For the many errors identified and associated with the incumbent Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, ranging from education, to health, road network, agriculture, urban renewal and development, and host of others, how do we think the 2023 elections will go in the pacesetter state? Oyo State election is always with a pattern and full of something called emotions.
Let’s quickly reason this simple narration about the Yoruba interpretation of Asiwaju and Omoluabi. Going back to history quickly, in 2003 general elections that produced President Olusegun Obasanjo for his second term run. Many political games were put on the table for many actors to play. While many triumphed to be on the spotlight today, others fell for the dangerous and harmful tricks set by the Ebora Owu of the universe.
And interestingly here in the South West, the then Lagos State Governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, escaped the political trap of Ebora Owu by escaping the dungeon dug for them, while others like the Great Baba Lam (Alh. Lam Adesina) of Oyo State, Chief Bisi Akande of Osun State, Adebayo Adefarati of Ondo State, Olusegun Osoba of Ogun State, Adeniyi Adebayo of Ekiti State, and Muhammed Lawal of Kwara State, fell into it and never come out of the dungeon.
After the whole events, President Olusegun Obasanjo then found it so disgusting to not have gotten the total control of his region, South West. That definitely was instrumental to the long time political battle between the two gladiators in the political history of the country.
But the wise Tinubu after seeing himself as the lone ranger; the only opposition governor from the region in the midst of Rashidi Ladoja of Oyo State, Olagunsoye Oyinlola of Osun State, Olusegun Agagu of Ondo State, Gbenga Daniel of Ogun, Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State, and Bukola Saraki of Kwara State, wore his thinking cap and played a well thought-out developmental politics to neutralise the conservative dominance of the Obasanjo’s PDP in the region and the country at large.
Lo and behold, Tinubu smartly deployed the Lagos state resources to be on the top of the game against the PDP.
As fate would have it, he extended his smartness by venturing more into national politics that is paying off for him presently in his pursuit of his lifetime ambition to become the President of the country.
Where are we going here? There are lessons to learn from the Tinubu’s political journey as briefly narrated and summarised for Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State who has, out of his poor political knowledge and maturity, derailed in playing Tinubu’s card in the South West region being the only opposition governor in 2019. Rather than him deploying his resources in extending his wing and leadership across the region, it was very sad that Makinde was caught up with personalization game and allowing his personal hatred and grievances for some political players to get him out of the boxing ring. Only if he knows he has been placed outside the ring presently. One would have expected Seyi Makinde to be in his Ibadan Governor’s office dictating for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu on when to come for a discussion with him for the interest of Yoruba and Yorubaland, and his acclaimed long time ambition. And again tell Atiku Abubakar to do gently here in Yorubaland as a signal to him that, Awa lo kan.
But instead, the PDP South West star-boy was seen playing a ball boy card in France and London running behind Nyesom Wike of far Rivers State. What a poor show from ‘Chinko GSM’ and his lack of political advisors with non-availability of Yoruba leaders around him to whisper into his ear that, Omo’Yoruba o kin sojo, iwaju-iwaju la ma nwa.
Anyway, the game is still the game. And I pray he should align with Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and be ditched at the second election the same way he did for those who made his coalition worked after entering into government and feel the pain of being ditched or betrayed.
Will there be another opportunity for him, Gov. Makinde to learn the practical arts of politics and have an understanding that, you don’t struggle for leadership respect if you truthfully play the card according to the rule.
How will PDP, Accord and APC profit from the many weaknesses of this GSM?
Akintunde Yusuf writes from Erunmu-Ibadan, Nigeria
