Sen. Fatai Omotayo Buhari is 56 years old,  an illustrious son of Ogbomoso and a chieftain of All Progressive Congress, and one parliamentarian whose impacts are felt across all the 13 Local Government Areas in the Oyo North Senatorial Districts in terms of notable constituent projects delivery. A political ally of the late Gov. Isiaka Ajumobi and a political bridge between the old politicians and the new breed of political gladiators.
His Strengths :
1. A performing senator, he has on good record to have done different impactful constituency projects in all the 13 different local government areas that he is representing at the Red Chamber of the National Assembly.
2. Strong popularity in Oyo North Senatorial District.
3. Seen as easily accessible by all and a gentleman to the core.
4. Solid educational background up to doctorate level and robust political experience in both executive and legislative arms.
5. Veteran politician i.e a former House of Representatives member, 2 times senator, a former commissioner.
6. Robust network with proximate political gladiators within and outside his party
6. Cordial relationship with major traditional rulers across the state
7. Has a positive national outlook as a party candidate and a likable personality.
8. Loved by youths across the state and courted by the old politicians. He is like a bridge between the old political generation and the new breed of politicians.
Weaknesses:
1. If the party observes agitation for power rotation by the Oke-Ogun axis, his ambition to govern Oyo State might have to wait.
2. Sen. Buhari needs to get overwhelming political support from Ibadan power brokers.
3.He will need solid coalesced political supports across all the 3 senatorial constituencies to make his ambition a reality and robust financial goodwill to finance his political dream.
 Sen. Teslim Folarin
He is a veteran parliamentarian, political science graduate, an astute strategist, and a former majority leader in the senate and 57 years old. The politician is also a titled chief in Ibadan, Mogaji of his family house, and Laguna Olubadan of Ibadan Land. A third term member of the upper chamber of the National Assembly and was a former PDP gubernatorial flag bearer in 2015 elections
Sen. Teslim’s Strengths
1. He has an appreciable political network across the major parties in Oyo State.
2. If supported by Ibadan political gladiators, his candidacy might be one that will give Makinde sleepless nights and a big run for his money.
3. He is a veteran parliamentarian with robust knowledge about the workings of the legislature.
4. Sen.Teslim has a high understanding of Oyo politics and being a student of Adedibu political school of thoughts, he has a thick skin for politics and has a deep understanding of party dynamism.
5. He is also educated and has an appreciable political exposure.
Weaknesses
1. He will need to convince his constituent members on the values, in terms of meaningful projects he has been able to impact his senatorial constituency as a current senator representing Oyo Central.
2.Teslim chances to have the broom party’s ticket as a possible governorship candidate is an oblivion.
3. His popularity and acceptability in other geopolitical axes of Oyo State are at a low ebb that cannot approximate to significant electoral victory at the moment, however, politics is dynamic.
4. When the electioneering period approaches, he might need to have a team of professional political communications strategists that are prepared for proactive damage control strategy for his image and also ready to put logical defense if his political opponents begin to open past political wounds against his choice as a candidate for the plum job.
5. To win his party ticket and thereafter, Sen. Teslim Folarin will need robust financial power and goodwill for his campaign.
Prof. Adeolu Akande
The man Adeolu Akande is a fellow with many parts, an astute administrator, a journalist, political scientist, political communicator per excellence, teacher of politics, politician, researcher, and a strategist to mention but a few. He is one of the great men to have come from the Oke-Ogun axis of Oyo State, precisely Akande originated from Otu, in Itesiwaju Local Government Area of Oyo State. He was the former Chief of Staff to the late ex-governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajumobi, and currently the executive chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission.
His Strengths
1. He is no doubt a sagacious candidate to beat, a sound academic, media communications guru, and policy researcher.
2. On the surface, his personality is enticing and has some untested but good attributes of a great political leader.
3. If Oke-Ogun Agenda scales through, he may be one of the illustrious sons from that axis that the political gladiators may consider.
4. Akande’s solid media relations and positive public perception may work in his favor.
Weaknesses
1. He will need more than a positive hype in the media to win. He needs a solid grassroots appeal across the state.
2. In achieving his ambition, a robust financial budget might help him approximate that dream to reality than his encyclopedic lexicon and comparative political theorems.
3.Prof. currently has a deficit of all centrifugal forces becoming centripetal support to actualize his ambition.
4. It’s believed in certain quarters that he might just be on political permutation to position himself for a better appointive office come 2023.
Engr Seyi Makinde
Popularly referred to as “audio governor” by his opponents. An astute businessman, sound engineer, and currently the only PDP governor in southwest Nigeria. GSM is a silent billionaire and a political gladiator who currently superintends on a stratified political party, PDP in Oyo State. The engineer turned politician is currently on his first term and whose 2019 electoral victory rode on the massive support of coalitions of other political parties and punitive electoral revolt against the person of the late Abiola Ajumobi, the former governor of Oyo State.
Strengths
1. Being the only PDP governor in the southwest, the national body of his party may give him all supports for a second term
2. Makinde besides being the incumbent, he is a successful businessman and has a robust financial muscle to finance his political dreams.
3.Currently enjoy cordial relationships with some traditional rulers in the state.
4.The civil servants in Pacesetter state currently have a smooth relationship with the governor, which may work in his favor if this trend continues.
5. Makinde’s age 53 years and his popularity among the youth may also be to his advantage.
Weaknesses
1. Makinde is superintending over a stratified party in Oyo State at the moment, with an acrimonious relationship, with some factions of PDP members, the other political parties that coalesced to ensure his victory in 2019. This may be a minus if the trend continues.
2. Currently enjoying dwindling political support in Ibarapa, Oke Ogun, Ogbomoso, Ibadan, Oyo, etc as a result of some residents of the aforementioned areas’ opinions that the governor’s action on herdsmen/farmers clashes and high state of insecurity that isn’t favorable to them.
3.Strong internal opposition from some PDP gladiators who felt betrayed, used and dumped, and waiting for a punitive revolt against him.
4.Growing political mobilization by the major opposition (APC)in the state and the high robust inter-party networking to garner supports against Makinde’s re-election.
5. Broken political relationships with former allies, associates, and political gladiators.
As 2023 beckons, we are on the lookout for where the pendulum will swing.
Femi Ojo is a PR / media communications professional based in Lagos, Nigeria.
