I have personally chosen to be silent over issues of politicking going on in Ondo state due to some reservations over the integrity and sincerity of some the stakeholders involved.
For so many ignorant Ondo indigenes, they have allowed rival interest groups to split them apart from focusing on pertinent issues of governance in the state to sen
timental endorsements
of candidates.
The keen watchers of Yoruba politics would agree with me that since the advent of democracy in 1999, the Yorubas united against the dominance of perceived Northern control of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) to massively vote for the Alliance for Democracy (AD) into power. The then governors included Segun Osoba of Ogun state, Bola Tinubu of Lagos state, Lam Adeshina of Oyo state, Adefarati of Ondo state, Niyi Adebayo of Ekiti and Bisi Akande of Osun state.
Their emergence was not primarily based on tested quality of governance but sympathetic dispositions based on the struggle and travails of the battles for the enthronment of a democratic Nigeria.
Unknown to many, things started falling apart from the 1999 regional and National election when the Late Chief Bola Ige was believed to have been betrayed by some elders of Afenifere whose choice of Chief Olu Falae as Presidential flag bearer of the AD caused things to fall apart. The yoruba proverb that says "Tí ògiri ò bá lanu, aláǹgbá ò lè ráyè wọ / If there aren't crevices in the wall, the lizard can't penetrate into it. [Effects follow causes]" is apt in this case of unfortunate leadership tussle of the Yorubas and the war within.
The fall out of this choice by the leaders of AD and Afenifere at the D'Rovans hotel, Ibadan, Oyo state possibly prompted Late Bola Ige to pick up a Ministerial appointment under the Olusegun Obasanjo led PDP government against the ideological belief of the Afenifere and AD not to participate in mainstream politics.
The late Bola Ige defended his position firmly and said the leadership of Afenifere and AD were informed before he accepted the Ministerial appointment to serve. Apart from his defense, rumors had it that Bola Ige accepted the offer to prove a point to the Afenifere leadership in case of future consideration to contest for President.
We were made to believe that Chief Olu Falae was picked ahead of Bola Ige because he had served at the Federal level of government which was considered to be of superior experience than Bola Ige's. Don't forget that Olu Falae was a Minister of Finance and one time Secretary to the government of the federation while Bola Ige was a one time governor of the old Oyo state and Deputy National leader of Afenifere.
The leaders of Afenifere then had younger lieutenants with both sympathetic and ideological followership. The bulk of the then AD governors and some Afenifere members believed in Bola Ige's ideology while some other members, whose interest could be traced to personal ambition sought succor in the hands of willing Afenifere leaders whose ambitions were vested in the quest to truncate the political power base of Bola Ige and cohort.
Towards the end of the Obasanjo's first term in office, Bola Ige tendered his resignation letter in order to focus on the election in the south west, unfortunately, his life was cut short by yet to be identified assassins. The firm leadership gap was exposed, tussle for leadership began while lieutenants and rivals resolved to vendetta and deadly politicking.
The PDP took advantage of the fall out and romanced with the bulk of vendetta seeking former AD loyalist that included Gbenga Daniel of Ogun, Iyiola Omisore of Osun, Segun Agagu and Segun Mimiko of Ondo not forgetting late Funso Williams of Lagos amongst lots of other interest groups, to hijack the power base of the south west except for Lagos state which was firmly protected by Bola Ahmed Tinubu who was then popularly referred to as "the Last man Standing".
Lagos state became the power base for the progressives and Bola Tinubu became the leader of the fold to the irritation of some elders of the Afenifere group and some political rivals both at the federal and regional levels. The perception that they had lost the AD's control to a Bola Ige's lieutenant made some leaders take the leadership battle of control to Afenifere which was unfortunately made vacant by the demise of its erstwhile leader Papa Abraham Adesanya.
Bola Tinubu did not waste time to take advantage of the moment to exert his authority. He courageously recruited young vibrant lieutenants and mobilized them for the 2007and 2011 elections.
While every Yoruba man has continued to praise the lasting legacies left by the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo for his exemplary positive impact on the socio-economic and political life of the geo-political zone, there has been serious castigation of Tinubu by some rival critics who believe he has turned the ACN to a personal venture without party democracy.
Some analyst have maintained however that the ACN structure and practice is found in a model seen in the famed Obafemi Awolowo's recruitment and presentations of the former outstanding south west Governors of the early 80s in Bisi Onabanjo of Ogun state, Lateef Jakande of Lagos, Adekunle Ajasin of old Ondo, Bola Ige of old Oyo and Olawoyin of Kwara states (all of blessed memory except Lateef Jakande) to political limelight.
Bola Tinubu therefore is praised for following the same steps of Papa Awolowo in the discovery and presentation of quality minds like Ibikunle Amosun of Lagos, Raji Fashola of Lagos, Rauf Aregbeshola of Osun, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, Adams Oshiomhole of Edo and Ajimobi of Oyo states.
Now, today 20th of October, 2012, the battle ground is in Ondo state where Akeredolu (SAN) is expected to be elected to join the fold of the ACN governed states.
The bickering over Ondo is basically believed to be the betrayal of Olusegun Mimiko who is regarded as an inconsistent politician that can not be trusted. This assertion may be true based on his political antecedent since 1999.
Olusegun Mimiko served with former Governor Adefarasin of Ondo under AD in 1999, he later defected and served with former Governor Segun Agagu of the PDP as a commissioner, he left Agagu and joined Obasanjo at the Federal level as a Minister when the home front was not becoming favorable for his personal ambition.
He defected from the PDP to join the Labour party in order to realize his ambition. His election was massively rigged by the PDP led government of Ondo state and he went to the tribunal to challenge the results of the election. Feelers have it that he received financial back up from the Bola Tinubu led ACN with a strong team of lawyers led by his rival Akeredolu. He reclaimed his mandate and the likes of Bola Tinubu attended his inauguration, a possible confirmation of the said financial support. Rumor has it that the crisis started when Olusegun Mimiko reneged on his promise to join ACN as expected in order to produce a formidable region.
Keen watchers of our political development would agree on the whole that the odyssey of our political journey since 1999 has been of a very sad pathetic evolution. Selfish interest had beclouded the genuine sense of governance, sentimental dispositions of electorates had robbed off sense of reasoning for quality, biased assertions had destroyed needed developmental programmes and ignorant positions had fazed out ideological discourse of issues on collective responsibility for regional growth.
Some of the Yoruba youth are plagued with eternal "siddon look attitude" yet many complain incessantly about poor state of socio-economic problems.
Those who speak for or against the leadership of Bola Tinubu may have their basis but we must, in my opinion give kudos to the man referred to as the "Jagaban" for leading a revolution that delivered our political culture from external and destructive forces. A political landscape can't survive without a culture and norm.
The bulk however rest with the electorates of Ondo state to choose quality over sentimental and deceptive dispositions.
Ondo will be great if they carefully choose a capable leader.
Odusote Oluwakayode
20th October, 2012
Note: watch out for my article on "Awoism and the Awoist"
The keen watchers of Yoruba politics would agree with me that since the advent of democracy in 1999, the Yorubas united against the dominance of perceived Northern control of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) to massively vote for the Alliance for Democracy (AD) into power. The then governors included Segun Osoba of Ogun state, Bola Tinubu of Lagos state, Lam Adeshina of Oyo state, Adefarati of Ondo state, Niyi Adebayo of Ekiti and Bisi Akande of Osun state.
Their emergence was not primarily based on tested quality of governance but sympathetic dispositions based on the struggle and travails of the battles for the enthronment of a democratic Nigeria.
Unknown to many, things started falling apart from the 1999 regional and National election when the Late Chief Bola Ige was believed to have been betrayed by some elders of Afenifere whose choice of Chief Olu Falae as Presidential flag bearer of the AD caused things to fall apart. The yoruba proverb that says "Tí ògiri ò bá lanu, aláǹgbá ò lè ráyè wọ / If there aren't crevices in the wall, the lizard can't penetrate into it. [Effects follow causes]" is apt in this case of unfortunate leadership tussle of the Yorubas and the war within.
The fall out of this choice by the leaders of AD and Afenifere at the D'Rovans hotel, Ibadan, Oyo state possibly prompted Late Bola Ige to pick up a Ministerial appointment under the Olusegun Obasanjo led PDP government against the ideological belief of the Afenifere and AD not to participate in mainstream politics.
The late Bola Ige defended his position firmly and said the leadership of Afenifere and AD were informed before he accepted the Ministerial appointment to serve. Apart from his defense, rumors had it that Bola Ige accepted the offer to prove a point to the Afenifere leadership in case of future consideration to contest for President.
We were made to believe that Chief Olu Falae was picked ahead of Bola Ige because he had served at the Federal level of government which was considered to be of superior experience than Bola Ige's. Don't forget that Olu Falae was a Minister of Finance and one time Secretary to the government of the federation while Bola Ige was a one time governor of the old Oyo state and Deputy National leader of Afenifere.
The leaders of Afenifere then had younger lieutenants with both sympathetic and ideological followership. The bulk of the then AD governors and some Afenifere members believed in Bola Ige's ideology while some other members, whose interest could be traced to personal ambition sought succor in the hands of willing Afenifere leaders whose ambitions were vested in the quest to truncate the political power base of Bola Ige and cohort.
Towards the end of the Obasanjo's first term in office, Bola Ige tendered his resignation letter in order to focus on the election in the south west, unfortunately, his life was cut short by yet to be identified assassins. The firm leadership gap was exposed, tussle for leadership began while lieutenants and rivals resolved to vendetta and deadly politicking.
The PDP took advantage of the fall out and romanced with the bulk of vendetta seeking former AD loyalist that included Gbenga Daniel of Ogun, Iyiola Omisore of Osun, Segun Agagu and Segun Mimiko of Ondo not forgetting late Funso Williams of Lagos amongst lots of other interest groups, to hijack the power base of the south west except for Lagos state which was firmly protected by Bola Ahmed Tinubu who was then popularly referred to as "the Last man Standing".
Lagos state became the power base for the progressives and Bola Tinubu became the leader of the fold to the irritation of some elders of the Afenifere group and some political rivals both at the federal and regional levels. The perception that they had lost the AD's control to a Bola Ige's lieutenant made some leaders take the leadership battle of control to Afenifere which was unfortunately made vacant by the demise of its erstwhile leader Papa Abraham Adesanya.
Bola Tinubu did not waste time to take advantage of the moment to exert his authority. He courageously recruited young vibrant lieutenants and mobilized them for the 2007and 2011 elections.
While every Yoruba man has continued to praise the lasting legacies left by the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo for his exemplary positive impact on the socio-economic and political life of the geo-political zone, there has been serious castigation of Tinubu by some rival critics who believe he has turned the ACN to a personal venture without party democracy.
Some analyst have maintained however that the ACN structure and practice is found in a model seen in the famed Obafemi Awolowo's recruitment and presentations of the former outstanding south west Governors of the early 80s in Bisi Onabanjo of Ogun state, Lateef Jakande of Lagos, Adekunle Ajasin of old Ondo, Bola Ige of old Oyo and Olawoyin of Kwara states (all of blessed memory except Lateef Jakande) to political limelight.
Bola Tinubu therefore is praised for following the same steps of Papa Awolowo in the discovery and presentation of quality minds like Ibikunle Amosun of Lagos, Raji Fashola of Lagos, Rauf Aregbeshola of Osun, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, Adams Oshiomhole of Edo and Ajimobi of Oyo states.
Now, today 20th of October, 2012, the battle ground is in Ondo state where Akeredolu (SAN) is expected to be elected to join the fold of the ACN governed states.
The bickering over Ondo is basically believed to be the betrayal of Olusegun Mimiko who is regarded as an inconsistent politician that can not be trusted. This assertion may be true based on his political antecedent since 1999.
Olusegun Mimiko served with former Governor Adefarasin of Ondo under AD in 1999, he later defected and served with former Governor Segun Agagu of the PDP as a commissioner, he left Agagu and joined Obasanjo at the Federal level as a Minister when the home front was not becoming favorable for his personal ambition.
He defected from the PDP to join the Labour party in order to realize his ambition. His election was massively rigged by the PDP led government of Ondo state and he went to the tribunal to challenge the results of the election. Feelers have it that he received financial back up from the Bola Tinubu led ACN with a strong team of lawyers led by his rival Akeredolu. He reclaimed his mandate and the likes of Bola Tinubu attended his inauguration, a possible confirmation of the said financial support. Rumor has it that the crisis started when Olusegun Mimiko reneged on his promise to join ACN as expected in order to produce a formidable region.
Keen watchers of our political development would agree on the whole that the odyssey of our political journey since 1999 has been of a very sad pathetic evolution. Selfish interest had beclouded the genuine sense of governance, sentimental dispositions of electorates had robbed off sense of reasoning for quality, biased assertions had destroyed needed developmental programmes and ignorant positions had fazed out ideological discourse of issues on collective responsibility for regional growth.
Some of the Yoruba youth are plagued with eternal "siddon look attitude" yet many complain incessantly about poor state of socio-economic problems.
Those who speak for or against the leadership of Bola Tinubu may have their basis but we must, in my opinion give kudos to the man referred to as the "Jagaban" for leading a revolution that delivered our political culture from external and destructive forces. A political landscape can't survive without a culture and norm.
The bulk however rest with the electorates of Ondo state to choose quality over sentimental and deceptive dispositions.
Ondo will be great if they carefully choose a capable leader.
Odusote Oluwakayode
20th October, 2012
Note: watch out for my article on "Awoism and the Awoist"
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