Newsmaker
The decision by the people of Ogun East Senatorial District to pick the state Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Chief Bimbo Ashiru, as their only nominee for the Ogun State governorship race ‎has changed the dynamics of politics in the state, writes Femi Ogbonnikan
In an unprecedented move, the Ijebu-Remo Forum, under the aegis of Ijebu Agenda on Wednesday, November 15, 2017, took a bold step with the endorsement of Bimbo Ashiru as the Ogun East Senatorial District consensus candidate for the 2019 governorship race.
candidate. Otunba Bimbo Ashiru, the current Ogun State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, having
Ashiru, the current Commissioner for Commerce and Industry in the state dusted eight other aspirants (Sen Adegbenga Kaka, Sen Olorunnimbe Mamora, Prince Segun Adesegun, Jimi Lawal, Abayomi Odunowo, Muyiwa Oladipo, Taofeek Kassim and Owodunni Opayemi) with 89 scores out of an aggregate 110 marks.
Thus, the emergence of Ashiru has become a yardstick for measuring a dashed or auspicious hope for the 2019 Ogun West Agenda.
Ashiru’s emergence as the candidate of the Ijebu East was welcomed with wild jubilation in the district. Those who organised the election that produced him were also commended for the dexterity with which they handled the whole process.
But in Ogun West, a senatorial district claiming it is its turn to produce the next governor, being the only district that has yet to produce a governor of the state since creation, the development has sent jitters down the spine of political gladiators in the zone.
Buoyed by the declaration of the state governor, Ibikunle Amosun to support a candidate from the Ogun West district, many from the district have declared their intention to become the governor.
Tactical and deft in their permutations, the people of Ogun East, comprising nine local governments (Ikenne, Ijebu Ode, Sagamu, Remo North, Ijebu North, Ogun Waterside, Odogbolu, Ijebu North East and Ijebu East) and with a headcount of 1,267,925, according to the 2006 National Population Commission (NPC) Census figures, are more united.
The district boasts of some of the most educated people and renown investors Nigeria can boast of. It is a district anyone hoping to become the governor of the state can not afford to ignore.
The district, armed with this economic power, no doubt, has comparative advantages over and above Ogun West, in terms of financial and other resources to sway the 2019 Ogun State governorship rae to its favour.
But poised to ensure that Ogun West did not trade off the governorship seat in the 2019 general elections this time around, eminent citizens and stakeholders from the district recently held a parley in Ilaro, Yewaland Administrative Headquarters tagged; “2017 United Kingdom (UK) Pre-conference dinner” where Yewa Leaders identified the challenges facing the zone.
In a bid to ensure total development and economic growth of Yewaland, the pre-conference dinner brainstormed and shared ideas on the way forward for the region.
Speaking at the event, Professor of Microbiology and Dean, Faculty of Microbiology, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Prof. Tope Popoola, who was the guest speaker, identified politics as one major reason for the present poor state of development in the district.
According to him, prominent members of the political class from the district have collaborated extensively as willing tools to mortgage the opportunities for the zone to elect one of their own as governor of Ogun State.
He said, “Looking through the past years, I was able to identity myriads of problems as being responsible for our inability to clinch the governorship position some of which include; multiple candidatures, our inability to speak with one voice, politics of intolerance and bitterness, political manoeuvring for selfish and personal interests and insincerity of our political leadersâ€.
He further said that, politics of exclusion, lack of effective political leadership and lack of strategic political thinkers who could provide guides and directions had contributed to the poor state of development of the region.
While charting the way forward for the region, Popoola urged citizens of the Yewaland to learn from the mistakes of their past political history and harness the current opportunities in the state to ensure that the people of Yewa Aworiland produce the next governor of the state which will in turn, eventually lead to the development of the region.
A recent event illustrated the problem, Popoola alluded to. On Saturday, November 18, 2017, at the “2017 Annual Oronna Day”, a socio-cultural carnival held in Ilaro, the political bickering among the various governorship aspirants and their supporters also marred the event.
Many did not like the idea that the Olu of Ilaro, the paramount ruler of Yewaland, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle referred to one of the aspirants jostling for the governorship seat, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (aka Yayi), as his son. Other aspirants interpreted this to mean that the traditional ruler was supporting the senator’s bid to be governor.
Also Yayi is reportedly enjoying the support of some All Progressives Congress heavyweights, including former-governor Olusegun Osoba, the national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the incumbent governors of Oyo and Lagos states Sen Abiola Ajimobi and Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, the Ogun State governor, Ibikunle Amosun had openly opposed his ambition labelling him ‘tekobo’ (the one from Lagos).
Yayi also recently secured the endorsement of the Ogun West Council of Elders Forum, a development that has sparked off controversies. Other aspirants and a secction of some elders and leaders from Yewa/Aworiland viewed the adoption as a sham.
While the governorship aspirants from the Ogun West are bickering, Ashiru is quietly reaching out to people that matter. He has many good things going for him. He has been going about his ambition systematically reaching out to those aggrieved by his emergence.
He enjoys the confidence of politicians across the state. Despite his involvement in politics, he has managed to keep his constituency (the corporate world) intact. He has one leg in politics and the other in the corporate world where he rose to become a successful banker before he joined Amosun, his friend of many years to run the show in Ogun State.
Many believe that individual ambition among the aspirants from Ogun West may unwittingly confer advantage on Ashiru from Ogun East. If that happens, it will be a replay of a similar scenario that played out in the state in the past which provided the incumbent governor the opportunity to become the governor.
Immediately he emerged as the favoured aspirant, traditional rulers from all the nine local governments, making up Ogun East Senatorial district on Friday, November 17, 2017, met at the Awujale Palace, Ijebu Ode where they offered their royal blessing and prayers for Ashiru, for the actualisation of his ambition in the coming 2019 governorship election in the state.
His biggest joker or ace, it was learnt, is his closeness to the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona. Thus, Ashiru is like one of Awujale’s sons. They are very, very close because they both speak virtually on a daily basis. And a few years ago, when Bimbo Ashiru and his brothers were made Otunbas, by the Awujale, the Ijebu monarch revealed how close he was to Bimbo in particular. He revealed that they were so close to the extent that if the Awujale couldn’t sleep at night, it is Bimbo he would call and they would chat for hours until he drops off to sleep.
The support of the Awujale will come handy during the campaign. It was learnt Awujale also wants an Ijebu man and has been canvassing for an Ijebu man to become the next governor. The Ijebus have only produced a governor, once in the person of late Chief Bisi Onabanjo, the first civilian executive governor of Ogun State. To many political observers, what may also work for Ashiru is that Amosun respects the Awujale and he does not joke with the reverred monarch. Likewise, Ashiru is equally close to the governor and their relationship has spanned nothing less than 20 years.
Also, he has remained one of his most loyal and trusted commissioners in the governor’s cabinet. So loyal is Ashiru that the governor returned him to office in his second term in office. When Ashiru lost his mother several months ago Amosun had to jettison other appointments as he spent quality time with the Ashiru family in Ijebu-Ode. The issue of loyalty aside, Ashiru is one of his star performers in the cabinet. He has done so well in his ministry since they came on-board almost seven years ago.
His achievements in the ministry are impressive. This has endeared him to the governor the more.
With all these to his credit, Ashiru is not making too much noise about his ambition but he is still consulting widely, despite his recent emergence as the consensus candidate. These days, he spends much time in Ijebu, meeting with different groups. Besides, what will also help.him is his rich pedigree. He is an illustrious son of Ijebu-Ode. Besides, his emergence as the Ogun East consensus governorship candidate has also buoyed his chances at clinching the 2019 Ogun State governorship seat.
Added to that, in his stewardship. Under his watch, more companies moved to Ogun State bringing with them more jobs and revenue for the state. More than 58 new companies have established businesses in Ogun State, with a cumulative investment profile of about N691.77 Billion in 2014, compared to N377 Billion in 2013. And this places Ogun State in the first position in Nigeria, according to the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN).
However, the Ijebu Agenda to many political analysts, appeared long prepared for the task ahead, culminating in the unanimous decision, picking Ashiru as its governorship consensus candidate.
APC family members and technocrats, drawn from far and near, took the agenda with seriousness and sagacity as they thronged the venue of the parley, House No. 39, Tam Balogun, GRA, Ijebu Ode where the decision was taken.
However, political watchers have observed that though Amosun has been magnanimous enough to the plight of the Ogun West people but feared that when the chips are down and the people of Yewa/Aworiland are unable to put Their house in order, to agree on a candidate to represent them, he may be left with no choice but to turn to his friend from Ogun East where the party can win block votes. It was gathered that, no governor will want to play into the hands of his political foe to succeed him in office and rather, he will do all humanly possible within his power to pick his anointed son that will take over the baton of leadership from.him.
Since Yayi has an edge in Ogun West and Amosun is vehemently determined to frustrate him from getting the APC ticket, the governor may be unwittingly helping his commissioner to get the ticket.
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Under his watch, more companies moved to Ogun State bringing with them more jobs and revenue for the state.
