OGUN 2019: BETWEEN ‘YAYIMANIA’ AND ‘YAYIPHOBIA’
Who is afraid of Senator Adeola Yayi in Ogun 2019?”
By: Chief Kayode Odunaro
The race towards the Oke-Mosan Government House may still be some years away but trust politicians, the frenetic ground work for the successor of the outgoing incumbent Senator Ibikunle Amosun makes it look like the election for the office of Ogun State governor is a couple of weeks away. Political stakeholders in Ogun State appears to be harkening to axiom that the next election is always closer than the last election as the clock ticks and the days goes by.
For those who are politically savvy on Ogun State matters, one recurrent name in the race that loom large everywhere you go is Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola aka Yayi, an Ogun state born politician that is presently representing Lagos West Senatorial District, the largest senatorial District in Nigeria in terms of population, a district that dwarf many state of the federation in population.
His incursion to Ogun State political terrain dates back to 2012 when he was a member of the House of Representatives representing Alimosho Federal Constituency, again the largest federal constituency in Nigeria in terms of population. Then he had aspired to strengthen is fledging party ACN and later APC, in his homestead of Ogun West Senatorial District through campaign for the incumbent second term and running for the Ogun West Senatorial seat. In the end through a combination of factors bordering on his sudden popularity which did not go down well with the power that be, he made a return to Lagos and in demonstration of his constituents love for him, he went ahead to win the Lagos West Senatorial primaries as well as the general election giving him a 4th consecutive electoral win from state to the federal legislature.
With the incumbent exiting in 2019 in Ogun state after his second term, it is an open secret that Yayi has been consulting widely on the possibility of running for the No 1 seat in Ogun State and the responses he is getting from across the state is pointing towards a situation of people earnestly yearning to have a piece of the action of his famed grassroots politics that has seen him win election repeatedly and progressively for four times. As it stands a declaration to run for the position of Ogun State governor in 2019 is in the offing.
As it is the Yayi brand in Ogun State politics is an undeniable fact even without his declaration or rolling out the drum for the kind of campaign that had seen him winning elections in perhaps one of the most densely populated area of Nigeria. As it is many notable Ogun State politicians are reportedly rooting for and working for the realization of the ambition. Notably among such are Rt. Hon Tunji Egbetokun, the former Speaker of Ogun State House of Assembly and erstwhile Political Adviser to the incumbent governor. To be counted among those rooting for him are former House of Reps member, Hon. Bode Mustapha, former campaign director of the incumbent during the 2015, Hon. Adeyemi Adekunle, former representative of Ewekoro/Ifo Federal Constituency and a host of other former federal and state legislators. Former members of the Ogun State executive council are not left out in openly identifying with the Yayi brand. A notable one is Chief Samuel Aiyedogbon, a former Commissioner for Cooperative and Rural Development under the incumbent first tenure and a Consultant to the incumbent. He resigned his consultancy position to openly join Senator Adeola. A former commissioner of Youth Sports under the Otunba Gbenga Daniel administration Bar. Bukola Olopade aka Ozogula is also championing Yayi’s cause among a group of other cabinet members of that administration in a bipartisan support as Ozogula is a PDP member. He has gone on social media and in print publication to canvassed reason why Yayi is the best leg forward for Ogun 2019. In his class is also Hon. Tunji Akinosi, another commissioner under Otunba Daniel administration.
Other early supporters are 12 out of the 20 former elected Local Government Chairperson under the incumbent led by Mrs. Funmi Efuwape of Sagamu LGA and over 200 ex-councilors out of 236 councilors of the same administration. There is suspected support also from such personalities as two former governors and other top politicians who sees in Yayi all the qualities and experience suitable for a democrat on the seat at Oke- Mosan. Much party executive at state and LGA levels are also in secret romance with the aspiration of Yayi. Now on the streets and at the grassroots level, the words on every mouth is Yayi for even those whose only encounter with Yayi is through photo images and sounds as well as stories of the large heartedness of the man. Many intuitively look forward to a government headed by the Senator they have heard so much doing good deeds.
Only recently another group of political big wigs in Ogun Central in what is an upset and a breakaway from a closely knit group in PDP declared partisan support for Yayi, an APC politician. Led by Aare Tunde Alabi two time commissioner in Ogun State, the group have other notable leaders including Engineer Akeem Adesina, three time chairman of Obafemi Owode LGA and immediate past chairman of PDP, Ogun Central; Alhaji Moruph Ajisegiri, two time chairman of Abeokuta North LGA and former majority leader of OGHA; Chief Fohunola Abiola, a leader from Ewekoro LGA, Alhaji Saula Makinde, one time assistant Treasurer of PDP, Ogun state; Chief Oluwole Adeyi , former SA to Ogun State governor and Assistant State PRO of PDP ; Alhaji Nurudeen Olaleye, SLG to Abeokuta south LGA and Alhaji Lai Shobayo, a leader of PDP. Speaking on behalf of the group at the end of their meeting with Senator Adeola, Aare Alabi traced the history of PDP crisis in 2011 and 2015 and the numerous court cases with frivolous judgments that led to electoral failure for PDP stressing that it is time to support a candidate that can win election and be in government come 2019.
“ By the special grace of God, a Yewa man will be the governor of Ogun State in 2019 and we believe that the person is Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola aka Yayi. We are supporting him fully for the race on any platform he decides to run” Aare Alabi stated.
Now the question many are wont to ask is how did Yayi become a larger than life issue in the Ogun 2019 race even when he has not started any campaign to the extent that he is causing serious worries in the opposition parties as some of their key operative are openly expressing bipartisan support not minding that Senator Adeola is of the APC and would likely run on that platform. Also in the ruling APC, the larger than life image of Yayi looms large and one is yet to hear of any aspirant with the same frequency that the Yayi brand is now renowned and the grassroots meeting and mobilization that is on going on his behalf.
Several factors account for the wide acceptability of the Yayi brand in the race towards Ogun 2019. The first is a general one. Senator Adeola homestead in Ogun fall under the senatorial district of Ogun West, the only zone that has not so far tasted the seat of Governor even for a day in the over 42 years of creation of Ogun state. The clamor for the people of this district to produce the governor in the interest of equity, justice and fair-play has gotten to a crescendo that cannot be wave aside and for once they have in Yayi a candidate with a track record and qualities to seriously contest for the position.
Secondly, the generosity and philanthropy of Senator Adeola is legendary and with Ogun State sharing boundaries with Lagos state, not a few Ogun state citizens regularly goes to Lagos for business and social purposes and readily confirms that Yayi is indeed a man of the people in terms of identifying with their challenges and aspirations. In Ogun state, many have come to know him for his numerous good will gestures during Yuletide and other religious festivities and contribution to many community development initiatives like cultural festivals and community days. Only recently there was uproar over a donation he made for the celebration of World Teacher’s Day by NUT in Ogun state. Many see him as an innocent donor whose gesture was politicized even in his absence.
Another thing going for Yayi is his eloquence particularly in the area of Public Finance. Many have heard him on local radio interviews discussing local and national developmental issues and come away with the impression that the man knows what he is about in governance and public finance. Additionally, on serious national issues like screening of nominees of the Federal Government by the Senate, consideration of Appropriation Bills and other contribution in the course of legislative duties, all goes to show that this is a man with a passion for the people and good governance. Many Ogun state indigenes opportune to watch him comes away with the impression that this under 50 politician knows his onions on governance and public finance issues that is in sync with the democratic standards that Ogun state is noted for hitherto.
Also with Ogun state sharing boundaries with Lagos State, it is not in doubt that many Ogun state citizens may be looking forward to a replication of the Lagos model of development. Since 1999, that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu governed Lagos, a model of development was put in place that has been yielding progressive development in spite of the mega status of Lagos state. With Ogun sharing contiguous boundary with Lagos, it is expected that Ogun state should be next to Lagos in terms of development indices. Many believe that Yayi being a product and participant in the successful model of Lagos is well placed to replicate applicable vision in Ogun state. That may indeed be part of what is fueling what is now known as ‘Yayimania’ in Ogun state while his few traducers are believed to have Yayiphobia, an anti democratic state of mind that preaches exclusion of Yayi from Ogun 2019. As the days, weeks and months passes by the people of Ogun State will decide between Yayimania and Yayiphobia.
Chief Kayode Odunaro is the Baaroyin of Imala land
