I celebrated Governor Rauf
Aregbesola’s re-election, possibly to his consternation, if he got to
know, and his supporters’, who are always riled by my constant critical
appraisal of his administration and political activities. To the
governor, despite being a younger brother, I was an enemy. Weeks to his
re-election, he laid into me at the launch of Professor Wale Adebanwi’s
book in Lagos. The condescension in the public upbraid reeked revenge. I
spent the night of the day “working” his re-election. Yes, I
collaborated with some of his own to do “covert campaign”. Campaigns
everywhere cost time, money and energy. Mine was not an exception. I
have strong commitments of those involved not to breathe an air of it to
him. What I did would also not be of public knowledge until his exit,
God willing, in 2018. He, however owes me nothing, because he sent me,
on no errands.
Yes, my support for him was partly clannish, but not
ethnically-periscopical. He loves governance. He has passion for
leadership. He is ambitious to be a legend in public service. Even when
he is not going in the right direction, he is always in a hurry to
deliver. Because he loves to dare, I was convinced he could be
different.
But I refused to be persuaded to turn this space to his mega-phone.
It was and still is, the only avenue to tell him hurtful truth anytime
his hurrying holes a gulf between him and the led. God willing, nothing
will change for the next four years, because he must be helped to finish
strong. The grossly-miscontrued, stomach-rumbling three-series “Before
Osun Falls” was to save him from himself.
First message for Mr. Governor, don’t be too quick to lock down names
on enemy-list. Your supposed enemies, particularly in PDP, won
re-election for you. Sycophants would always be around you, racing your
endorphin, the feel-good hormone. But it would be fool-hardy to believe
them that O’this, O’that alone got you re-elected. Information at my
disposal says five local governments were won for you by PDP
“renegades”, excellent outing in another three local governments was
also due to fifth columnists within opposition fold, particularly those
who could not swallow Iyiola Omisore’s candidacy but didn’t want to
defect and the required two-thirds, in another two local governments.
The mathematics of all these not being part of your votes, is obvious.
You said to me during the Lagos encounter that because I am younger
in age, I wasn’t qualified to critique your acts in government. Without
necessarily re-opening old wounds, the education reform that nearly cost
your job, was hewed by an Octogenarian Nobel Laureate. Those who
modified the acceptable version were of perceivable inferior intellect
and younger in age. If the mindset that received my admonitions, was
same upon which aides’ counsel were poured in the past, the time for
change is now.
Sir, it is cool to be working “the enigma” concept with aides, but
making those lower in status and age, feel worthless, won’t be the way
to go. I am sure the governor will appreciate his own better now,
because bits of that victory belonged to different efforts. Being a
studious person, given to logic, the governor must have by now, done an
objective analysis of the election figures. If the winning percentage is
a measure of the projected awesome performance of the governor, then
something would be amiss. It is either that performance is over-hyped or
not totally appreciated by the people. That means there are things to
be done differently but the good news is the spread of the winning
votes, which would translate into proportionate governance delivery
across the state. Without impugning the person of the first runner-up, a
lesser baggage-laden candidate with humility to woo offended party
members, could have possibly consigned the governor to the “parallel
government” option. I say this because of those who would keep singing
“Aregbesola ma basere lo (keep doing things same way). Apart from
Osogboland and Ijesaland, other areas where the governor had impressive
figures, had obvious imprints of last-minute beautiful brides, courted
to divorce PDP. He should find out why O’ Performance was not enough in
those places. In the build-up to the election, he was badly lacerated
with religion, capital-flight, debt profile, school re-classification,
public service welfare and comportment horse-whip.
Infact, it was a last-minute snatching from Omisore’s jaw. His
subdued visage the day after the election, is a testament to a victory
forged on the altar of compromise, bending backward and forward,
sensible sacrifices and humbling letting-go. That is why political
promises made in the heat of re-election moments should be fully
redeemed because one may run to the same shelter twice to escape being
soaked. I know commitments to heavyweights like Olagunsoye Oyinlola and
Isiaka Adeleke, Fatai Akinbade (Aregbesola did not win his Olaoluwa LG
for free), Olubunmi Etteh et al, would alter APC’s equations
substantially, but the outcome of Kayode Fayemi reneging on Ayo Fayose
senatorial promise, should communicate enough lessons.
A
pre-election poll put Aregbesola ahead of his party in popularity. It
means any other candidate would perform below his average performance in
the election. Does this communicate anything to APC about its future in
the South-West? It is now getting down to personalities and not
platforms. It should guide Aregbesola as APC leader in picking
candidates for other elections in the state in 2015. The party may be
also headed for a worsting in Yorubaland in 2015 if internal democracy
is not embraced.
Aregbesola may consider it an impunity for a younger brother to
counsel him on governance but he would have no choice in the next four
year because I have a vote to protect. It was my aged mother’s. She got
out by 7:13 am to vote him. May I also remind him that only genuine
brothers speak the truth to one another.
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