Osun Deserves The Best, Not The West in 2022

I was miffed when I came across a piece titled “Two Reasons why Osun West Deserves Governorship Ticket in 2022”. Any well-meaning Osun citizen who has tasted good governance under the present dispensation cannot but regard the piece as an attempt by Osun haters to drag the State backward.

Indeed, but for the need to set the records straight, it would have been needless to react to the puerile and emotionally-packaged opinion of a jobber who is not only reeling from the cesspool of entitlement mentality but is also canvassing the position of political juveniles who want power entrusted on them from the comfort of their bedroom. The writer needs to learn from political history that power is neither served ala carte nor grabbed on the platter of emotion.

The two reasons adduced by the writer for Osun West to be given any party’s ticket free of charge are the marginalization of Osun West and the possibility of a protest vote by the electorate.

These two reasons are unarguably alien to any political culture anywhere in the world. It is also not stated in any of our covenanting documents – from the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic (as amended), the Electoral Law or any political party’s constitution. So, canvassing for the zoning of the seat of such sensitive position as that of Governor is not only out of place, it is cheap and politically indolent.

The writer chronicled power rotation as it affects governorship in the State since 1992, concluding that Osun West had such opportunity for two years as against the Central and East Senatorial Districts taking the highest shots at the highly coveted position. This view, to me, is unnecessarily emotional, making it appearing that some people gathered somewhere, conspired against the good people of the West from occupying the governorship seat.

For the avoidance of doubt, during the 2018 governorship election when the “West lokan” agitation (it is the turn of the West agitation) propelled by certain interests reached the Zenith, the West Senatorial District produced 3 candidates on the platforms of 3 political parties instead of producing one candidate as a strategy for winning the election. The bloc votes that would have given the District victory were shared thus: Alhaji Mooshood Adeoti from Iwo picked the governorship ticket of the ADP and scored close to 50,000 of the total votes cast during the poll, Alhaji Fatai Akinbade from Ogbagbaa got that of the ADC and scored over 5,000 votes in the poll, while Senator Ademola Adeleke from Ede who was the PDP candidate scored over 250,000.

It is pertinent to mention that Otunba Iyiola Omisore from Ile Ife in the East Senatorial District picked the governorship ticket of SDP and got a whooping votes of over 120,00.

From the way the West played the game in 2018, it would seem that their strategy or body language did not match their objective or they did not really believe in zoning. It may therefore be difficult for any political party to put their electoral fortune in their hands. One would wonder why the writer of the piece under review did not counsel the West political gladiators in 2018 to present only one candidate and use the protest votes being currently suggested to return a ‘West’ candidate elected as the Governor. I submit with respect that the West has never been marginalized in the politics of Osun State, if there has been anything of such. It must have been a case of self-marginalization.

The writer also made copious allusion to the issue of the Rule of Law and the likelihood of protest vote. The only rule in the contest for the position of Governor or any position for that matter in our books is the right of every eligible adult to run for elective position. This is expressly provided for in Chapter 6 part 2 Section 176 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). Anything outside this constitutional provision is null and void and reprehensible to the rule of Law.

Finally, let it be resoundingly emphasized that what the good people of Osun State West, East and Central Districts desire is quality leadership, emerging from a process of merit and fair competition. As far as 2022 is concerned, the Osun people have spoken eloquently and unequivocally that the person they want as governor is the incumbent, Mr. Adegboyega Isiak Oyetola, a man who has demonstrated capacity to transform the State through frugal and prudent management of limited resources and the equitable allocation of same across the length and breadth of the State. Evidently, what the Osun people deserve as governor now is an exposed, God-fearing, frugal, disciplined and non- controversial character. Adegboyega Oyetola epitomizes these virtues.

Let’s the good work continue beyond 2022.