BY KAYODE ODUNARO
Over the weekend, exactly on Saturday, February 7, the race in direction of the governorship seat of Ogun State in 2027 obtained a push with a radio declaration to contest for the place of governor by no much less a determine than Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, the primary daughter/youngster of former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.
Not a number of had been stunned by the announcement coming shortly after her expression of the other sentiment to a information channel in Remo, Ogun State. The denial then, adopted some invoice board promoting suggestive she is again from a seeming self-imposed political sabbatical. In the following interview she made reference to her supporters attempting unsuccessfully to coax her for political participation that she left over a decade and half in the past in 2011. From her volte face in simply weeks after that disinterestedness in leaping again into the political waters of Ogun State, her supporters could have mounted undue stress for her to alter her thoughts after being on document as uninterested.
Senator Obasanjoâs throwing her hat into the ring of Ogun 27, albeit with out her coronary heart, contemplating from her recounting that she is just about being âdraftedâ by an unnamed group of supporters, bears some interrogation from observers, individuals and stakeholders in Ogun state social gathering politics and governance.
At this level, a disclaimer is to ensure that me. I’m not scripting this on behalf or for Senator Solomon Adeola aka Yayi that I’ve been related to since 2011 and presently working for as his Chief of Staff and Media Adviser. It can also be an open secret that many Ogun State indigenes earnestly yearn for Senator Adeola to throw his hat into the ring on the acceptable time for an ambition he’s silently nursing however but to formally declare for.
I write as a basis member of All Progressives Congress, (APC), an indigene of Ogun State with curiosity in its growth and somebody that had participated within the stateâs politics and governance course of at some accountable ranges way back to 1997 below the navy period. And as a triple Chief (Baaroyin, Majeobaje and Osorun) and group chief in Ogun State, I’m commenting on Ogun State affairs as a stakeholder, as of elementary rights, and naturally a partisan politician in APC. And presently on Ogun 2027, I’m partisan for Senator Adeola. But this write-up shouldn’t be about my partisan choice in Ogun 2027.
A time will come for that inside our social gathering, APC and subsequently when ultimately all aspirants declare their intentions. For now, solely Senator Obasanjo and Hon. Abiodun Akinlade are on my document as declarants. For Hon. Akinlade, one can go away interrogation of his ambition to a later date.
For me, the very first thing that struck a chord about Senator Obasanjo is the place she is coming from. She shouldn’t be solely probably the most politically seen scion of the previous President Obasanjo household however has participated in governance at state and federal stage. She positively had paid her dues as a state commissioner and a one time period Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria each below the conservative People Democratic Party (PDP). And to heel, she is the beloved daughter of a well-known former president of Nigeria that served below PDP. This leads one to boost eyebrow about her alternative of political social gathering to understand her new discovered ambition.
The ruling social gathering of APC at state and federal stage has President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as its National chief. From what’s in public area, there isn’t any love misplaced between President Tinubu and former President Obasanjo. In the race in direction of 2023 that ultimately noticed the emergence of Tinubu as president, Chief Obasanjo was not in assist of Tinubu and going towards 2027 election, it is usually clear that Chief Obasanjo will root for an Obi, a Kwakwanso, an Amaechi or anybody for that matter besides Tinubu, and sure, Atiku.
So, why is Senator Obasanjo pitching her tent in a celebration below the management that her father is unalterably against? Did she or the group that pressured her get the consent of the previous president? Was there session with the previous president for his blessing? Or is APC only a handy platform to push the agenda of the group that went to pull out Senator Obasanjo from her self-imposed political sabbatical?
These are posers for interrogation till readability is obtained. Coincidentally, a extra direct however comparable prevalence did happen not too long ago when the son of former Vice President to Chief Obasanjo, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, within the individual of Abba Abubakar Atiku additionally declared for APC and directed that every one coordinators and member of the political group he based in 2022, Haske Atiku Organization, to align with APC and assist President Tinubuâs Renewed Hope Agenda!
The dissimilarity for now’s that Abba Atikuâs purpose for becoming a member of APC in opposition to his fatherâs curiosity and timeless ambition to rule Nigeria is that it isn’t but premised on operating for an workplace however in religion in APC and the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu. For Senator Obasanjo, we await her keying into APC after her registration ethos and declaration of religion within the profitable Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu.
Curiously, former Vice President Alhaji Atiku had come out boldly as to not oppose his sonâs political re-orientation saying the choice of his beloved son âto join APC is entirely personalâ, and stressing that âAs a democrat, I do not coerce my own children in matters of conscienceâŚâ Certainly, the general public will await Chief Obasanjoâs touch upon her daughterâs political re-orientation. Which led again to my poser earlier if the group that pressured Senator Obasanjo mentioned the problem along with her father and what response did the elder stateman give. I’m certain sooner or later the previous president will make a public touch upon his daughterâs political resolution.
For now, we await to see if it will play out because the case of the Sarakis in Kwara State the place in opposition to all odds Senator Bukola Saraki successfully retired his father Senator Olusola Saraki from politics or as some are already suggesting that these strikes by scions of former PDP leaders are strikes to attain some but to be acknowledged hidden agenda in opposition to the ruling APC.
Which brings one to the problem of APC as a celebration within the equation of Ogun 2027. In Ogun State, the social gathering has had a great run in Ogun State since 2011 regardless of some hiccups that led to forceful electoral takeover from incumbent APC governor. Since 2019, nonetheless, it might be stated that the social gathering has been nurtured, sustained and held collectively largely by no different individuals than the incumbent governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, Chief Olusegun Osoba, a former governor and National chief of APC and Senator Adeola.
These three social gathering leaders in their very own method have weathered the storms from inside and with out together with electoral storm that might have spelt catastrophe for the social gathering in Ogun State. All method of anti-party actions by social gathering bigwigs at vital second had been orchestrated however adroitly managed to maintain the social gathering intact. For Senator Adeola, some public commentators have publicly proclaimed him a great ambassador of APC, not solely in Ogun State however throughout Nigeria.
Going towards 2027, will our social gathering, APC threat fielding candidates which are virtually being coerced or people who in a single day need to run on the social gatheringâs platform that had been nurtured and sustained by thick and skinny. From Senator Obasanjo revelations, PDP may as effectively be lifeless and buried with what she described as âall kinds of turmoilâ whereas if she is given the choice, she would have opted for African Democratic Congress (ADC).
But in accordance with her that coalition is but to have its âducks in a row yet; they are still working on itâ. Does this suggest that she sees ADC as an alternative choice to leap to as soon as the geese are actually in correct row? Very believable contemplating all we all know in regards to the nonetheless within the making contraption name ADC and its focus with largely disgruntled politicians. We await these developments.
On a be aware of commendation nonetheless, Senator Obasanjoâs declaration for Ogun 2027 knocks off some spiritual inclined aspirants that need to hinge end result of Ogun 2027 on faith. The drive to make spiritual issue a criterium for candidacy of Ogun 2027 suffered a setback for these going about attempting to promote an âawalokanâ for any faith in Ogun 2027.
