GOVERNOR Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, yesterday, reportedly dropped his Deputy, Engineer Rauf Olaniyan, as running mate in the 2023 general elections.
It was gathered that the current Chairman, State Housing Corporation, Mr. Bayo Lawal, has been picked as replacement.
There is a frosty relationship between Governor Makinde and his deputy, Olaniyan.
Informed government sources, however, told Vanguard that Lawal topped the list of other contenders.
It was further learned that Olaniyan has been sidelined by the governor and has not been relevant in the scheme of things in the state recently.
Investigations further revealed that Olaniyan was not in the know of all the arrangements and selection of candidates during the last People’s Democratic Party, PDP, primaries in the state.
He was conspicuously absent during the primaries.
Olaniyan, who recently spoke with newsmen, said the rumours surrounding his defection to another party were spreading like wildfire because he had stayed aloof.
