The feud between Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and the leader of the New Nigerian People’s Party in the South-West, Alhaji Bisi Abdulrasheed, also known as Olopoeyan, has ended. Before the two fell apart, Olopoeyan, played a major role that ensured the victory of Makinde for his first term in office in 2019 but the duo fell apart due to irreconcilable differences and misunderstanding after the election, which led to Olopoeyan’s defection from the PDP to the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP.
Even before he emerged winner of the 2019 election as a PDP candidate, Olopoeyan had played a major role in Makinde’s political career. Makinde had left the PDP for the Social Democratic Party, SDP, after losing his bid to become the governor of Oyo State in 2012. He became tired of politics and defected to another party, however, Olopoeyan single-handedly brought him back to the PDP in May 2015. They had a meeting in London shortly after he lost the governorship election on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Olopoeyan promised to help him if he should return to the party. People accused Olopoeyan of engaging in anti-party activities then because he was hobnobbing with Makinde just to ensure he returned to the party. His alliance with Makinde almost landed him a suspension from the party then but he ignored all and ensured he helped Makinde attain his political dream.
However, after his victory at the polls, Makinde turned his back on Olopoeyan and failed to compensate him for his efforts. The people who worked with Olopoeyan for Makinde’s victory were also neglected. Olopoeyan angrily left the party and decamped to the NNPP while making his grievances known to the governor. However, their enmity is now in the past as Babatunde Oduyoye, a political adviser to Makinde brokered peace between the two while trying to persuade Olopoeyan to return to the PDP. Oduyoye organised a reconciliatory meeting between the two warring parties and they all left the venue smiling. After the meeting, Olopoeyan wrote a congratulatory message to Makinde. He also visited him at his residence just to show that all is now well between the two. While making comments about the development, Olopoeyan stated that the development and progress of Oyo State overrides every other interest whether politics or personal, which is why they both decided to sheathe their swords.
