Governor Dapo Abiodun Deserves Better Circle By Ibiremi Ibikunle
It is no longer news that the sitting governor of Ogun State, Southwest Nigeria, Dapo Abiodun, has secured the ticket of the All Progressives Congress to contest for the same seat come 2023.
However, how Governor Abiodun emerged as the party’s flagbearer in the recent governorship party is quite alarming for a democratic society, as other aspirants vying for the same position had no vote (0 votes) from delegates. According to the Chairman of the Ogun State APC Primary Election Committee, Wale Ohu, Governor Abiodun swept the entire 1,168 valid votes to defeat the likes of Olubiyi Otegbeye, Modele Sarafa- Yussuf, Owodunni Opayemi, Remilekun Bakare, and Abdukadir Akinlade.
Before the primary, Akinlade and Otegbeye, in a joint statement, rejected the chairmanship of the election committee and passed a vote of no confidence on the Chairman of the governorship election primaries – Wale Ohu, on the ground that, “By his antecedent, we do not believe that he can conduct an objective and impartial gubernatorial primary election.”
There were also allegations that other aspirants were not allowed into the venue of the primary election – Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta, the state capital.
In the buildup of the 2019 general election before Abiodun emerged as the Governor of Ogun State, the sitting Governor then, Ibikunle Amosun, listed Abdukadir Akinlade as his successor. However, forces that many know benched Akinlade for Abiodun in the Gubernatorial primary election, while Amosun was suspended from the APC over “anti-party activities”.
Fast forward to 2022, in late April, Abiodun publicly announced his support for the presidential bid of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo. Being an Iperu, Remo-born, the governor was not courteous to say,
“If becoming president is by qualification, you’ve earned it. You are in office today as the vice-president of Nigeria. You’ve been in office for seven years. You’ve served your boss meritoriously. You are mature in this office. You’ve demonstrated capacity and capability.
“If the presidency is by way of an award, we will gather here today and will award it to you. However, it isn’t an award; it’s a contest. We do not doubt in our minds that with your pedigree, the Lord Almighty that we all serve and that you also serve will grant you the desires of your heart.
“As we stand here today, I make bold to say that your state is the industrial capital of this country; we are the religious capital of this country. God answers our prayers quickly in Ogun state. The Almighty God has answered your prayer. We will be with you, stand by you, and give you that support.”
On Thursday, Asiwaju Tinubu, APC Chieftain and a presidential aspirant, while addressing delegates in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, confessed to “giving” him the gubernatorial ticket of the party.
Hours after the video of Tinubu’s confession went viral; Governor Abiodun took to his Twitter page to say,
“I am not an emperor by any chance, and this is not my family inheritance.
I am holding this position in trust for all the people of this state, and I have vowed to be fair and equitable, and this is the solemn agreement I made between the Almighty God and myself.”
Who talks fairness when fairness never brought him to power? Who speaks justice when justice never brought him to power… Governor Dapo Abiodun has not only bitten the hand that fed him but also a lip server.
To make matters worst, hours after Nigerians had figured out that 2+2 = 4, the Ogun State government denied that the Governor’s tweet was “an extract to re-emphasise the comments of Governor Abiodun to party faithful and appointees on May 29 during the celebration of his third year in office, which also coincided with his 62nd birthday.”
For clarity, Governor Abiodun’s most recent birthday, where he clocked 62, happened on Sunday, May 29, 2022. His ‘Emperor’ tweet came up on Saturday, June 3, 2022.
If the state has been deceiving her citizens, will that spell work on Nigerians?
Even if he wanted to support Osinbajo, possibly because of the Remo-Awo relationship, couldn’t he have just been silent about it?
It is, therefore, urgent that Governor Abiodun gets better advisers in his circle/cabinet. With my little knowledge of politics, an influential person doesn’t react to every swipe, not even when the obvious is right in front of the world. Ogun State deserves better!
Ibiremi Ibikunle
Journalist
(Indigene of Ogun State, Southwest Nigeria)
