In the next seven months, September 22nd to be precise, the good people of Osun state will decide successor of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the fourth democratically elected Governor of the state. The race is on for Governor of the state who will be saddled the affairs of the state for the next four years or beyond. Names of potential candidates have been bandied around, posters, billboards, local mobilizations are at top gear and political permutations at it’s peak. By general calculation or rotation, Osun West Senatorial District is expected to produce the next Governor. However, there are aspirants from the Eastern and Central Senatorial Districts, signifying interest on both sides of the divide, i mean the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Over the last few years a lot has happened within the ruling party (APC) and the major opposition party (PDP), both suffering from internal democracy, massive impunity and inability to conduct free fair and credible Congresses. There is massive division, the dichotomy between the home based and the so-called foreign based politician in the APC. Although the problem might be half solved as far as APC is concerned because the Governor who’s also the leader of the party in the state already had his way in the last ward Congress by voting out party official that are not loyal to him and other perceived enemies that might be the clog in wheel of selecting who will succeed him as the Governor. As far as PDP is concerned internal democracy is still the bane they are unable to conduct ward congress, they are sharply divided along Soji Adagunodo faction and Bayo Faforiji/Omisore faction. There are possibilities of emergence of third force for safe abode from the outcast or disgruntled element from the two major parties who are outnumbered by the majority, politics is the game of number so they say.
There might be possibilities of another force where in the last few weeks we saw the emergence of the movement called coalition for Nigeria, engineered by former president Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and spearheaded by the immediate former Governor of the state Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola. One still wonders whether it’s a political party in the making or a sociopolitical movement or a civil society organization. Osun elections might be their litmus test to showcase their popularity and strength. We don’t need a political party of saint and Angels. We need a political party with ideology and candidates with realistic programmes and we should be wary of politics of Bandwagon and look out for special leadership qualities from the candidates.
The corridors of our public life are littered with opportunists and greedy self-centered dying politician, who are ready to grab power by all means and it is settled that we need those who have genuine stake in the state, those who will make effort to create a society that everybody will have a taste of good and balanced governance. it is also settled that we need a political party with clear and ideological commitment and candidate with realistic programme, which is the trick that will expose lack of direction of some of our politicians, cluelessness of most of those who make loud claim top scholastic attainments or those who speak fluent and big grammar that will not necessarily translate to good governance.
The good people of Osun must watch out and we must not confuse champions for leaders, nor prominence for pre-eminence. We must not confuse eloquence with honesty, neither must we confuse silence for wisdom. We must not confuse good looks for efficiency nor bravado for courage. We should look out for a leader who sees himself and act as the servant of the people, not their master, a leader that will ensure fairness and equity to the various groups, a leader who will be the trusted friend of the people and protector of less privileged. We require leaders who will make the right judgment of the people and of situations. We want a leader who must be accountable to the people. We want a leader who must be fanatical for the peoples’ welfare and must all time stand for justice and symbolize good governance.
Above all Osun State needs a smart and intelligent person with an experience in financial engineering and fiscal responsibility, someone that will improve the internally generated revenue, debt negotiations and debt servicing, an experts that’s in touch with the reality on ground. A Governor who listen to people’s yearnings and aspirations, shapes them in to policy that will affect lives of the people. We should look out for a servant leader that will take human welfare serious, balanced with infrastructural development. A leader that will leverage on our massive tourism potential, agricultural potential and solid mineral base. A Governor that will identify areas of revenue generation and investment opportunities in the state and provide useful business information on them to attract potential investor and private sectors to reduce unemployment to the nearest minimum to breakaway from civil servants state to one of the largest economy in Nigeria.
All opinions and errors are mine.
Femi Adesola
Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @osundotlife
Advertising on osun.life targets thousands of readers every day from Osun State and from all over the world. With a direct weekly reach of 70,000 and extended weekly reach of 200,000. Call Raphael on 07034651034 or check our rates page
Have a scoop or story suggestion that osun.life should cover? You can email your tip to us directly at editor@osun.life. We will respect your anonymity.