By Bimbo Adekanmbi Diaspora Alliance (BADA)
There has been a deliberate attempt in recent times to portray Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi as a political betrayer and to rewrite the history of his years in the administration of the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi. As the Bimbo Adekanmbi Diaspora Alliance (BADA), we believe political disagreements are part of democracy, but they should not become an excuse to distort facts or create narratives that do not correspond with the record. Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi served the Ajimobi administration in important capacities, first as Deputy Chief of Staff and later as Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Planning. These were positions of considerable responsibility, particularly during a period when governments across Nigeria were struggling with declining federal allocations, salary arrears and mounting financial obligations.
It is therefore important to put the issue of Oyo State’s finances in proper perspective. When Adekanmbi was Commissioner for Finance, the state, like many others, was confronted with serious fiscal pressures. Salary and pension obligations had accumulated, while federal revenues had fallen considerably. Adekanmbi was part of the government’s efforts to negotiate with labour and address these challenges, while also explaining the financial position of the state to the public. The administration subsequently benefited from federal interventions, including the Paris Club-related relief and bailout arrangements. To therefore reduce the entire financial history of that period to the actions of one individual is not only unfair but an oversimplification of a much more complicated economic situation.
Another claim that deserves to be addressed is the suggestion that Adekanmbi secretly worked for the opposition towards the end of the Ajimobi administration and deliberately weakened the government’s finances to favour Governor Seyi Makinde. This narrative simply does not stand up to the political timeline. Adekanmbi remained a member of the Ajimobi administration until the end of the tenure and was publicly associated with the political activities of the administration. Indeed, in 2019, he was still being mentioned among prominent members of the Ajimobi political family and was himself considered within the APC’s political calculations. Even after the 2019 election, Adekanmbi publicly challenged claims made by the new administration concerning the financial position inherited from Ajimobi. That action hardly fits the picture of someone who had secretly worked to undermine the government he was serving.
For BADA, disagreement with a person’s political choices should not be confused with betrayal. Adekanmbi’s political journey has evolved over the years, as is the case with many politicians in Nigeria. What remains clear is that he accepted Ajimobi’s invitation to return to Nigeria and serve his administration, worked within that government for eight years, and carried significant responsibilities during some of the state’s most difficult financial periods. Whether one agrees with every decision taken by the Ajimobi administration is a legitimate political question. But attaching every economic difficulty experienced by Oyo State during that period to one commissioner does not provide the public with an honest understanding of what happened.
BADA believes that the 2027 political conversation should be driven by facts, competence, ideas and a clear understanding of Oyo State’s past and future. Political opponents are entitled to criticise Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi, just as supporters are entitled to defend his record. What should not be encouraged, however, is the use of historical distortions and unsubstantiated allegations to create a convenient political narrative. The people of Oyo State deserve a debate based on what candidates have done, what they stand for and what they intend to offer the state, not a rewriting of history for political convenience.
