Marine minister, Gboyega Oyetola has returned to Abuja after a failed one week drive to mobilise support for the governorship candidate of his party, the APC.
The insider report indicated that the minister had last week hosted several opinion leaders from key towns in Osun state in company of his inner caucus, former speaker Owoeye, Remi Omowaiye, Sunday Akere, Adeleke Banik and the candidate himself, Bola Oyebamiji.
The outcome of the engagement was reported to be very negative as opinion leaders from Ile Ife, Osogbo, Iwo, Ikirun, Ila Orangun and Ilesa reportedly told the minister it is difficult to work against Governor Adeleke in their respective communities.
Some of the opinion leaders which included leading clerics were said to have told the minister that their own town people have taken positions on the gubernatorial election with Adeleke as their preferred choice.
The invited leaders were said to have told the minister that the ongoing and completed projects in their domains have kind public opinion in favour of the incumbent, affirming that it would be dragging on to their own reputations to oppose the governors in their towns.
Some traditional rulers who were paid by the Yes/No Chairmen and were also invited for the consultations reportedly told the minister they cannot even confess to have been paid, citing the deep anti-APC sentiments across the state.
The source who revealed the secret consultations confessed that the worst encounter Mr Oyetola had was with the opinion leaders from Iwo, Osogbo and Ile Ife.
“ Iwo people openly told Baba they had committed to Adeleke since early 2025. The Osogbo people told him the capital is indebted to Adeleke. The Ile Ife people were even worse in their rebuke of AMBO candidacy. The consultation was a huge failure. Baba has returned to Abuja”, the source noted.
