After the announcement of Alaafin’s transition last weekend, I read through many mourners and a video of a man struck my heart, his statement of the video was well loaded and gradually coming out to play. The man prayed, “K’Olohun ma fi’ku Alaafin tu’na asiri Oyo” (May God doesn’t use Alaafin’s death to expose Oyo’s weaknesses”, and I say a louder amen. But putting it realistically, Oyo will miss the real kingship in His Imperial Majesty, Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III.
He was no doubt the real Oyo. He was the one to be called Oyo. He was the engine room of Oyo. He was the FEAR FACTOR in Oyo.
No one feared anything in Oyo other than the palace under the rulership of Oba Adeyemi.
Now that the story is presently on the other side, what is the way forward for Oyos?
Back to politics anyway, looking inwardly into the two major political parties in operation, obviously, the aspirants for Oyo Central Senatorial District are ‘all’ from Oyo; Dr. Yunus Akintunde, Faozey Oladotun Nurudeen, Barr. Wakil Oyeleru Oyedemi, Hon. Bimbo Kolade, Hon. K. K. Raji, Chief Lukman Oyebisi Ilaka and who else? Anybody aside from those listed here is just a jester and fooling himself, thinking he is fooling the district.
While Ilaka is the only PDP among the listed aspirants, it is also important to state that, his case is like a case of desperado meeting an emperor, surely, one will kill the other. That is definitely his situation with Gov. Seyi Makinde, the ticket sharer. But if dignity still exists in politics, Ilaka should have graciously left the ticket for another Makinde’s desirable candidate, because no doubt, if he loses the election, it might spark the end of his relationship with the Governor.
If the effect of Monday’s meeting with the aspirants by Gov. Makinde is anything to go by, where he publicly said, “Oyo Central Senatorial District ticket, we are still discussing it”, Ilaka should take a humble pie and willingly drop the given ticket, else, he will be disgraced out of Oyo state politics ingloriously. What’s his offense to Makinde? I don’t know actually, but I foresee a supremacy fight of a friendship status and that of a Governor. Ilaka can’t continue to be addressing Gov. Seyi Makinde as ‘Seyi’ publicly and expect to get his blessings on anything. Perhaps, he is the Governor of the state, addressing him as ‘Your Excellency Sir’ doesn’t take anything away from him, Ilaka. And also, his insensitivity of plunging the state to unexpected debt by unguardedly announcing the dissolution of local government chairmen on their assumption of office might be another thing Gov. Makinde is angry at.
But on a quick one, he is not strong in Oyo but only enjoying a long-time sympathy, faded in Ogbomosho and Ibadan with his high level of under-utilization of Chief of Staff office. As I was made to know, most of his core followers have bowed out of his camp and seek asylum elsewhere.
Coming to APC, it is a game of ‘double wahala for deady body’.
From Faozey to Yunus, Wakil, Bimbo and Raji, it is still an Oyo affair. It will be interesting to watch how one Oyo is more than the others. With their sizeable four local government, we will see how fair the primary election results will be from there.
For their chances in Ibadan, one small and young Faozey carefully has seen a loophole in Ibadan and quickly squeeze his head and small body into it, he is a bit wise with that move. Not that he has captured them all, but he has put himself on their neck. Those delegates will be left to morally honor the young engineer or ungrateful to his steadfastness to them. Meet any APC members today and see if they won’t tell you they know Faozey Nurudeen. Kicking against him from pocketing the Ibadans, Wakil Oyedemi strikes to level up the game with Faozey. He has tried, he is trying and he should keep working on and not relaxing his moves, but still, people want to see his physical face. One area he is still failing with.
But for Bimbo Kolade, I don’t know he wants to do it here in Ibadan as the game stands, but it is politics, miracle can ‘sélé’.
Dr. Yunus Akintunde is a veteran in this game; he probably sat somewhere in his room watching the child play of Faozey, Wakil and Bimbo, but not knowing that, “Ibi ta’gba bawa, lomo keke ma ba”. He has allowed himself to be tailed and I hope he won’t be retired by his kinsmen equally in the race.
Dr. Yunus is a ‘Baba’ for them, how the contest between Baba and Omos will be settled with the help of Engr. Idris Adeoye is what many do not know. And he should know that, delegates are human beings like him. That he owns some/majority of them through congresses held last year doesn’t guarantee his victory. It is not over, until, it is. He is assured of holding them in trust, but not knowing that he didn’t hold them in the face.
But obviously, Dr. Yunus Akintunde has nothing to fear, one reason why he is more of Oyo Town than Ibadan and Ogbomosho combined. I only hope it won’t shock him like a wildfire. And wait, if the incumbent lose out of the gubernatorial primary and was persuaded to return to the Senate, what will be the fate of those Oyos?
Ogbomosho is free for all. Yunus, Bimbo and Raji might have been in the black book of some people in that Senatorial District as a result of their public engagement while serving as commissioners unlike Faozey and Oyedemi who have not step on any toes, and that further better their chances.
Oyo Central Senatorial District must be great, irrespective of interest or party; politics of development is key. That’s what we are praying for in any candidate that will represent the district at the upper chamber of the National Assembly and thanks to Sen. Teslim Folarin for using the Oyo Central Senatorial District resources to service the whole of Oyo State. It is well.
Akintunde Yusuf
Ward 1
Egbeda Local Government
Oyo State.
