Makinde drops deputy, picks new running mate for 2023

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has dumped Rauf Olaniyan, his deputy, ahead of the 2023 governorship election in the state.

The governor settled for Bayo Lawal, a former attorney-general in the state, as his running mate for the next election.

There has been a reported rift between the governor and his deputy for more than a year, with leaders in the deputy’s camp accusing Makinde of breaching an agreement made before the last election that brought them in.

They also alleged that Makinde did not involve Olaniyan in the affairs of the state.

Olaniyan was a governorship aspirant in the African Democratic Congress before the party entered into an alliance with the Peoples Democratic Party ahead of the 2019 election.

It was reportedly agreed that Olaniyan would drop his governorship ambition and become the running mate to Makinde.

There were also reports that the deputy governor planned to leave the PDP but he recently debunked the rumours, stating that he would remain in the party.

Lawal, Makinde’s new running mate, is from Kishi in the Irepo Local Government Area of the state.

He served as the state attorney-general in the administration of the late Lam Adesina and the executive chairman of Oyo state housing corporation under Makinde.