Re: Odds Aregbesola must surmount, by abiodun KOMOLAFE and Kunle Owolabi
The season of politics and politicking is nigh, no doubt! This is particularly so of the State of Osun where the tenure of the incumbent Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, is gradually winding down.
It is therefore natural that those who want to succeed the ebullient governor should be putting their acts and political wiles together. This is also a season that witnesses countless endorsements, anointment and preferences of one politician or candidate over the other. This is
the season of rumour, believable and unbelievable. This is the season of harvest of falsehoods, blatant lies and utter untruth. And, most of the time, the incumbent is always at the receiving end of this political tricks and subtle blackmails from within and without his political enclave.
The Guardian newspaper publication of Sunday, March 19, 2017 entitled, “Osun 2018: Odds Aregbesola Must Surmount,” is one such political propaganda weaved together to score cheap political goal.
The writer, Leo Sobechi, chronicled an omnium-gatherum of lies and hearsay about the incumbent wanting to contest a senatorial seat and planning to install an amenable successor.
It is ideal to start the response by stating that Governor Aregbesola is a Nigerian and a bonafide indigene of Osun with the inalienable right to vote, be voted for, even nominate aspirants for elections, if, where and when he so desires.
Besides, he is the incumbent governor, who has not only done well for the State, but also has the right to a “favoured successor,” whom he believes can continue with his visionary leadership and ambitious development of the state. To an understandable extent therefore; and like any other political leader worthy of his office, it will not be out of place for him to be honoured with the right of first refusal – of putting forward an aspirant, who he thinks shares the same vision with him and will not derail from the ruling party’s progressive ideals.
This exactly is what has been working for Lagos. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not only exhaust his two terms tenure, he shopped for and left Lagos in the hands of a competent administrator.
This philosophy has continued till date and that is why Eko has been on a developmental pedestal unrivaled by any state in the country. Aregbesola is not losing his sight on this if Osun should – and Osun must not derail – to continue its developmental ascension.
This said, Sobechi’s ignorance of the facts on ground even manifested in his inability to understand that Aregbesola’s Chief-of-Staff bears Gboyega Oyetola, and not Diekola Ejigbo as
he would want Nigerians to believe. Again, while most Nigerians had hitherto been of the opinion that the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yusuf Lasun and Senator Isiaka Adeleke were in the same camp and that the former was even the latter’s political stooge, for reasons known to him, the writer betrayed the man behind the mask too early in the day with his portrayal of Adeleke as an unstable politician – unstable as water; and a rank bigot; and that’s not good enough for the image of either the former governor of Osun State or the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.
