The estranged Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Rauf Olaniyan, tells FATTEH HAMID about his relationship with Governor Seyi Makinde and other issues
You are a civil engineer and farmer. Can you trace your journey into politics?
All political scientists and humans generally are political animals and my journey into politics can be said to start when I was given birth to. Evolution will tell you why it is like that. Look at the animal kingdom; some animals will move with some and not the others; it is a game of association. I am a civil engineer and to the glory of God, which I’ll call an opportunity, of the three tiers of government that we have in Nigeria, I’ve got a taste of the local, state and federal governments. I was an engineer at the local government level and at the Ogun-Osun River Basin Authority at the federal level. However, when I was meant to go to Sokoto State, I felt like going back home; then I returned to Oyo State, where I became a part of the state’s public service.
When I got to the state, I was on loan to the state because the staff members of the local government were different from those of the state. So, I was on loan to the state government in 1991 under the then military governor of Oyo State, General Abdulkareem Adisa. I continued as a loanee until 1996 when I approached the state that if they didn’t want me to go back to my parent employer, which is the Local Government Service Commission, they should take me formally. So, in 1996, under the then military governor, Ike Nwosu, I became a formal employee of the Oyo State Public Service. The journey continued till 2011 after serving the public for over 27 years, which ran across different places ranging from the old Bendel State, now Edo and Delta states; Ogun-Osun, etcetera. After this, I retired to private practice and as a farmer and contractor.
How did you emerge as the running mate and now deputy to Governor Seyi Makinde?
Well, I never fought to become the deputy governor; I was vying for the position of the state governor under the APC at the time. When the former governor, (Abiola) Ajimobi, said he didn’t want the ticket to be given to people outside Ibadan or from Oke-Ogun, but I won’t want to dwell on that because he’s no more, may his soul rest in peace. After that, I checked out, then we went to the Unity Forum and from there, we adopted the ADC (African Democratic Congress). In the ADC, when some issues came up, I had to make my next move, which landed me as the deputy governor. Although I was also a frontrunner among the ADC governorship aspirants when I left.
Immediately after then, Seyi Makinde approached me and I told him I wasn’t after power; if I was after power, I wouldn’t be the deputy. I’m after service. So, if it is to serve, no problem. I don’t need to have the label of the deputy or the governor of Oyo State before I can survive. I have minute knowledge of the holy books but I can tell you that power is transient. Being a governor or deputy will not give me the certificate to Al Jannah (heaven). Becoming the deputy was totally God’s plan. I agreed with him after he approached me easily with no conditions, except good governance.
What were your contributions to Governor Makinde’s electoral victory in 2019?
Only God can say that. You see, when you talk about contributions, I don’t engage in such discussions because contributions can be tangible and intangible. Whichever is more between the two is what will be chosen. Imagine having a tangible contribution, which you cannot hold, that makes it intangible also. However, for somebody to be sought for to become the deputy governor means the person has value, which means you have a contribution. So, when you ask such a person what their contribution was, then there’s an issue because it’s not possible to quantify that. The result can only be assessed to know what it is.
Contrary to what you’ve said, some people have insisted that you contributed nothing and that you are reaping where you did not sow. How do you respond to them?
I’ll say good luck to them. I’m not the type of person that will start arguing or conversing over such. I’m here now wearing white; if someone comes here and insists that I’m putting on brown, if that satisfies you, then it’s fine, because that’s the only thing that can make you happy. So, hold unto it. Will you expect me to start pointing out that I’ve done this or I did that? No, that is not life; it is only feeble minds that discuss events, items or people. Mine is to discuss ideas and issues, which are unquantifiable.
There are some claims that you don’t have much political clout and can even hardly deliver your local government for the party. What is your take?
Good luck to those claims.
Going by what is in the news, the relationship between you and the governor has taken a stormy turn. What is the kernel of your disagreement?
The media say all these things to sell their brands; there’s no disagreement between Seyi Makinde and I. To the glory of God, I’m above 60 years of age and if I’m going to disagree with someone, what will it be for? What will be the gain? So, I don’t have any disagreement with him. During Ajimobi’s administration, it was more of an open secret that the former governor and his deputy almost boxed one another in his office, which was an open disagreement. So, when anyone says I have an issue with Seyi Makinde, it is a conjecture. I hold Governor Seyi Makinde in high esteem as the governor of the state and he pays me back my respect and regards me as the deputy governor of the state. I wouldn’t know where people came about all these. When he won the most recent primary election of the PDP in the state, I sent him a congratulatory text, which I can show you. So, I don’t see any disagreement. I may not be a brute or a deceiver, I’m certainly not. So, I’m saying it the way it is. Morally, I’ve called him and sent him a text message; if there was a disagreement, would I have done that? We met on the political field before coming together and that doesn’t mean we cannot hold different political ideas at any time or any point. But the human aspect of us must remain. I don’t have a personal issue with the governor; I don’t have a scramble with him.
There are other claims flying around that you don’t make use of your own office at the state secretariat, but your private office, which we are in now. What do you have to say on that?
Don’t mind these claims. If you get to my office at the secretariat currently, it is being repaired. Around April 1 or thereabouts, wind blew off the roof and that’s a natural disaster, which I have no control over. You see, when people don’t bother to get their facts right, there’ll be issues. As of the time the incident happened, the option before me was to use one of my staff members’ offices, but instead of causing any inconvenience for anybody, I chose to be here. How many hours will I stay in the office, except they want to make claims that my not being there is slowing the pace of work?
Will you say you have been loyal to the governor?
I’ve been loyal to the executive governor of Oyo State because whatever he proposes doing, I give my support, and I don’t antagonise him, except there’s another definition of loyalty.
If you have been loyal to the governor, how come you’re nursing the ambition of succeeding him in 2023 when you know that Makinde will be seeking a second term?
Let me tell you this; that’s not disloyalty. If Seyi Makinde decides to go in this direction, which is in tandem with the constitution of the country, we have to go together because we have a joint ticket. But if he is preparing for another journey in 2023, which is totally different from the 2019 journey, I can go with him, decide not to or stay aloof. If I have a different political agenda in 2023, it doesn’t translate to disloyalty to my governor. A son can decide not to go with his father in the same direction, and this doesn’t mean that he is not loyal to him as a son to a father.
You reportedly said four political parties were wooing you with the governorship ticket. Are you dumping the PDP?
I didn’t say that. What I said on the day I was interviewed was that I am a PDP man and there’s no law or constitution that states that as a member of a party, you have to be for life.
Is everything well with the Oyo PDP at the moment?
I’m not the chairman of the party. There’s a language in the political circle that ‘egbe lo bi ijoba’, which translates as the party that produces the government. So, if things are alright or not, I can’t know except if a complaint is made. Just like a child won’t know if all is okay with his father except the father complains. Since there’s no complaint, then there’s no issue.
What was the relationship between you and the late former governor, Abiola Ajimobi?
What is the relationship between a staff member and his boss? He was my boss. I retired under him. What relationship do I have with my former boss? He was my boss.
Your condolence visit to the widow of the ex-governor after his demise did not go down well. Did you feel embarrassed by the way the visit turned out?
Why should I be embarrassed? Maybe Her Excellency, Mrs Florence Ajimobi, had claimed that the visit didn’t go well with her. But talking about me being embarrassed, no; I’ll tell you today that I wasn’t. In fact, the first visit was when he died. After that, the eight-day Fidau prayer, I was there and also the one year remembrance of his death, I was also there. When the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor came out to say that I went there on my own, I said fine, because I’m a human and if you read the Qur’an well as a Muslim, one of the God-given mandate was condolence visits, even to someone who is on the sick bed. Even if the person is a stranger, it is your duty as a Muslim to greet the person and pray for them. So, I don’t feel embarrassed at all.
Did you go there to represent the governor?
You see, it was the CPS that got things wrong. I’m the deputy governor of Oyo State, with my portfolio, are you saying I don’t have the right to go there? Will the governor have the chance to do everything? If he can, then there’s no need for a deputy governor. If I feel something is right and is not going to affect him, it is not going to label him as a bad person, then why won’t I do it? Ajimobi was a past governor of Oyo State, whether anyone loves that or not, he came and spent his time as governor for eight years. So, thinking that the deputy governor went on his own accord is myopic, very myopic. It is only uninformed people that capitalise on things like that. The governor never called me to ask why I visited the widow of the former governor. As a matter of fact, the governor was informed of my visit. I don’t have to call people or the CPS that I want to discuss with the governor. You can see he didn’t make a comment when the claims started flying around that I went there on my own. The first day, he was aware, the eight-day, he was aware, but the press has been playing hanky-panky. As a matter of fact, during the eight-day prayer, I attended alongside commissioners and the Heads of Service. So, the state sent delegates.
Some weeks ago, you were at the turbaning of the son of the former governor, Ajimobi. There have been claims that it is another political disguise and that you’re fraternising with the All Progressives Congress in preparation for your defection to the party. What will you say about this?
You’ve confirmed just now that my ethos is Omoluabi (a gentleman), that’s number one; two, I’m a Muslim, so what’s wrong there? And you saying that I’m fraternising with the APC, have you forgotten that I was a member of the APC before? Also, I’m a progressive before and now. More so, I’m a deputy governor of the state. So, if the person being honoured sends a letter to me that ‘Daddy, I want you to be present at my turbaning’, will somebody with a myopic mind now expect me to tell him that because he’s Ajimobi’s son and a member of the APC and I’m the deputy governor and a member of the PDP, I wouldn’t attend. Does that justify me not to go? Does my going affect the people of Oyo State negatively?
Does the governor regularly engage you or allow you to properly function as his deputy?
That’s between me and him, as long as it is fine by both of us.
What do you make of the defection of Senator Kola Balogun from the PDP?
Well, Senator Kola Balogun is over 60 years of age and politics is free entry and free exit. That’s his personal decision and it doesn’t concern me. I don’t know how he got to the PDP and why should I get bothered about his exit?
How bright are the PDP’s chances in the 2023 general elections?
The only person that can say their chance is bright or dull is Almighty Allah. That’s the only person, the omnipotent, who can say one’s chance is very bright, except someone wants to ascribe to himself the power of God.
Do you think the PDP has become more popular than it was in 2019 when it displaced the APC from power in Oyo?
I’m the deputy governor of the state, if you want to know if the party is popular or not, I’m the wrong person to ask, except if it’s something else. I’m not the chairman.
You didn’t attend the just concluded PDP primaries and Governor Makinde has not chosen you as his running mate for 2023. What do you make of that?
Somebody was asking me some time ago when I was in the ADC to sign an accord against 2023; I told them that I was going to sign only if they could confirm to me that they would be alive tomorrow. None was able to confirm that. So, if that can’t be confirmed, let’s leave 2023 in the hands of Allah.
Since you have the ambition of becoming the Oyo State governor in 2023, both the PDP and APC already have their candidates, on which party platform will you be running or do you want to run as a single candidate?
The truth is constant. Why are you in a hurry? When God unfolds, you’ll see. I pray we are alive by then.
What are your final words?
Idina siratal mustaqeem. Let’s keep trusting God to guide us. Let us continue to pray for his guidance in showing us the way. We keep on praying. Thank you.
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