“Ojo lo pe, ipade kii jina.” This Yoruba proverb, like many others that aptly describe various situations, actions, or occurrences, is profoundly deep. It simply means, in Yoruba parlance, “It is only time that takes long; the meeting or consequence is never far away.”
The proverb speaks to the inevitability of consequences and the swiftness of time. For better understanding, it implies that no matter how long it takes for a situation to unfold, the day of reckoning—the “meeting” with the results of one’s actions—will eventually arrive.
Now, that day of reckoning appears to have arrived for Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State. He is presently caught in the web of a political menace he has long preached against: the politics of godfatherism.
This situation is not only disturbing but has also unveiled a fascinating narrative about political evolution and the often-thorny path of leadership.
Makinde, who rose to political prominence when he became governor on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2019, vehemently opposed political godfatherism. He now faces a critical juncture that tests the very principles he championed.
For years, Makinde’s voice resonated with the public, declaring, “I have no godfather.” This stance endeared him to many, portraying him as a new breed of politician, unburdened by traditional power brokers.
His administration, widely lauded for its achievements, now seeks continuity beyond 2027 through the “Omituntun 3.0 Agenda”.
The chosen vehicle for this continuity is Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi, a hand-picked successor and a former Finance Commissioner under the late Abiola Ajimobi, who recently decamped from the All Progressives Conference (APC) to the PDP.
This decision, however, has not been without internal dissent. Whispers within Makinde’s team suggest a significant departure from the collaborative spirit that once defined his leadership.
Despite Makinde’s efforts to keep his structure united, his recent actions are already taking a negative toll on his team.
While a good number of his team have affirmed their loyalty to him by resigning from the PDP—a result of the party’s unresolved internal crisis—to join APM, preparing the ground for their leader’s main declaration.
Conversely, others who felt cheated due to what is described as “imposition of candidates” are beginning to take actions to benefit themselves within their chosen political parties.
A key member of Makinde’s team, CP Fatai Owoseni (rtd), who recently resigned from his position as Senior Special Adviser on Security and Chairman of the Oyo State Security Trust Fund, has joined Accord and picked up a governorship nomination form to actualize his ambition.
Owoseni wasn’t alone; another prominent member of the team from Ona-Ara Local Government, Hon. Seye Gbaroye, has also quit Makinde’s team to join Accord.
There is also news of Hon. Saheed Fijabi, who, like Adekanmbi, cross-carpeted from APC to PDP and is also eyeing the governorship ticket, expressing unhappiness with Makinde’s choice.
What all these developments signify, apart from causing division within Makinde’s camp, is that the act of “hand-picking” a successor, even with the noble intention of consolidating achievements, inevitably invites comparisons to the very godfatherism Makinde once decried.
This raises a crucial question: Is it a pragmatic move to ensure stability and continued progress, or a subtle, perhaps unintentional, embrace of the system he fought against?
The “Omituntun 3.0 Agenda” itself, while promising further development, now carries the weighty burden of this perceived contradiction.
It forces a public discourse: can a leader genuinely dismantle a system while simultaneously employing its mechanisms for a perceived greater good?
The story of Makinde and Adekanmbi is not just about political succession; it’s a profound exploration of ideals versus realities and the complex choices leaders make when faced with the imperative of legacy.
•Dare Adeniran, the Publisher of TrendscopeNews, writes
plausible08@gmail.com
