Osun: I2 sacred reasons Aregbesola’s candidate could not defeat Oyetola

The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election in Osun state has come and gone. Incumbent Governor of the state, Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola, has emerged victorious in the direct primary poll held last Saturday.

In all honesty, did former Governor Rauf Aregbesola think that his anointed candidate, former Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, could have won the February 19,2022 governorship primary election in Osun State.

Some of those reasons the Minister of Interior, Aregbesola and his preferred candidate could NOT have would include:

(1) It does not fall within trajectory of yoruba history for Aregbesola to win. Recall in my  previous write up, I warned the former governor working against his boss and benefactor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s interest.

(2) It is against the Holy Books: This writer is not so versed about the Quaran but Islamic clerics say tenets of loyalty to the master are there. Clearly written in the Bible is, “those who repay good with evils, evil shall not cease from their house”.

(3) Masses in Osun State ARE NOT for Aregbesola presently. His political phenomenon is not so strong as he may be deceiving himself to believe. It is a minus for an electable politician not to have his or her own political structure in Osun State and solely rely on Aregbesola as a political godfather now. His season in Osun State political space is fast eclipsing.

(4) Aregbesola’s improverishment of Osun State civil servants during his 8 years maximum reign are too fresh in their memories. The negative spiral social-economic effects  of half salary payments on the sleepy state despite his credible impacts on infrastructural development have being noted by Osun masses.

(5) Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, the touted Aregbesola’s Candidate is adroit in moving from one political party to the other. He has just been moved back to the APC of recent. In this case,if he loses at the primary election, APC members’ expectation is that he would join either the ADC, Labour, Accord Party  out of desperation. The real members of Osun APC know this. There was no way they could have wasted their massive votes on Adeoti at the primary conducted on February 19,2022.

(6) In Iwo town where Adeoti comes from,his impact, as alleged was minimal on his people and the people of Osun State as SSG for 4years during Aregbesola’s tenure. Nigerian workers are becoming wiser; this the Nigerian politicians must note. A politician from Iwo zone, Fatai Akinbade held the same SSG office during Oyinlola’s tenure, was beneficial to Osun people and still their political darling to date, according to political pundits.

(7) The fragile political marriage between former Governor Aregbesola and his SSG, Adeoti, is believed to be a cat and mouse game,not based on trust. Political observers believed that Aregbesola is too garrulous for Sheuu Adeoti’s mien. Adeoti castigated, was allegedly sponsored by another non-APC former governor in the South West,worked against Aregbesola in 2019. When the chips are down, popular political prediction is that Aregbesola would abandon Adeoti to political orphanage home and settle himself and his amiable wife, ‘Sheri’ at their Lagos home. Noticeably, Aregbesola was not seen in Osun State at all, he didn’t participate in voting at his ward during the February 19 primary. What a political leader!

(8) Governor Oyetola could not be regarded as Aregbesola’s godson. Yes! After much pressure,  Aregbesola worked assiduously for Oyetola’s emergence in 2019. However, Oyetola was Chief political strategist and fund coordinator for the emergence of Aregbesola as Governor of Osun State. Oyetola may not have the hullabaloo and know much of Saheed Osupa”s songs as Aregbesola but he has displayed more managerial capacities, statesmanship, humility and Gubernatorial composure, obvious to and highly respected by the masses in Osun State.

(9) Governor Oyetola would always win a primary election against Aregbesola’s candidate as people are pleased with his payment of workers’ salaries and humble infrastructural development. Those voters in the direct primary are APC members comprising of workers, pensioners regularly receiving their stipends and traders, business people now making sales.

(10) Obas and traditional heads of communities are more comfortable with the nature, and disposition of the person and governance style of Governor Oyetola. Openly, these leaders have blessed Oyetola’s second term and indicated their unalloyed support. NOT a single Oba has shown up for Minister Aregbesola and his crony Adeoti. Even,the Owaa and Paramount head Obas in Ijesaland, Aregbesola home base, openly endorsed Oyetola. Ditto for the Oba of Iwoland, Adeoti’s home town. Both have given their support to Oyetola..

(11) Grassroot mobilisation by the Ileri Oluwa campaign team ably led by Governor Oyetola was more visible, palpable throughout the 30 local governments and more effective than Aregbesola/ Adeoti’s campaigns.  Oyetola mobilised his cabinet members, political appointees,elected representatives,local government council members to their various wards. Emerging political leaders,party elders,APC stakeholders were on Oyetola’s entourage. Adeoti supporters conveyed weekly at Aregbesola’s office at Fakunle area in Osogbo and engaged in much of social media outbursts while the Minister  was busy in Abuja.

Chief Bisi Akande, High Chief Akere, Senator (Dr ) Iyiola Omisore were with Oyetola. Brilliant lawyer and SAN, Federal Senator and NASS spokesperson advised the Aregbesola/Adeoti group he couldn’t be with them as the Adeoti agenda is a failed project abinitio. Dr. Bashiru Ajibola openly declared he was pro mainstream APC.

Adeoti and Aregbesola could not in all honesty defeat Oyetola. In the case of Lasun Yusuff, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, his buying the primary election form was not to win but to register his participation by all indices on the ground.

(12) Oyetola is a sitting Governor. In today’s Nigeria political space, Nigeria’s Governors are the prestigious elite cabal. The head of H/Qs APC transition committee in which Oyetola is a respected member is a sitting Governor Buni of Yobe State. For the head of Osun State primary election, he found a suitable person in a sitting Governor AbdulHamed of Kwara State, who incidentally has not been on good terms like Oyetola with the Minister from his state, Lai Mohammed.

Governor Ahmed did a very good job. Yes, Nigerian Governors are in charge: primary elections to select candidates, secondary elections to select National party executives, tertiary elections to select Presidential and other candidates for elective posts. The result is stamped from the headquarters of the party. Oyetola  is returned as the winner of APC primary election in Osun State, certified by INEC.

Aregbesola and Adeoti stand defeated!

 

Idowu Ayodele, writes from Osogbo, Osun State