2023: Battle for Ogun guber poll gathers momentum

By OLUSESAN LAOYE

Ogun state appears to present the toughest political fight for an incumbent governor come 2023, as some powerful forces within and outside the ruling party, the All Progressive Congress, APC, array themselves against Governor Dapo Abiodun for the exalted seat.
This is not new and perhaps, unconnected with the nature and dynamic of Ogun politics.

Ogun is one of the most endowed and enlightened, in terms of resource, states in the country. It is the only state that has ruled the nation thrice – Obasanjo, Shonekan, and Obasanjo.

Governance in the state is not looked at administratively but in terms of power and performance, or what anyone could attain on a platter of gold. Those who govern the state must have to work hard to convince the enlightened citizens of the state to get there.

Right now, those who want to contest the governorship in 2023 are really working assiduously to sell their candidacy. Even the incumbent Gov. Abiodun who is seeking reelection is not finding it easy, just as all of them in the race.

The governor, despite all the good things he claimed to have done for the people in the last three years of being in power, is still not comfortable over his second term bid. Apart from the fact that the opposition are deep right on his throat, he is facing enormous crisis within his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Governor Abiodun has not overcome the onslaught faced in 2019, with the former governor Ibikunle Amosun, who stood strongly against his being elected on the ticket of the same party they both belonged to.

The Amosun’s team and other groups within and outside the party that stood against his first term, are still much around, working to ensure that he did not come back.

Since the past two years, there have been intrigues and power play in the state, as the political parties both popular and unpopular are warming up for the governorship race and other elections in the state in 2023.

The climax of all these had been the primaries of the political parties, which picked candidate for various elective positions.

What is going to make the 2023 government election in Ogun state different from the two previous governorship elections this year in Osun and Ekiti in the South West, is the fact that it falls into the general elections, when virtually all the elective positions would be contested.

This means, that it would not be an election which the party and members would focus on one particular candidate but each candidate contesting would focus on his/her own election.

Although the Ogun state governorship election, which is the centre of attraction and with the situations of things, is definitely going to be between the usual two major Political parties, the APC, which the incumbent Governor Abiodun represents, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which Ladi Adebutu, the son of a lottery magnate, Sir Keshinton Adebutu, would fly its flag.

That is why there had been mudslinging among the two candidates and their supporters.
What also going to make the governorship election in Ogun different this time around, is the fact that the battle is going to be fought between two contestants from the same Senatorial zone, the Ogun East, unlike before, which used to be between Ogun West versus the central or Ogun East versus the West or the central.

Both Adebutu and Abiodun are from Ogun East Senatorial zone and they are ready to confront each other head long, with wit for wit, intrigues for intrigues and money for money.

Abiodun and Adebutu have what it takes to win elections. Adebutu had contested elections before in the state and he had won in all the post contested. As a matter of fact, Adebutu can’t be a push over in the coming election, he would want to use all it takes to convince the people of the state that he stand a better chance now, than the incumbent, Abiodun whose tenure, so far, has proved unimpressive.

The opposition are not only banking on this but are relying on the general notion that the APC has failed the nation with a lot of things, particularly, on security and scarcity of food items, which is the concern of the ordinary people.

According to political commentators and feelers from the people of the state, it is not only in Ogun state that the apathy that the people have for APC would be displayed in the coming elections but across the country as well.

Of the two hot contenders in Ogun, Abiodun and Adebutu, the pressure is much on Abiodun with lots of enemies to contend with. It was even argued that he remains one of the most persecuted, since the state was created.

Amosun is still at loggerheads with him and most of his foot soldiers are still drifting to the PDP and are working seriously against him.
It was said that Adekunle Akinlade joining the PDP, who was the favourite of Amosun could spell a doom for Abiodun’s reelection, since there is the possibility that the people from Ogun west where Akinlade who is the running mate of Adebutu, comes from would want to back him.

Though Abiodun is banking on the support of the Gboyega Nasil Isiaka, who is equally a strong politician and very close associate of the former Governor of the state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, from Ogun West, it was argued that the people of the zone are more attuned to Akinlade than him.

One of the issues still going round the state emanated in April this year, when one of the members of APC one, Ayodele Oludiran, petitioned the National Chairman of the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on why Abiodun should not be voted for in 2023.

Oludiran alleged that there were discrepancies in the form CF001filled by Gov. Abiodun in 2015 and 2019, alleging that he, Abiodun, concealed criminal offenses committed in the United States of America.

It was also noted that the outburst of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu that if not for God and him, Abiodun couldn’t have been the governor and that since then the governor has been battling how to appease Asiwaju, to help him again but the body language of Tinubu has proved that he was not looking that direction, since he too, now has his election to contend with, unlike 2019 when his hands are not filled.

Abiodun is also facing the issue of workers in the state who at a time threatened strike action over unpaid salaries.

With the Ogun governorship election going prophetic, the leader of Evangelical Spiritual Church (INRI), Prophet Ayodele, said that though Abodun would win a second term, it would not be easy for him. To win he must do a lot of reconciliation.

Abiodun, who claimed that he was sure of winning the election, said what Tinubu said was not the true reflection of his person; that he is not an emperor but holding the office of the governor in trust for the people, of the state saying, he saw no reason why the people would not give him a second term because he has been fair, just and equitable to all.

In support of Governor Abiodun against those castigating him the Ogun Progressives Agenda has said that it was a mere propaganda to diminish him, for not performing.

The patron of the organisation, Alhaji Rasheed Sanusi argued that Abiodun deserve a second term, arguing that people are just saying a lot of things to discredit him.

The Chief of Press Secretary to the governor, Kunle Somorin had in defense of his boss argued that the governor has always ignored his detractors but has remained focused and forging ahead with his laudable programmes for the people of the State.

The image maker of the governor had also said that the governor’s detractors would at the end of the day be put to shame because the people of the state are well aware of the progress made by the government of governor Dapo Abiodun, who has been running the affairs of the government with civility.

Also the the Ogun State chapter of Inter Party Advisory council (IPAC) Chaired by Mr. Samson Okusanya has indicated that the allegations against the governor on why he should not be reelected was spurious, and to smear him and his good work for the people of the state.

But the opposition has come all out to disparage Abiodun, saying he has betrayed the people of the state, labelling him a globe trotting governor, who never cared about the affairs of the state and always busy ruling from outside the country.

The Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Sikirulahi Ogundele, argued that the governor is not the type needed by the people but a person who will sit at home to look after the citizens.
Meanwhile, the Deputy governorship running mate of the party Adekunle Akinlade, in his recent speech, said that he joined forces with Adebutu to kick Abiodun out of office. He said that Abiodun has remained unpopular since he got to office because he has always been distancing himself from the people.

According to him, “the governor is just only warming up to the people for reconciliation, since he saw what happened in Osun with his colleague Govenor Gboyega Oyetola, who was kicked out of office by the people’s verdicts.
Akinlade, who still pledged his loyalty to the former governor of the state, Senator, Ibikunle Amosun said, “the APC will suffer for betraying my boss and political father, Senator Amosun.

He pointed out that the candidacy of Olamilekan Adeola (Yayi) who came from Lagos to Ogun West to contest, the senate position “is a big slap on the people of Yewa and Awori, as he would be taught a big lesson of his life”

The Director General Ladi Adebutu Campaign Organisation, Alhaji Semiu Sodipo, said that the PDP is battle ready to kick APC out of Ogun state, just as it was done in Osun State, where the people spoke and decided to elect the governor of their choice.

He said “let me say categorically that Tinubu, who claimed that he helped Abiodun in 2019 can’t help him now, because things are different now, and the circumstances that helped both of them are no longer there.The people are already yearning for the emergence of the PDP, which our grassroots candidate and the people’s choice, is going to flag its banner in 2023”.