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Hazeem Gbolarumi, a
governorship candidate and former aide to late strongman of Ibadan
politics, Lamidi Adedibu, has accused the state governor, Adebayo
Alao-Akala, of failing the people of the state by the policies of his
administration.

Mr. Gbolarumi, in a
letter sent to the governor to inform him of his ambition to succeed
him in 2011, said Mr. Alao-Akala has betrayed the trust he had in his
ability to transform the state.

“Permit me to say that a political career is a call to service,” he said.

“It affords one the
opportunity to attend to the needs of a wide range of people that
include the needy and the privileged. This is the cause I have pledged
my life to, and which I hope to devote my years on this earth.

“The dream of Oyo
State that I have will become a reality only when I am positioned to
bring about those changes that will lead to positive transformation.
This, I have at some point in time, thought could be achieved with you,
but the realities of the last four years have proved me wrong,” he
said.

In a bid to put a
lie to the claims of the state’s leadership of the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) that only the incumbent governor has indicated interest to
run for the governorship post in the 2011 elections, Mr. Gbolarumi told
journalists in Ibadan on Wednesday that he had picked a form at the
party’s national secretariat and had sought the support of the state
governor on his ambition.

The challenger was
the deputy governor of the state during the 11 months stint of
Alao-Akala as the state governor when former governor, Rashidi Ladoja,
was said by the courts to have been illegally impeached in 2006.

The two were also
among the close associates of the late Adedibu, but since the demise of
their political godfather, they have split into different groups to
further their political interest.

The gulf became
apparent as the presidential race hots up. Alao-Akala has expressed his
support for President Goodluck Jonathan, while Gbolarumi is the Oyo
State coordinator of the Ibrahim Babangida 2011 presidential campaign
organisation.

Opposed to return

By his declaration,
Mr. Gbolarumi seems to have joined the league of the state’s PDP
faction, who are contesting for the gubernatorial seat in 2011.

Mr. Gbolarumi made available to journalists copies of his letter to the governor.

Dated October 5,
the letter read in parts: “The letter, I must say, is an outcome of a
deep reflection on the great moments we shared, the political family we
belonged, and the beautiful Oyo State we both envisioned. Having come
along this far, and by virtue of your position as the leader of our
political party in Oyo State, I then, consider it a duty to notify you
of any decision and step taken in respect of my career goals.”

He went further to
remind the governor of the relationship between them and how they had
worked together to envision a new Oyo State.