Two former governors of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja and Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala have commenced discussions that will lead to them forging an alliance towards the 2015 elections.
They were said to have met in London where they discussed issues relating to local and national politics. Alao-Akala who was already in London, played host to Ladoja who travelled on Sunday night, where they held their meetings behind closed doors.
Sources close to both politicians said that the meeting was a follow-up to several ones held behind closed-doors in Ibadan and Ladoja’s farm in Ogbomosho.
It was gathered that the sack of Accord Party members from the administration of the incumbent governor, Abiola Ajimobi came up for discussion, with Ladoja describing it as inconsequential and nothing to lose sleep over.
Ladoja was said to be preparing a reply to Governor Ajimobi’s letter in which he announced the disengagement of Accord Party’s members from his government.
They were said to have berated the administration over the non-conduct of council poll in the state almost two years after the governor was sworn in.
It was also learnt that the two ex-governors who reconciled shortly after the 2011 elections, have already struck an agreement towards the 2015 elections and begun strategizing towards it.
Alao-Akala has been speculated to be eyeing the Oyo North Senatorial ticket on the platform of the Accord Party in 2015, should he fail to get the ticket in the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).
A former close ally of Alao-Akala and only PDP Senator in the South-West region, Senator Hosea Agboola, is said to be nursing a second term in the Red Chamber in 2015.
While Ladoja is expected back in the country on Monday (tomorrow), Alao-Akala is expected to return later in the week.
Ladoja was elected in 2003 on the platform of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) with Alao-Akala as his deputy.
However, after he fell out with the then strongman of Oyo politics, late Chief Lamidi Adedibu, Ladoja was impeached in January 2006. The impeachment was later overturned by the Supreme Court, and he resumed office in December 2006. However, he failed to win the party’s nomination to run for a second term, which was given to Alao-Akala.
He thereafter floated his own party, the Accord Party and entered into an alliance with the incumbent governor, Ajimobi, until the sacking of his party members from the present administration two weeks ago.
Alao-Akala had lost his re-election bid in 2011 to Ajimobi, who is a member of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).