Governor Seyi Makinde is reported to have declared that the deceased wife, Zenab should be given the ticket to contest for the bye-election after he paid a condolence visit to the late lawmaker’s family, according to Ibadan-based Mega Icon Magazine. Per INEC's guidelines, a rerun election must be conducted within ninety days (90 ) after a particular seat has become vacant. The magazine said the governor was only waiting for the late lawmaker to be buried before he makes public his choice.
Reports earlier said the late lawmaker had fallen ill before the conduct of the state house of assembly primary a few weeks back, and that he was even advised not to recontest due to his poor health, but insisted that he would be fine. In some quarters, the Governor was blamed to have paid less attention to requests made by colleagues of the late lawmaker for him to support the sick Popoola to be flown abroad for treatment.
Meanwhile, the development has generated mixed reactions already among the ranks of the PDP, in Ibadan South/East Constituency. The governor’s decision to back the deceased lawmaker’s wife to fly the party’s ticket in the bye-election does not go well with some stakeholders who were already eyeing the seat. Late Hon. Popoola aged 46, is billed to be buried on Wednesday, July 27 in Ibadan.