OYO: APC Guber Hopeful, Mogaji Tegbe Decamps to PDP, Picks Senatorial Ticket
OYO: APC Guber Hopeful, Mogaji Tegbe Decamps to PDP, Picks Senatorial Ticket.
Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo State, has netted a big fish, his biggest in close to three years in office. The crisis in the All Progressives Congress, APC, claimed its first casualty casualty; it has lost an influential member, OYOINSIGHT.COM exclusively reported.
Joseph Tegbe, Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU-trained engineer, management consultant, tax advisor and senior partner and head, technology advisory and markets for KPMG in Nigeria, is no longer a member of the opposition party in the state.
Like a typical Ibadanman, he will move from Ibadan South East in Oyo South to his village in Ona-Ara local government in Oyo central senatorial district.
The deal was sealed late Tuesday night, after months of intense pressure, a source close to those who secured the ‘transfer’ told the newspaper.
Tegbe, who became popular after running a less than four months campaign in 2018 until the APC settled for Bayo Adelabu as its governorship candidate, has been pencilled down as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate for Oyo central senatorial district, edging out Bisi Ilaka, Makinde’s former chief of staff, who had initially been considered for the ticket.
Monsurat Sunmonu, Tegbe’s ‘big sister’ while growing up in Oyo town where the latter’s father owned a bookshop, was at the centre of the deal.
”APC hasn’t treated him very though I am not happy with his movement. Engr Tegbe has a lot of followers. It will definitely affect our party,” another top stalwart of Tegbe’s former party said.
”That chief of staff position really affected Chief Bisi Ilaka. Before then, he was loved in Oyo, where he had a solid political base but everything went with the position. I pity him but it is what it is. He has contested more than twice,” said a PDP stalwart.
Asked for reaction, a top aide of Tegbe who pleaded anonymity, confirmed the news reports to this Newspaper, Africano Trumpeters as true. When contacted another Mogaji Tegbe’s close aide, he maintained that he has meeting with Mogaji today and he will get back to this reporter after the meeting.
”He wouldn’t want it in the media for now. He was pressured. Sen. Monsurat was on his neck. He initially rejected it but the former lawmaker wouldn’t leave him. He has relationship with the governor too. They have met on several occasions,” said another aide.
