It will be an understatement for me to say that my ears have been full within 3 days of releasing the PART 1 of this article. In order to address the issues that have been raised by all and sundry and in further promoting the discourse, I decided to still stay with the headline of why Yayi can’t be Governor of Ogun State. In short, I am saying that this headline will stay on as my anchor for discussing Ogun State Governorship contest in 2027, henceforth.
Let me first thank everyone that got in touch with me over the issue. I really feel grateful for your interest in the subject matter and I must admit that I never knew that those who were unequivocally in favour of an Ijebu candidate as the Governor of Ogun State in 2027 were so many than I can ever imagine before bringing the issue to public domain. I was inundated with calls both from those in Ogun State as well as indigenes in the diaspora.
People strongly believe that Ogun State is not a state for political or economic lilliputians, for a State that has produced the likes of Papa Awolowo, Papa Adesanya, Papa Otegbeye, Papa Ayo Adebanjo, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief MKO Abiola, and economic giants like Chief Adeola Odutola, Otunba Subomi Balogun and Chief Adegunwa and Chief Kesington Adebutu ( Baba Ijebu ) to mention a few because of space, can’t be a state that anybody whatsoever can just take for granted.
It is not a state that can be stepped upon most unabashedly by any political actor trying to bamboozle the people because of the present economic hardship in the country . No, Ogun State is not for all comers where ambitions will no longer be scrutinized and thoroughly questioned for the good of our people.
I never knew there’s a huge army of people who really want us to henceforth make anybody aiming for the number one seat in Ogun State go through the crucible of deep analysis and in depth examination. In fact, the days are gone when every political wannabe can just in a jiffy dump themselves upon the people of Ogun State and fly with whatever ambition they carry on their beleaguered shoulders.
Let me for the second time explain the Ijebu stand again, based on the feedbacks I have gotten so far after bringing this topic to the public domain.
First is to ask our Remo brothers that what exactly has been the gains of we Ijebus after we’ve allowed Prince Dapo Abiodun to win the Governorship of Ogun State in 2019 ? In fact, in 2023, it was we the Ijebus that spiritedly gave our best to see that the Governor enjoys the second term he has today after his own Remo people had voted heavily against him. We saved the day and we are proud we did.
Let me make this point more specific to the issue at hand. The Governorship slot should have come to the Ijebus in 2019 instead of it going back to the Remos after the governorship of Otunba Gbenga Daniel (OGD)in 2003 to 2011.
We, the Ijebus strongly believe that the slot should have come back to the Ijebus instead of the Remos again.
The same scenario also applies to Yewas when the governorship slot moved to their side in 2011. The Yewas equitably deserve the slot after Aremo Olusegun Osoba from Egba had the slot first in 1993 and later in 1999 but most unfortunately for the Yewa/Aworis, Senator Ibikunle Amosun (SIA) also from Egba land got the slot from 2011 to 2019. So, Egba had it for about 14 years, while Remo is having it for 16 years. Ijebus have had it for 4 years through Chief Bisi Onabanjo while Yewa/Aworis have not gotten on the seat since 1976 when Ogun State was created.
Now, the fact is that for two times, two of the main ethnic groups have been denied the governorship slot by their neighbourly brothers. That is, Remos have denied Ijebus of their rightful slot in 2019, while the Yewa/Aworis have been denied their slot by the Egbas in 2011.
So, the question now is, does any right thinking person think that with the political and economic sagacity of the Ijebus, we should fold our hands and let the governorship slot evade us for another 8 years thereby making us a forgotten specie in the politics of Ogun State for consecutive period of 32 years running from 1999 to 2037 ?! Anybody who thinks that must have himself thoroughly examined. We are not a people to be taken for a second fiddle in the politics of Ogun State.
We, the Ijebus, have for long kept quiet and our brothers had seen us as just been contented with our economic well being while Ogun State continues to be bandied and battered around by whoever deems it fit to so do ?
We want to say unequivocally that that time, of us staying aloof from the political happenings in Ogun State have come to a stop. We are from henceforth giving our aloofness a grinding halt !
Let me make one thing clear and that is that the Governorship of Ogun State have to be renegotiated.
All stakeholders need to sit down around a negotiation table and talk things over among ourselves. We the Ijebus can’t fold our hands henceforth and allow others from either Egba, Yewa/Awori or Remo to treat us as second fiddle again.
If at all, we the Ijebus, for the sake of argument will agree that another people be supported for Ogun State Governorship in 2027, there will definitely be an agreement as to how exactly the seat of the state will rotate henceforth among the four entities making up Ogun State.
Let me state that this project as being articulated by my humble self in the public domain is well grounded and entrenched within the stakeholders in Ijebu land. The time of we the Ijebus for the Governorship of Ogun State in 2027 is here ! And God being on our side we shall claim it
But, before I drop my pen for now, let me say that my 7 years as a student of Comprehensive High School, Ayetoro- Yewa, qualifies me as an indigene of Yewa because of the lifetime beautiful relationship that I got therefrom. A relationship that surpasses any that embraces the good people of Yewa merely for political gains.
Likewise, my 5 years of working experience in the civil service of Ogun State at both OGTV/OGBC in Abeokuta coupled with my mother’s ancestry, places me rightly with my Egba connection from Ijeun Quarters in Abeokuta
Moreso, as an Otunba Awujale combined with my Giwa position and Ijebu paternal ancestry can’t make anybody to deny my bonafide as a pure breed Ogun State indigene.
As a Statesman that I am, I stand for all that is right and justifiable and cannot sit and watch the right of Yewas usurped or the chances of Ijebus abused while the integrity of Ogun State is monetised as obvious as it may seem to any discerning mind.
I strongly believe that the poverty in the land is deliberate and weaponised, so that politicians can harp on the hopelessness of the people by giving them pittance in exchange for their votes and loyalty.
Obanta a gbé wa
Otunba (Giwa) Deji Osibogun
Writes from Ijebu Ode
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