Ogun 2023: Gov Abiodun’s Exciting Leadership Style

Femi Ogbonnikan

Sometimes, it is taken for granted that every political party that appears on the ballot paper has the potential to dislodge a ruling party. It is not true. That is mere fantasy. Except where there is a viable alternative to the existing government, power doesn’t change hands for the sake of change. But then, such is an unfounded optimism you often find among the political class. For those who have mastered the art of politicking, optimism is the first rule of the game. A good politician will always see hope where there is looming hopelessness.

That positive attitude must be imbibed by everyone desirous of making an impact in life. But again, the truth remains that some political parties exist just to fill the gap. For instance, there was a time Nigeria had over 70 registered political parties, making the ballot paper crowded and clumsy with different shapes and sizes of their logos. At the end of the experiment, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had to prune down the number by delisting those that could not make any appreciable showing in the general elections.

Currently, under the present dispensation, 18 registered political parties are jostling for one elective position. Out of this figure, only four have a fairly national spread that can genuinely make the 2023 general elections truly competitive. Already dwarfed by the leading giants, many of them are only struggling to show their presence in their narrow enclaves with little or no chance of winning any election. Of course, to fulfill all righteousness, the electoral umpire will have to include them in the ballot papers, but the outcome of their participation in the coming election is predictable.

As in other states, contending forces in Ogun State are doing their very best possible to wrest power from the incumbent Governor Dapo Abiodun. But the All Progressives Congress (APC) family in the state remains unperturbed by the threat because the people are content with the performance of the governor. Yet in its movement of embattled lucidity, one of the frontline opposition political parties went completely off the line, blaming its prolonged internal crisis on the innocent governor.

To be clear, only the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and African Democratic Congress (ADC) have so far presented a semblance of opposition to the ruling APC in the state. The rest are largely budding political parties that are managing to show their relevance in the scheming for power. It, therefore, sounds queer and strange to hear the National Chairman of the ADC, Prof. Ralph Okey Nwosu, accusing Governor Abiodun of sponsoring 25 court cases against the party in the state.

While addressing a press conference on Monday at the party secretariat in Abeokuta, Nwosu heaped the blame for the prolonged litigation battles which had crippled the campaign activities of the party’s candidate, Dr. Tunji Otegbeye, on the antics of Abiodun, which he said, were aimed at getting him out of contention for the coming governorship election.

His words: “It is unfortunate that the judicial ambush that the party currently battles in Ogun State is not due to any indiscretion on our part but rather, it is traceable to the infamous role being played by the ruling APC in Ogun State, under the diminishing watch of Dapo Abiodun-as the ‘Defacto’ sponsors of the litigations; using different political parties and individuals to file 25 different lawsuits against the ADC-to get us out of contention for the 2023 elections.”

The unfounded allegation is coming on the heels of widespread speculation that the ADC has agreed to work with another political party for the 2023 general elections because it no longer has candidates, an insinuation he dismissed as false.

It is already a public knowledge how Otegbeye has been battling to validate his candidacy for the coming election. A lot of stakeholders have watched with consternation the gradual drifting of the party and why the leadership has been unable to find a common ground for an amicable resolution of its internal crisis. So, for Nwosu-led leadership to now turn around to blame Governor Abiodun for its protracted litigation is not only strange, weird and simplistic, but completely unfounded. It doesn’t add up. In the first place, which political party is immune from an internal disagreement?

At one time or the other, party members have to disagree to agree. That is part of the norms of democracy. Sometimes, disagreement rare its ugly head to test the administrative and managerial capacity of the leadership. However, where the leadership is inept, lax, and unfocused, a simple dissent can snowball into a huge crisis of an unimaginable proportion.  

Currently, the Labour Party (LP) in the state is battling with corruption crisis. The governorship candidate of the PDP, Oladipupo Adebutu, has just got some reprieves from his prolonged legal battle with the Jimi Lawal faction of the party, following the recent judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja which affirmed his nomination as the authentic candidate. Other budding political parties also have one unresolved issue or the other to settle.

So, if Governor Abioun has to spend all his useful time and energies poking his nose into every affair of other political parties just to run them out of context, what time will he have left to deliver on his mandate and focus on his campaign activities? What will be his gains, if he has to stoke the ember of disunity in other parties without any tangible achievement to show for the mandate freely given him by the electorate?

Some months back when the storm gathered against the APC in the state, nobody engaged anyone in the blame game. Rather, the party leadership led by Governor Abiodun took the challenge in its stride, deployed the necessary machinery to calm the frayed nerves, and forged ahead with stronger unity. Why is it now that the party is cruising for a safe sail that people are pointing an accusing finger at the innocent governor? It doesn’t add up. Everybody should please carry his cross and leave the man alone.

What his accusers don’t seem to understand is that the increasing popularity and acceptance of Prince Abiodun is for no reason other than his hard work, committed leadership, and inclusive governance style, all of which have culminated into the impressive achievements which could now be seen in all the nooks and crannies of Ogun State.

As of today, there is hardly any traditional ruler left in Ogun State who has not attested to the good work the present administration is doing to change the fortune of the economy for the better. On separate occasions, virtually all of them have given their blessings to Governor Abiodun’s re-election bid because there are concrete things to show for his mandate in every locality, depending on the choice of priority projects endorsed by the people directly concerned. For the first time, the grassroots people are enjoying the full benefits of the bottom-top approach to governance which is now the in-thing around the world.

Just recently, some 54 traditional rulers under the auspice of Egba Traditional Council unanimously endorsed Governor Abiodun for a second term in office. The President of the Council, the Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, while announcing the endorsement hinged their support on his sterling performance since he assumed office in May 2019, saying he had done creditably well to deserve a second term to finish what he had started.

He said: “The governor has done very well. In the last 16 years, two governors have done second terms, why will our governor who has done so well not do a second term”? Alake stated. He particularly commended the governor for completing some abandoned projects in Egbaland including the Traditional Council’s Hall in the Alake’s Palace.

Also speaking, the Osile of Oke-Ona Egba, Oba Adedapo Tejuoso, said the entire people and traditional rulers in Egbaland had given full support to the governor’s second term bid. The Olowu of Owu, Oba Saka Matemilola, and the Agura of Gbagura, Oba Sabur Bakre further added their voices, expressing optimism that the governor would perform better if given another opportunity.

While enumerating some of the projects executed in the Ogun Central Senatorial District, the governor said plans were underway to finalise the concession, operation, and transfer of the ongoing construction of a 250-bed hospital to an international hospital management company that would complete and manage it. According to him, “the hospital is a world-class health care facility of excellence that will attract health tourism from all over the southwest and Nigeria.”

In addition to the hospital project, he said, “We are working assiduously on the establishment of the Kajola Dry Port and Wasimi Export and Logistics Hub which will decongest Lagos port, thereby making it more efficient and further create an enabling environment for industries and manufacturers in Ogun.

“We will soon begin the urban regeneration of Ibara GRA and in Mowe-Ofada. We are completing or have completed all inherited projects that are of economic importance to our people in line with our promises.”

The traditional rulers and leaders of thoughts in Yewaland also lending credence to the declaration of support for the re-election of Governor Abiodun, said his tenure had brought tremendous development to Yewaland and Ogun West senatorial district.  Speaking on behalf of the 42 monarchs at the Secretariat of the Yewa Traditional Council in Ilaro, the Olu of Ilaro and Paramount Ruler of Yewaland, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, said all the royal fathers unanimously opted for Governor Abiodun after they had told all of their sons vying for the number one position to step down their ambition.

The monarch, while berating the decision of a governorship candidate from the axis to reject the invitation of the council on the need to step down his ambition for the number one job, said that his refusal was a total embarrassment to the Council.

“Since you became governor, we have seen tremendous changes and development in the state of our infrastructure here in Yewaland. You are a man of your word. What you promised to do, you have done. Your success at the polls come 2023 is a done deal, we are with you,” Oba Olugbenle declared. The monarch further commended the governor for his effort at ensuring the timely completion of the Ilaro-Owode road, adding that the royal fathers would join their voice to the request for a refund of the money spent to repair the road.

The Onimeko of Imeko, Oba Benjamin Olanite, while also commending the governor for bringing development to the town of Imeko through the completion of the Oke-Ola road, said the people of the town were solidly behind the governor and would ensure his victory at the polls. The Olu of Imasayi, Oba Luqmon Kuoye, on his part, lauded the governor for the yellow roof initiative which had led to the rehabilitation of so many public schools and health centres in the state, particularly in Ogun West.

In another breadth, the Awujale of Ijebu land, Oba Sikirulai Kayode Adetona, categorically declared that there was no alternative to Prince Abiodun. His declaration followed the unanimous endorsement by 52 traditional rulers in the Ijebu Traditional Council. A statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Kunle Somorin said the traditional rulers conveyed their endorsement in a communique read by the Secretary of the Council, Obiri of Ayepe-Ijebu, Oba Rosiji Ogunbanjo, at the end of their monthly meeting presided over by the President of the council, the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikirulai Kayode Adetona.

The Awujale said he was proud of the governor’s giant strides and advised those eyeing the office of Governor to wait till 2027.

What is good is good. Governor Abiodun’s overwhelming endorsement by the revered traditional rulers is a clear testimony of the immense goodwill his administration is enjoying across all strata of society. It is a rebirth of the people’s government. From artisans to market traders, ex-council chairmen to new political converts, from farmers’ associations to employees of transport unions, it has been a gale of endorsements since the outset of the new season of politics in Nigeria.        

The reason for the swirling outpouring of support for Governor Abiodun is commonplace knowledge. That has to do with his vision to create an enduring economic development and individual prosperity for the people of Ogun which has now dovetailed into all-inclusive governance that stands the current administration out as the people’s government. But for what politicians are made of, it is not too surprising that those who would like to blame the result of their actions or inactions on other people have decided to turn blind eyes to all this. If for nothing else, the recent defection of Dr. Leke Otegbeye from ADC to APC must have jolted the Nwosu-led leadership for them to look in the direction of Governor Abiodun for the seemingly interminable litigation battles that have held down the party for this long. But the allegation is nothing but a farce. It is an untenable proposition that can hardly stand the test of critical analysis. Leave the innocent governor out of the ADC crisis. It does add up.

Ogbonnikan wrote from Abeokuta, Ogun State.