TUNDE OLAMILEKAN, Osogbo
The promise of freedom has been a central theme in Nigeria’s political evolution, from the colonial struggle to post-independence, military regimes, and the return to democracy. This promise is often found in political speeches, constitutions, and declarations made by leaders to inspire hope and signal change.
The promise of freedom within a Nigerian political party is often expressed through party manifestos, campaign speeches, or foundational declarations. During electioneering campaign, the message of freedom is mostly used by political parties or candidate to outwit each other, most especially when one of the parties or candidates is held down by a cabal or what we call godfatherism.
In Osun, such is the campaign of an aspirant under the All Progressives Congress (APC) for next year’s governorship election. The aspirant whose politics transcend the shores of Osun State is currently causing a silent uprising within the ranks of the opposition party as they prepare to wrestle power from the incumbent governor, Nurudeen Jackson Ademola Adeleke.
When Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999, the aspirant became the Deputy Governor of Osun State, he later became the Senator representing Osun East Senatorial District in 2003 and the Chairman of the powerful Senate Committee on Appropriations. He became the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and contested against the then governor, Rauf Aregbesola in 2014, he lost.
In 2018, he became the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), he polled over one hundred thousand votes with majority of the numbers coming from his native home of Ife, the civil servants and the Christian community. He later formed a coalition with the All Progressive Congress to win that election during a rerun poll for the APC candidate, Gboyega Oyetola.
Later in February, 2021, he officially joined the All Progressives Congress and in March 2022, he became the National Secretary of the party. It was the same NWC that emerged during the March 2022 convention that ushered in the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima as President and Vice President respectively.
However in a coup-like event, he resigned from office as the National Secretary in July 2023. His name? Christopher Iyiola Omisore, a man whose entry into the gubernatorial race under the platform of the All Progressives Congress has changed the dynamics of things in Osun APC.
According to political analysts, Omisore has changed the dynamics of things in the APC since he announced his intention to contest next year’s governorship election. Omisore who has been meeting the rank and file of the party to sell his candidacy, within a short while caused the dynamics of the clamour for the coveted APC guber ticket to change.
Omisore whose campaign agenda is dubbed ‘Rescue Mission’ began the actualization of this agenda within his own party, promising every organ of the party a rescue from the current way the party is operated. The message of freedom and emancipation of Omisore resonating within the hierarchy of the party is a pointer to the fact that people are tired of the leadership of the party under the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola.
For the past six years, all decisions of the party has been made by Oyetola, he is the overall leader of the party whose primary duty it is to see to the overall progress of the party and welfare of its members. Oyetola’s model which has been operating for six years may soon come to an end with the promise of freedom that Omisore represents.
Leadership is often seen as the ability to inspire, direct, and act decisively. However, its true strength is revealed not during calm, but during times of crisis. The question remains: Can leadership fail if challenged? The answer depends on the nature of the leadership, the ideals supporting it, and the context of the challenge. Such is the complex and current situation of Gboyega Isiaka Oyetola whose leadership is being challenged or will soon be challenged by members and hithertho followers of his party.
However being challenged does not automatically mean failure. Great leaders are often defined by how they respond to challenges, not by the absence of them. In the case of Oyetola, this may be a difficult one for him considering his strong approach to governance and weak approach to politics.
It was Obafemi Awolowo who said “Political freedom without economic freedom is like a car without fuel. You may have the right to move, but no means to do so.” One of the greatest undoing of Gboyega Oyetola and a grave error in modern politics is the consistent garment or toga of “stinginess” worn by Oyetola, the foundation of politics is philantrophy or the ability to give.
A year into the administration of the then Governor, Oyetola, I foresaw his loss when party adherrent reminisce the days of Rauf Aregbesola and how it bettered their lives and no one is talking about the gesture of the current governor. He ran the same model Kayode Fayemi did in his first term when he lost in all the LGAs of Ekiti State during his re-election campaign, same model that didn’t return Jibrilla Bindow as Adamawa Governor, same model that didn’t return Mohammed Abubakar as Bauchi Governor. There is no doubt that these guys including Oyetola did well as governors but the absence of genuine gospellers (party men and women) made it difficult for the outsiders (residents) to see the good part of their administration.
Since his days as Chief of Staff, Oyetola has allowed the people of Osun most especially the people around him to robe him with the garment of stinginess, this he carried into office as governor and this he still proudly wear as Minister of Marine and Blue Economy. In my numerous interaction with members of the APC in Osun, there are several people who either served with Oyetola or are important members of the party who has had their own share of this “stinginess” from their leader.
Akande, in his autobiography, “My Participations,” said “Iyiola Omisore crept into my life like a silent malignant cancer. He came in full force. In a few months, I thought I knew him. I regret I did not know him in his true colours.” With Omisore’s past anteceedents in Osun, the violence during his impeachment era, his prosecution and acquittal. One wonders how the progressives can look past the resentment they have for him after Bola Ige died and accept him the way they are doing now! The only thing that comes to mind is to say the members of the APC in Osun are not happy.
At a stakeholders meeting called in July by the Minister, it was said that he gave a transport allowance of Five Hundred Thousand Naira only (N500,000) to be shared among 69 LG/LCDA chairmen and another Five Hundred Thousand Naira only (N50,000) among over 40 former members of the State House of Assembly. Such is the disrespect that lieutenants loyal to Gboyega Oyetola continue to face in Osun. Members of the party continue to live from hand to mouth, the condition of those who left office in 2022 is even more critical than those who were never in that government.
Omisore’s hope of a better financial freedom is what Gboyega Oyetola has to contend with as the APC prepare for the primary election. This is a topic that Oyetola never addressed in his four-year term as governor, this is a topic he has not addressed in his last three years as Minister, this is a topic he must address NOW. Some people will argue that coming from the private sector, it is his style and he is too old to change. However, there were several people who came from the private sector and excelled in politics, one of them is President Bola Tinubu, another is Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State who understood that you must continually and unconditionally give to receive in politics.
Oyetola will celebrate his 71st birthday on the 29th of September, May I beseech him to try a new approach to politics for the next four years and do a holistic review on his 75th birthday to see if the results would be different or not. For the sake of everything Oyetola holds dear and most especially the fate of those tied to August 8, 2026 governorship election, he must adjust especially if his “anointed” aspirant, Bola Oyebamiji, the Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority, emerges as candidate of the party.
In annointing Bola Oyebamiji, one of the most critical steps is analyzing the assets and liabilities that Bola inherits. These determine the value of the Oyetola in Oyebamiji’s campaign and possible administration if he succeeds, However, the current weight of Oyetola’s liabilities is heavy for Oyebamiji to carry and it is pertinent on Oyetola to project more asset on Oyebamiji than liabilities.
One thing I also find amusing is the fact that no one talks about what Oyetola has done but everyone talks about what he hasn’t done. I do not believe Oyetola is a bad person, I do not believe he doesn’t give, maybe he does conditionally and with a limited circle of people. One of the people I spoke with said “People might not come out to say it, but a lot of us are happy with the Omisore’s entry, in actual sense, he is not the best we can offer the people of the state but we just want to be free from Oyetola. Oyebamiji seems like a good person and people are trying to see him as a different entity from Oyetola, but a lot of people are just tired of the way Oyetola has been running the party since he took over in 2018.”
Another person said “Oyetola is not a politician, and this might affect his preferred aspirant in the primary and in the election proper. Even when he was the governor, he didn’t give people the opportunity to flourish, unlike his predecessor, Aregbesola, who gave members of the APC an avenue to grow and become something in life when he was the governor, Oyetola has not done a lot for people, and the few ones who flourish did so at his pace.”
Comments like “He is not a politician” should no longer be seen as a compliment for someone who has officially been in school (corridors of power) since 2010, it’s been a whopping fifteen years for Oyetola to have mastered the art and act of politics. The upcoming examination on the 8th of August, 2026 will be stiff, the playing ground is not level considering the popularity of Ademola Adeleke. This election is the legacy of Gboyega Oyetola, it is how he will be remembered, let no one tell him it doesn’t matter since he won’t be on the ballot, it matters MORE.
For APC to stand a chance in next year’s election, Oyetola must first be rebranded, the members of the party must see that he is genuinely interested in their wellbeing through actions and decisions. Oyetola must expand his tentacles beyond his close circle of confidants, he must give or be seen to give every rank and file the opportunity to compete and succeed. That is the only way to stop the current hemoraghing to what Iyiola Omisore represents and that is the only way to galvanize his members to success in the governorship and subsequent polls.
Sending my best wishes to all members of the ADC, APC and PDP as we prepare for our election!
I also send my best wishes to our immediate past Governor, Isiaq Adegboyega Oyetola and also wish him a Happy 71st birthday in advance!
Wishing all Osun people home and abroad journey mercies during this ember period!!
God Bless Osun and May Osun Succeed!
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