OGUN APC IN SEARCH OF WINNING FORMULA

Few days ago I promised to write an open letter to the leadership of the APC in the state over sundry issues I observed that is capable of affecting the performance of the party and its candidates in the coming general elections.

But because of current situation within the party, one find it difficult who to direct such write-up to since the party officials as at today seems not to be on the same page with majority of the stakeholders and candidates that will represent them in 2019 general elections. In the absence of that let me direct this piece to the leaders Chief Olusegun Osoba as the Supreme leader, Dr. Dapo Abiodun being the party guber flagbearer and Senator Odunsi being the leader from the Ogun West of the party as well as the other collegiate leaders.

Firstly, let me say that myself and many other associates have deliberately withhold our open support for any of the current gubernatorial candidates in the state because of current happenings within the polity. Despite enjoying very close association with one of the APC strong stakeholder, one still feel reluctant to fully key into the party project for obvious reasons which bothers on poor organizations and inability of the party to take some key decisions which indeed ought to have put the party in good shape.
One of such decisions is fielding the party's Deputy Governor from Ogun Central as against general expectations that Ogun West should be "pacified" with the position. At least as it stands, that is what is currently obtainable officially. Although I have been hearing about a possibility of substituting the name for a yet to be decided person from Ogun West. How best can one describe a party to be unserious than this?

As much as I wouldn't want to sound biased, I think the party leadership should consolidate the mandate of Prince Dapo Abiodun by going ahead to adopt Hon Abiodun Isiaq Akinlade who by every standard is a popular and generally acceptable personality within the party. In doing so, many people will not only key into his choice but the choice will add so much value and integrity into the project.

Abiodun Akinlade is a man that has created for himself a name capable of drawing quality support from every other zones away from his home-base Yewa-Awori.
Here is a man who while he was holding previous political positions has remained detribalised by extending his physical infrastructures and human capital empowerment across the state. To the best of my knowledge, several Ogun East and Ogun Central Youths have benefitted from his aggressive employment drive while some institutions (Government, Corporate and Social) have also enjoyed from his supports. This also is all over for one to see.

In all, what the party and/or it's candidate should occupy themselves with is how to put together a winning formula with very little extra efforts owing to the existing issues the platform is experiencing.

I wish the party and its candidates well in their endeavors.

Accept assurances of my highest regards.

Adegbokiki Kamorudeen
Abeokuta North Local Government

AS ATINUKE THOMAS CELEBRATES HUBBY'S BIRTHDAY, FRIENDS JOIN "OMOLUWABI LASGIDI" TO HONOR HIM WITH KIND WORDS.

For everyone that know Atinuke, a.k.a. "Omoluwabi-Lasgidi" will quite agree that only a special breed man like Akinwunmi can truly accommodate her. Not because Atinuke has any negative character of such but because of her frequent presence at almost every BIG PARTIES especially in Lagos. Having Atinu at your party is enough to brighten the dancing floor for as long as your musician still holds the mic(in fact, I'm considering she begin to charge people before she can attend their events)

It is on this premise that a friend couldn't hold his admiration of a man who has always been at peace with his wife and everyone around as he add another year days ago having few family and friends around to eat, drink and dance.

BELOW IS WHAT WAS SAID ABOUT ENGR. AKINWUNMI THOMAS.
I don't know of any woman who has not paid a huge price for love. Its a woman's thing. My mother will always remind that "I suffered in the hands of your father". Its a cliche dear. The women always bear the brunt. But please do not take away the fact that you have a fantastic man. He tolerates your excesses. Most men have a jealous streak. Not all men would permit their wives to be on WhatsApp or Facebook groups. Give him the credit. He has a nobility of the heart and generosity of the spirit.

He gives you the latitude to go to parties at the shortest notice and the slightest inkling..Give him the credit. It is only men who don't have confidence in themselves that shield their wives from the public. So, he is a man I admire and doff my hat for any day. If we have men like that, women would always shatter the glass ceiling that is the exclusive preserve of men. Take it from me, you can go to places with a man like your husband. He won't hold you down. It doesn't now matter if you have paid the supreme price. What matters is that he is a great man...👍"

OGUN 2019: "AMOSUN MORE COMMITTED TO OGUN WEST AGENDA MORE THAN GNI, OTHERS." -Hon. Tayo Oyekanmi.

Ogun 2019: Triple A To Be Or Not To Be!

 By: Tayo Oyekanmi

The decision of the National Working Committee of the APC  led by the enfant terrible Adam Oshiomole to stand as a composite bulwark against the candidature of Hon ABDULKABIR Adekunle Akinlade who emerged as the winner of the Governorship primary held in Ogun State on the 2nd of October undermines the party's credentials as a truly progressive party. The party has descended to an all-time low of where anything goes, as such cannot live up to the billing of worthy of her name. That action has exposes the party to ridicule and as well send bad signal to the outside world that the party is a nest and amalgamation of cabals where fairness, justice and equity have no meaning. Thus, the party cannot claim to be different from the pack with this kind of high level impunity.

Now that the Party has almost shut her door against Triple A candidature for the governorship election, following the continuous prevarication, the approbation and reprobation of the unreasonable justification of a never held October 3rd governorship primary will not help APC in Ogun State. Then, what are the options available to Triple A?  One of the options is to take everything in his chin and stay with the party even with open robbery and perish the hope of APC faithful who believes in Ogun West Agenda. The other option is to be a risk taker, take the bull by the horns, and see the unjust treatment as a challenge that must be overcome by flying the flag of another political party for the purpose of Governorship election. Examples of those who have done that and went on to win are bound just as those who lost too.

Truly the rumours has not been abating in the last few weeks of Triple A moving to another political party but with a good number of the people been hysterical and expressing reservations about such adventure, opining that it will result to a stillbirth like the 2011 episode under Otunba Gbenga Daniel. However, some of these political enthusiasts have taken their speculation and political postulation to higher level of pure sentiment diluted with emotions and cheer passion bereft of any logical empirical political inquiry of the present phenomenon emanating from the interface or competition among major actors with special and different idiosyncrasies in the political arena that can validate the vainglorious postulations. Rather, rational enquiries with facts and figures that can lead to objective projections are not put into the process. This is surely a deception and cannot stand the test of time. Though as rightly observed by Wilson Tozer, of all forms of deception, self-deception is the deadliest and of all deceived persons, the self-deceived are the least likely to discover the fraud or perhaps pretend not to have discovered the truth so as to drag other people into their deception. Not to be carried away by the deception of history, it is highly important for the people to know that despite the fact that history has a way of repeating itself, but that is if we do not properly guide against it. Life’s occurrences and vicissitudes of such are ordinarily supposed to be a learning curve for those who want to learn and avoid the pitfalls and landmines of yesteryears. We must also realise that the only thing constant in life is change.

A peep into the historical account and context of what happened under OGD and the present political imbroglio in APC look very similar in nature but surely not the same. In the first place, the dramatis personae are not the same. The statistics in terms of the indices, facts and figures are not the same. The time is different as such the voters are slightly different in terms of those who have attained voting age since after 2011. The circumstances are not the same just as it's a truism that no two elections are always the same in terms of everything. Therefore, we cannot safely as a Political Scientist conclude that the outcome will be the same cul-de-sac expedition. It will be hasty, personal prejudice and highly subjective to do that for an election that's yet to take place.

In our clime, aside some level of general acceptability of individuals, the major factors of winning elections is the structures and platforms/political parties, not leaving out availability of resources too. The present political configuration of Ogun State shows 3 major structures as being dominant and effectively efficient to win elections. These are the SIA structure, OGD and Osoba structures. There is no OBJ structure anywhere in the State. Baba is a Nationalist cum international figure not too keen on the rigours of grass root politicking. All the 3 structures are presently domicile in either APC, PDP, ADC or ADP so to say. The most formidable political Structure in Ogun State today is no doubt Amosun's. We can argue from now till tomorrow but the truth is always true. This structure might have become formidable on the account of Amosun being the Governor. But the structure dates back to 2003 from Central Senatorial districts before spreading to the other 2 senatorial districts in 2007 through the defunct ANPP platform and became what it is today since 2011 when Amosun became the Governor.  OGD and his political dexterity actually inherited the JMK structure, turned it into a political machine. But today, the structure might have seen her best glory in the years past as it is presently fractured and fragmented into Buruji's, Lado's, Dimeji's in ADP, the Kawonishe's in YES party and not forgetting those in Accord party too. The Akinrogun Osoba's structure is the most enduring in the State today but the potency of that structure is in doubt, maybe on the account of long years of absence from Government. It has been badly hit by economic factors at the local level leaving a lot of foot soldiers to become journey men. Besides, the last adventure of the structure with the SDP in 2015 ended up badly.

The SIA structure has become a sizeable enclave, a significant factor in the demographic, political and electoral calculus of where Ogun State is heading in the next election. If Triple A decides to try his luck elsewhere, of course with the full backing of SIA political structure, his candidature and the new party becomes a force to be reckoned with instantly. While the biggest and immediate causality of that movement will surely and definitely be APC as a political party in Ogun State. Those pushing for the exit of SIA structure are not taking this into consideration. Hitherto, no political party can shout Eureka yet in the State. The APC almost have it in the kitty but with the present impasse, things are no longer the same.

If the issue become more pertinent around the noble course of Ogun West agenda and looking at the best approach and chance to cement the governorship aspiration on solid ground for the first time in history, no matter how difficult and rigorous it becomes, then, GNI and the rest of ADC team must find a means and understanding of working together with Triple A and the larger and tested structure of SIA political family. If the aspiration is about Ogun West then something must give way. This might not be palatable to some hearing.  But we must become practical and realistic in our quest for the governorship contest. Ogun West cannot fight the governorship battle without a propelling force in the mode of Governor Amosun with the State power. Unless we are thinking of just participating in the contest but not winning like participants at the Olympic. The biggest backer of Ogun West governorship aspiration as at today, that possess courage in abundance, conviction and have what it takes to drive the process to a logical conclusion remain no other person than Amosun. Though difficult from the surface for the camp of GNI, having done a lot of ground works; But the difficulty of it does not implies that it is out rightly impossible. Putting it succinctly, the difficulty of a task should not be an excuse to avoiding it. As Orison Swett Marden said "Success is not measured by what you accomplish but by the opposition you have encountered and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds". In this case, we talk about the collective success of Ogun West in the Governorship race. May we have the courage and honour to do that which will lead us to our collective goal.

Hon. Tayo Oyekanmi is a former Leader Ipokia Legislative Council