Osun guber: The candidates, their chances, deficiencies

Barely three weeks to the Governorship election in Osun state, and the subsequent release of the list of candidates of various Political parties for the poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); the stage appears set for the election and the battle is seen to be among five major contenders which might make the poll very tasking for whoever will emerge in the September 22 election.
Lateef Dada writes.
The popularity of the two major parties in the country, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) is expected to determine the outcome of the September 22 governorship poll in the State of Osun.
However, the personalities that have dominated the scene in the state may have increased the popularity of some of the other parties in the governorship contest.
The personalities that are flagbearers of five major political parties, Gboyega Oyetola of All Progressives Congress, APC; Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP; Moshood Adeoti of the Action Democratic Party, ADP; Iyiola Omisore of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, and Fatai Akinbade of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, are leaving no stone unturned to ensure victory of their party in the coming election.
Though, the candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Alhaji Fatai Akinbade, is also a strong and popular personality to be reckoned with, the choice of party and his frequent defection from one political party to another may have affected his popularity as many of his followers are said to have refused to follow him to the new party.
He will definitely pull crowd because of the involvement of the former Governor of the state, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and his deputy, Retired Justice Folahanmi, who was suspended because of the letter he wrote to expose Governor Rauf Aregbesola while still serving as the state Judge.
According to speculation and analysis by political gladiators, of all the 48 candidates released by INEC, only APC, PDP, SDP, ADP, and ADC, may not negotiate for money or appointment like many unpopular candidates who have already showed intention to align with major political parties to get money or political appointment.
Therefore, the September 22 election may be a serious battle among the five parties as they are presently controlling high number of members and also have strong political influence with committed followers in the state.
Gboyega Oyetola (APC) The candidate of the APC is the Chief of Staff to the state government until his resignation recently to contest the governorship election.
He is no doubt intelligent and possesses the requisite knowledge to governor Osun state.
He has financial muscle to flesh being a very rich man that was said to have managed one of the companies of the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu before he was appointed as the Chief of Staff in the state.
The state government and Tinubu are expected to support his campaign financially, hence, making it easy for him to contest with rich candidates in the race.
The present Governor of the state,Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, though, may not like the choice of Oyetola, the work he has done in the eight years of his tenure would seriously be relied upon and would be the major campaign for Oyetola.
The personality of Aregbesola and many chieftains of APC would seriously determine the victory of APC.
However, the major problem that may hinder his free ride to the government house is the circumstances that led to his emergence as the party’s flagbearer through a direct primary which was rejected by many of his cocontestants in the primary election and some members of APC who alleged that he was imposed on the party.
The process was said to have already been schemed in his favour before the election having been the alleged cousin and adopted candidate of Tinubu.
His emergence has brought serious setback to the party as many chieftains have left with their followers.
The emergence of Oyetola also led to the defection of the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, who has picked the governorship ticket of the ADP.
Also, nine members of the state Working Committee of APC led by the Deputy State Chairman of APC, Alhaji Azeez Issa Adesiji, have also joined the SSG in ADP.
Other members that followed Adesiji are: Alhaji Tajudeen Agbeti, Ex-officio, Prince Ademola Bamidele, State Auditor, Alhaji Rasheed Bakare, Assistant General Secretary, Akinola Morakinyo, State PRO, Wole Adunola, Ex-officio, Dr.
Idayat Bakare, Assistant Welfare Secretary, Mrs.
Ogundare Aina Afolabi, Assistant PRO and Alhaji Sikiru Karim, Assistant Treasurer, among thousands of their followers.
The former Commissioner for Finance, Dr.
Wale Bolorunduro, former Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Sunday Akere, current Commissioner for Agriculture, Kunle Ige, have also joined Adeoti in ADP.
These are people that played a major role in ensuring the return of Governor Aregbesola to the office in 2014.
Almost 90 percent of the workers in the state are presently not in support of Oyetola and seriously maligning him and praying that he should not emerge the governor of the state.
He was said to be behind the half salary being paid to workers and described by people close to him as a “stingy and unfriendly person.
Many people believed that Oyetola himself cannot boast of 500 votes that would be as a result of those he has helped since eight years he has been in the state.
A check in his town, Iragbiji, also revealed that he is not popular in the community as many of those that are ready to vote for him are doing so because of the brotherhood.
Senator Ademola Adeleke (PDP) The candidate of PDP is also a personality that would pull crowd because of the already built name and personality of his late brother, Senator Isiaka Adeleke.
Ademola emerged the Senator representing Osun West because of the sympathy votes he got shortly after the death of his brother, and thus replaced his late brother at the Senate.
Some people, especially the family of Adeleke believed that the state government was involved in the death of Isiaka because he has shown intention to contest the governorship election.
Another factor that may help PDP candidate is his financial muscle.
He is surely being supported by his rich brother who is the father of the popular musician, Davido, Deji Adeleke.
Ademola in a video trending on social media has hinted that he would be supported by the richest man in Africa, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, who is a very close friend of his rich brother, Deji Adeleke.
But, his love for dance, which people have seen as “abnormal” is the major discussion and a major campaign against him by the ruling party.
His inability to address issues whenever asked to talk in public is another hindrance that may likely affect him.
The major problem is his certificate which is being challenged in court.
The certificate that surfaced online showed that the PDP candidate has F9 in one subject and others pending.
This to many people, has showed that he does not qualify to govern the state.
Alhaji Moshood Adeoti (ADP) The candidate of Action Democratic Party, ADP, is the major problem for the ruling APC in the coming election.
He is likely to have sympathy vote because of his alleged marginalisation by the Governor when he was the SSG.
Most of his works were said to have been given to the Chief of Staff, Gboyega Oyetola, who is now the candidate of APC.
He was said to have suffered for the party, especially when he was remanded for many times in different prisons, among other party chieftains, during the time of Olagunsoye Oyinlola.
Another factor that may favour him is the “West Agenda” being clamoured for by political leaders in the state.
Some of the leaders believed that the Osun West Senatorial District should produce the next Governor in the state.
This clamour for West has led to the defection of many chieftains of the party from the ruling APC.
Also, it was gathered that 14 members of the state House of Assembly are planning to join ADP but efforts are on to retain them.
Adeoti was the Chairman of ACN for seven years before it metamorphosed into APC.
Because of this, he has boasted that those of them that started the party from AD, AC, ACN before becoming APC, are moving to ADP and leaving APC for “Lagos people” as they described Governor Aregbesola and the party’s candidate, Oyetola.
But, the newness of his party has been a major discussion as people continue to wonder how they would educate voters, especially, market women and traders who are the largest voters, to recognise their logo on the ballot paper.
Senator Iyiola Omisore (SDP) The candidate of SDP has been in the race for a very long time and has always been the major contender, though under the platform of PDP.
An indigene of Ile-Ife in the East senatorial district of the state, Omisore was between 1999 and 2001, the Deputy Governor of the state.
He was the running mate of Chief Adebisi Akande in the 1999 election and it was on record that he sponsored the campaign of the then Alliance for Democracy (AD) that produced Akande.
He, however, parted ways with Akande following his alleged intention to take over from the former governor, a situation which did not go down well with Akande, who was also interested in a second term.
However, Omisore was impeached by the state House of Assembly in a controversial circumstance and he eventually pitched tent with the PDP leaders in the state.
He was detained for months following his alleged complicity in the killing of the late Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Chief James Ajibola Ige who was murdered in his Bodija, Ibada residence in December, 2001.
He was later discharged and acquitted.
A business mogul with international connection, Omisore while in detention contested the senatorial election of the Ife/ Ijesha senatorial district of Osun state and won the election in 2003.
He was reelected as a Senator in 2007 and but lost in his bid to return to the senate in 2011, having lost to Senator Jide Omoworare of the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).
Omisore is a force to reckon with in the state as he has the financial muscle to contest any election and also possesses good connection with the presidency.
He has a strong political structure in all the 30 Local Government Areas of the state.
Senator Omisore has been nursing the ambition to govern the state as far back as 1999 when he was about to clinch the AD ticket but the last minute political maneuvering by late Chief Bola Ige, who drafted Chief Bisi Akande into the race denied him that opportunity.
He was however compensated with the position of the deputy governor.
Another opportunity for Omisore came again in 2003 after he had fallen out with Akande which led to his impeachment.
This time around he has dusted his political machinery and was the leading aspirant among the 19 aspirants of the PDP until his implication in the murder of Bola Ige.
He was however replaced by Prince Oyinlola by late Chief Sunday Afolabi.
Omisore was later compensated with a seat in the senate which he won from the prison.
Apart from his wealth, connections and influence across the length and breadth of the country, Omisore as a grassroots mobilizer has invested in people who are now paying him back with their support for his ambition.
He has been contesting the governorship election since he left the Senate but has failed to emerge.
His determination to be Governor of Osun state occasioned his defection to pick the governorship ticket under the SDP.
One of the factors that may affect his victory is the defection from PDP because many of the party’s chieftains have refused to follow him.
He is also battling with serious problem because of the faction he established in the new party.
He was said to have joined SDP from the national level and neglected the local members where he supposed to pick the ticket.
Though, court cases instituted by the state chapter of the SDP have been withdrawn following intervention by some royal fathers, there is fear that the state chapter of the party may not work for him in the coming election.
Alhaji Fatai Akinbade (ADC) Alhaji Fatai Akinade Akinbade served as the Secretary to the State Government throughout the seven and a half years tenure of Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and he was a force to reckon with during the Oyinlola’s tenure as he awards contract to people generously without expecting returns.
Akinbade, a political leader to thousands of people cut across various political parties in the state hails from Ogbaagba in Iwo zone of Osun West senatorial district.
He was the state chairman of the PDP during the administration of Chief Adebisi Akande and it was during his time that the PDP took over from the Alliance for Democracy (AD).
He’s seen as a political strategist with supporters all over the state and influence across the country.
In 2011, he resigned from the government of Oyinlola to contest the governorship of the state, an ambition he pursued with vigour but eventually failed as the court nullified Oyinlola’s election and declared Mr Rauf Aregbesola as the Governor of the state.
Akinbade is not new in politics and he is familiar with the political terrain of the state.
He’s loved by all and sundry in the state as he possesses quite disposition and humble enough to attend to all categories of people that come his way.
In 2014, he left PDP to contest the governorship election under the Labour Party .
He was later begged to return to PDP believing that he will get the party’s ticket.
Though, he contested the primary election where Senator Ademola Adeleke emerged and polled 56.
He left the party immediately after the primary and picked the ticket under the ADC.
He is being supported by former Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who is the party’s Chairman.
He would also have support of pensioners because of his deputy, Retired Justice Folahanmi.
However, the newness of his party and financial predicament may hinder the emergence of Akinbade in the coming election.
The new party has no chieftain that can pull crowd except the former Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who many of his supporters have also deserted him since he joined APC.

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