Segun Senbanjo’s Tall Ambition

The beauty of politics in Nigeria is that there is always something to amaze. That factor of surprise and awe often goes a long way in defining the outcomes of elections. For Ogun East Senatorial District, the source of astonishment is none other than Segun Senbanjo, the Country Director of Nord Oil. According to recent reports, Senbanjo has declared his intention to represent the district under the auspices of the All Progressives Congress (APC) come 2023. And if you are staring into the distance trying to imagine why the name doesn’t ring a bell, it is because Senbanjo is no politician. Or maybe he is an undercover politician — if such things exist.

The ambition of Senbanjo to ascend the senatorial ranks has caused much astonishment in Ogun East and other parts of the state. The man has always been known to a few as a forthright businessman with a good mind for investments. As such, Senbanjo’s rumoured attempt to start moving resources and forces into the pipeline in hopeful anticipation of 2023 has been widely ridiculed as an errant rumour or something from the same stables as Jack and Jill.

In truth, it is not that Senbanjo cannot represent the people of Ogun East at the floor of the Senate. On the contrary, he has a commendable educational and business profile that shows him off as an erudite person. But this is clearly not enough for most observers. After all, knowing that a knife is sharp and having that knife stabbed into one’s sides are different. So, the people sniggering at the Nord Oil man’s ambition cannot be blamed.

You can rely on Senbanjo when the game is one of the energy sectors, or trading, or investments. Senbanjo is a maestro in all these. But he has not left any notable mark in politics in Nigeria, so he doesn’t appear to have much leverage in that regard. But if he really intends to run, then one can only conclude that Senbanjo is brave.

Even with the printed flier that is carrying Senbanjo’s face and reminding people that the APC is still very much around, there is no consensus on whether Senbanjo is serious about this or whether it is just a mischievous notion for entertainment. Only time will tell.