For his act of bravery and previous advocacy in defense of the oppressed, a socio-political group— Oyo Young Professionals, has asked Michael Lana, a former attorney general and justice commissioner, to contest the governorship election in 2023.
Promising to source fund for the success of the campaign, leader of the group— Dr David Olayiwola, said Lana has almost come to the aid of the masses and always on the side of truth.
Lana, OYOINSIGHT.COM recalled, was the talk of the town when he reminded Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo State about pending suit when a new Olubadan was to be announced.
Olayiwola, in his speech, had said that “When I called yesterday to book an appointment to see you, I deliberately concealed my mission or the fact that many members of the Oyo Young Professional Group will be coming with me. The reason is obvious. I and many Indigenes of Ibadan living across the globe, have called you on the very subject of our discussion today but you kept on laughing it off and we believe that if you knew we were coming to discuss the same thing, you might not give us audience.
“We here, represent some professionals who are indigenes of Oyo State both home and abroad.
I am very sure that you are aware that all indigenes of Ibadanland are very proud of you for your dogged fight to maintain the integrity of Ibadanland and protect its culture and tradition. You may not know it but we all really appreciated it. You made us proud as indigenes of Ibadanland who have a reputation of not shying away from war. OGUN O SI KO WA RI. You are our modern day warlord.
“I am not surprised of this feat. Many of us got to know you when we were in the Republic of The Gambia. We noticed you when, against all odds, you fought ruggedly in the law courts in that country to protect the government of that nation. Since we all returned to Nigeria, you have been in the forefront of fighting through the instrumentality of law, for the down-trodden and the oppressed. We noted how you fought for the Members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers led then by Alhaji Lateef Akinsola who, with members of his executive were being hounded by the Police at the behest of the Governor then. We are therefore not surprised that the NURTW has made you its solicitor nationally.
“We note how you also ruggedly used law to protect the over 600 poor Plank sellers at New Ife Road, who were driven away from their land by oppressors who were backed by the government. We knew of the many widows you rescued through the courts without charging a kobo. You also fought hard to protect the sanctity of religion and ensured that the name of Christ Apostolic Church, Worldwide was not dragged into the mud; you protected the Church and its leaders from victimisation and undue harassment. You did the same for many other Churches and Muslim Organisations.
We are aware of the many helps you had rendered to many market men and women.
“It is therefore reasonable that all those calling you from within Nigeria and in the diaspora, should demand that you contest the next election and become our governor. A person that has, not minding his safety, and lack of financial resources, freely used law to fight for the poor and downtrodden is the best person that reasonably will use the power and resources of government to protect the interest of the citizens of the State.
“This is probably borne out of the fact that you had a very humble beginning haven grown up in various villages and at Agugu, Ibadan. You once told me how you nearly dropped out of Law School because there was no money even to feed yourself, as your over 90 years old poor grandmother was the only person helping you with her meagre resources at that time.
You have proven to us, especially the indigenes of Ibadan that you are worthy of leadership; we see you as the modern day Iba Oluyole, Ibikunle and others who stood up and protected the fortunes and tradition of Ibadanland.
“We also knew of your undying love for Oyo State and the people of other sections of the State. You were solidly behind Senator Ayo Adeseun an Ogbomoso born politician and leader. This loyalty proved to us that you are not sectional and would do for other cities what you had done for Ibadanland.
“Your love for Yoruba culture and tradition manifested when you used your position in the Gambian Ministry of Justice to establish Egbe Isokan Yoruba and you installed the first Oba Yoruba in that country. That seed that you planted has grown astronomically to the extent that Yoruba has become a recognised tribe in The Republic of The Gambia just as Yoruba tribe is recognised in Ghana, Sierra Leone, Brazil and Cuba. Our Oba in the Republic of The Gambia, now has a palace and has installed many chiefs in accordance with Yoruba Tradition. They can never forget you there.
“As an achiever, you rallied two other people, a Ghanaian and a Gambian, to publish the first Gambia Monthly Law Report for the development of law in that country. Since I was living in The Gambia too, I was aware of your participation in the Legal Clinic under the auspices of the African Society of International and Comparative Law. I witnessed many cases you handled for the under-privileged in that country.
“We are therefore here today to formally request that you step out and contest the governorship election and display your leadership talents. We believe that it will be a great disservice to this State, if people like you do not come forward and develop our State, as only a person who had gone through such poor beginning, like you, will know where the shoes pinch the average citizen of our State.
“We are willing and ready to work assiduously to ensure your victory. We have decided to open a Michael Lana Campaign Fund Account to actualize this dream, if you approve our humble request,” he concluded.
Reacting, Lana who was obviously taken by surprise, told them that they were not the first to ask him to contest governorship but added that he has leaders and would have to consult them if at all he would contest. One of them, he said, is Ayo Adeseun, a former senator and one of the leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
“I didn’t challenge High Chief Lekan Balogun’s nomination in court. It was High Chief Balogun and others that sued the governor and former governor Rashidi Ladoja. I only advised the governor that nominating High Chief Balogun while he was still an Oba would be illegal and that the only thing that could make his nomination valid is if he leaves the former Obaship title and return to his High Chief status because under the Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration of 1957, only a High Chief and not an Oba, could ascend to the throne of Olubadan.
And to return to their former title would entail their withdrawal of their case against the government. Eventually, they saw my point and withdrew the case and returned to their High Chief status.
“The Baales that refused to heed to my advise concluded their case and lost woefully,” he said.
