By Akintunde Yusuf Akinloye
“THE GENUINE HISTORY OF MANKIND IS THE HISTORY OF IDEAS. IT IS
IDEAS THAT DISTINGUISH MAN FROM ALL OTHER BEINGS. IDEAS
ENGENDER SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS, POLITICAL CHANGES, TECHNOLOGI-
CAL METHODS OF PRODUCTION, AND ALL THAT IS CALLED ECONOMIC
CONDITIONS.” ~ LUDWIG VON MISES
The journey to the 2023 general election has in reality begun as all stakeholders and party chieftain across political parties are scheming and mobilizing to gained and earned the strong support of their party leaders, stakeholders, and general members in securing one ticket or the other.
But let us go into the political scheming, mobilizing, and politicking inside the present opposition party in Oyo State, All Progressive Congress (APC), where the game will be tension ‘soaked’, as the caliber of personalities the party will be parading seem to look too much intimidating and forcing a possible implosion if the respective officers at various levels do not play the card very well and without biases.
Without given preference to any aspiring personalities within the party, we will be having a glimpse of the ‘achieving’ Distinguished Sen. Abdul-Fatai Buhari of Oyo North Senatorial District of the state who will be testing the guber contest water within his APC as the journey begins.
Sen. Fatai Buhari, a Ph.D. holder, highly cerebral, well-read, humanity personify, a core party man, influential, and one of the shining stars of Oyo APC. With his scorecard as the member of the upper chamber of the National Assembly, and making that office in keeping the hope of the teeming party members within and beyond his district alive that, a dividend of democracy is a realistic one and not a promissory one as known for in time immemorial. The lists are out there to testify to the achievement records of the Ogbomosho-born politician and lawmaker.
A caveat, the Nigerian political process has for years been tailored towards; ethnic, race, religion, tribe, sentiments and not on merit, and consequently messing the whole of the system up. Why raising that? It is a big factor to consider in any political calculation and permutation, and most especially in this pacesetting state where the tone of Nigerian politics has always been set. That then draws us to why there is/are need to be merit focus, for the interest of all.
Judging from the above, the Omoluabi Senator (as some fondly call Sen. Fatai Buhari), hails from the Ogbomosho geopolitical zone of the state and which has five local governments; Surulere, Ogo-Oluwa, Ogbomosho North, Oriire and Ogbomosho South. And presently sitting on other 10 local governments from the Okeogun geopolitical zones of the state. But did he has the total control of the 15 local government altogether where many political gladiators and deciders hail from, notably, former Gov. Adebayo Alao Akala, Minister Sunday Dare, former Minister Dr. Adebayo Shittu, Chief Mrs. Hannah Ogunesan, Hon. Bunvic Odebunmi, Hon. Shinna Peller, Prof. Adeolu Akande; NCC Chair (who is also an aspirant), Hon. Olumide Ojerinde, Hon. Yekeen Popoola (former ALGON Chairman), Baba Abu Gbadamosi, Hon. Azuzu and a host of many other political actors from where he is presently trading his politics.
And will the gentle but strategic Sen. Fatai Buhari scheme through those political gladiators and deciders before advancing his game to further keep in his bag the support of the four Oyos; Atiba, Oyo East, Oyo West, and Afijio through the ‘royal’ intervention of Hon. Akeem Adeyemi Skimeh, Rt. Hon. Asimiyu Alarape, Dr. Yunus Akintunde, Barr. Wakil Oyedemi, Hon. K. K. Raji, Barr. Muideen Alatede, Hon. Seyi Adisa and few others? But will Hon. Akeem Skimeh not looking forward to a more deal to secure his third term ticket, if he so interested than throwing his full weight behind the Ogbomosho man in a power shift game? What is presently the interest of Hon. Seyi Adisa of Afijio? Will Barr. Muideen Alatede has a change of mind, even though his present interest still favors the power shift game? Where will the former Speaker OYHA, Rt. Hon. Alarape stand?
Thanks to Gov. Seyi Makinde who has genuinely handed over the bulk votes of the Ibarapas to the APC in the state for mismanaging the security situation of the axis, then leading to loss of life and properties. There is no political calculation or permutation that can favor the ruling People Democratic Party (PDP) in the state. They have lost the fame in the three local governments making up the seven Ibarapas. So, the Distinguished Sen. Fatai Buhari only needs to complement the work done by Gov. Seyi Makinde in that zone for APC, and so do others who need to within the party. But who blink first to earn high in that troubled zone of the state presently?
On the last lap is where the real politics will be played. The Ibadan geopolitical zone has always been tagged been ‘selfish’ in not having an interest in relinquishing power to the other deserving zone. And that is where the bulk of the Oyo state votes reside. A zone with more than half of the voting strength of the entire state will always have the upper hand in any political contest over any other. But still, talking about merit, the perceived aspirants there have it. Talking about other political strategies, they as well have it. Then, how does Omoluabi Fatai Buhari think of scaling through the Ibadan politics? Only God and he knew the card he will be playing in that political headquarters of the state, South West and Nigeria as a whole, and it can only be through a game where he will be making use of loopholes that will be created by other Ibadan aspirants, notably; Adebayo Adelabu (2019 guber candidate of the party, APC), Sen. Teslim Folarin of Oyo Central Senatorial District, Mogaji Engr. Joseph Tegbe, Chief ‘Niyi Akintola SAN, and few others, to weakening each other’s strength. Truthfully, it is not a game of dice, but a game of throne. How will Sen. Abdul-Fatai Buhari freestyle his swimming skill in the political pool of the state?
On the sideway, in all sincerity, the late Sen. Isiaq Abiola Ajimobi’s leadership skills will be missed during the height of the politicking, May The Soul of ‘The Bridge Builder’ Rest In Peace (Amen). To recap, Abiola Ajimobi as a person will be greatly missed in the political process of Oyo State APC in 2023, and Abiola Ajimobi as a name may not be able to count for anything in the process. That is the reality many do not always agree with, the process will reveal it all.
For whatever reason, no one is not qualified to contest the guber ticket of the All Progressive Congress (APC) presently, it is an open contest.
Next Monday, Watch For Another Guber Aspirant……….
Akintunde Yusuf Akinloye writes from Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.
