Let me start this piece on a controversial note by declaring from the outset to the wailers that the resounding success recorded by the Ogun State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, in the just concluded governorship primary is not a pyrrhic victory. For well-known reasons, the road leading to his victory is long, bumpy and laced with landmines. But against all odds, he has won the war. Therefore, his endorsement for a second tenure by the party delegates only bears eloquent testimony to his impressive performance in the last three years. So, if you like, call it a long walk to victory, you won’t be wrong. If you like, call it a bumpy road to victory; you are still saying the same thing in a different way. Either way, his second term ticket didn’t just fall on his laps. He had toiled hard, sweated and even suffered silent embarrassment for the passion he has put in his commitment to make Ogun State to achieve its full potentials as a budding industrial hub, not only in Nigeria but in the entire West Africa sub-region.
The interesting thing is that after such a long pursuit of an objective goal, victory often comes as an anti-climax. And that exactly is what happened to Governor Dapo Abiodun of the Gateway State whose victory in the just concluded governorship primary has continued to resonate across the length and breadth of the state.
Before his recent successful outing, he had been maligned, castigated and even literally sent for the guillotine by his traducers on frivolous allegations that absolutely lacked evidence, all in an attempt to stop his re-election bid. Bad politics runs in their blood. They are the purveyors of hate news. They concocted all manners of stories and churned them out for the public consumption through the available social media platforms. In the end, all the lies fell like a pack of cards.
While the appalling dirty politicking lasted with attendant mudslinging, Governor Abiodun refused to be distracted. He refused to be drawn into the needless war of words. He left them to their conscience and to the judgment of the good people of Ogun State who knew the reasons behind their antics, who knew how fractious and tempestuous children of Oduduwa always tear each other like killer ants in a roiling cauldron at every turn of election season. Thus, instead of being swayed by the tragicomedy drama, acrimonious tunes and rhythmic macabre dance that entertained the public on a daily basis, he kept a sharp focus on his developmental agenda, knowing full well that the ultimate decision on the renewal of his mandate lies solely in the people. Thankfully, that they did overwhelmingly in the just concluded governorship primary.
To put things in a proper perspective, this piece is not out to condemn anybody for having an opposing view on governance issues or castigate those who have genuine aspiration to lead the state. In a multi-party democracy like ours, effective participation in politics is sine-qua-non to good governance as it offers the electorate variety of choices among contenders. Anything to the contrary is another road to dictatorship and tyranny of leadership. And, of course, the battle cry has always remained ‘never again will Nigeria fall back to the abyss of the immediate past dictatorship of the military regime.’ But then, politics or no politics, decorum demands respect for the constituted authority. It demands an objective analysis of issues and the way to achieving a common goal for the good of the greater number of people.
Regrettably, some eerie and desperate power mongers threw caution into the wind, hauling muds at the governor with tongues in the cheek. They wanted to pull the house down and truncate the developmental strides of the present administration in order to fulfill their selfish ambitions. They were determined to alter the prevailing peaceful atmosphere in the state on the altar of parochial narrow self-exclusivity. But rather than joining issues with them, Prince Abiodun took the whole scenario with a calm fortitude, directing his times, energy and resources on delivering on his electoral promises. It all paid off after all.
It was more like icing on the cake when some supporters of former governor Ibikunle Amosun took a detour and declared their support for Governor Abiodun. In the wake of the sustained campaign of calumny, the senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District, Lekan Mustapha, who led hundreds of his supporters to join Governor Abiodun’s faction of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state pledged full commitment of his group to work for the success of the administration.
This is apart from other faction consisting of over 200 individuals from Ijebu North Local Government Area of the state led back into the mainstream of the APC by the former Commissioner for Health and also erstwhile 2019 Allied Peoples Movement (APM) Deputy Director-General, Adekunle Akinlade Campaign Organisation, Dr. Babatunde Ipaiye. Also, a die-hard loyalist of Amosun, Chief Jide Ojuko, former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, has dumped his principal to pitch tent with the moving train of Abiodun. According to him, a couple of weeks ago, during the formal declaration held at the Presidential Lodge, Abeokuta, he eulogies the rare virtue of the governor for his unprecedented giant strides in the provision of qualitative governance which has translated in massive development and growth of the Gateway State in the last three years and routed for the re-election of the Abiodun.
“Your Excellency, as far as the forthcoming primary election is concerned, we assume you have won thr ticket. Let anybody go to court or say whatever”, he averred.
Receiving the senator and other teeming supporters at the Presidential Lodge, Abeokuta, recently, Abiodun commended them for retracing their steps and reuniting with the mainstream, saying their return would strengthen the party to face the challenges ahead.
“I am very happy that this is coming from my home base. If I did not have the trust of my people, then I would not have that of other senatorial districts. It is heart-warming that today we are reconciling with my people. We all have opportunity to examine this administration and I am happy you have decided to have a rethink and come for reconciliation,” Governor Abiodun said.
He further described Mustapha as a principled individual with impeccable character and integrity who had demonstrated uncommon courage when his integrity was tested.
In his remarks, Mustapha commended the governor for spreading projects to all sections of the state, declaring that his senatorial district had benefited from various road projects of the present administration more than previous ones in the last 16 years.
Part of the results of the historic reunion is the overwhelming victory Governor Abiodun recorded in the just concluded governorship primary. Abiodun contested the primary election with five other co-aspirants namely Abdulkabir Akinlade, Biyi Otegbeye, Modele Sarafa-Yusuf, Owodunni Opayemi, and Remi Bakare.
Announcing the results of the election held at the main bowl of the MKO Abiola Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta, after delegates from the 20 Local Government Areas had cast their votes, the Chairman of the Electoral Committee of the APC, Mr. Wale Ohu, said Governor Abiodun scored 1,168 votes, while other aspirants had nil. He said that 1,180 delegates were accredited for the election, adding that 1,170 votes cast with two voided votes.
“Prince Dapo Abiodun, having scored the majority votes cast, is hereby declared the winner of the APC governorship primary election in Ogun state.
“He is hereby declared the governorship candidate of APC to stand in the 2023 governorship election in the state,” Ohu said.
In his acceptance speech, Mr Abiodun promised to continue with the massive turnaround of the state with various infrastructural developments. He particularly appreciated the people of the state for their continuous support and prayers.
The governor also commended members of the electoral committee and gave then kudos for the conduct of a free and fair election. As they say, “the reward of hard work is more work”. The declaration of Abiodun as the candidate of the APC for the 2023 governorship election is just the end of the beginning of another journey to greatness. This much, he said, while appreciating the people of the state for their continuous support and prayers.
Let no one make mistake about it; Ogun State is not one of the states where you can mess up with the people’s mandate and expect a hand clap. History has proven how politically sophisticated the state is in terms of measurement of performance. You will always be at home with them if your performance is genuinely measureable and quantifiable. And they will give it back to you if you think you can outsmart them by playing tricks. Those who don’t know should know that it is practically impossible to deceive the electorate amidst oceanic plentitude of qualified personnel, tested technocrats, great icons and distinguished captains of industry the state is blessed with.
In any case, Governor Dapo does not believe in gloating around over a victory. In his usual magnanimity, he said he had forgiven those who had knowingly and unknowingly wronged him in any way. He has also extended an olive branch to his other co-contenders, seeking their hands in the collective effort to reposition the economy of the state.
He has promised that those who lost in the primary elections would be duly compensated for their show of sportsmanship. He made the promise at the Presidential Lodge, Abeokuta, while addressing members of the state executives of the party, some party faithful and state executive members to commemorate his 62nd birthday and third year in office held on Sunday, May 29, 2022.
Governor Abiodun, who appealed to them to remain calm and take the outcome of the elections in good faith, said he had contested and lost in many elections while seeking political office, declaring that there were no winners or losers in the recent APC primary elections. He also reiterated the need to appreciate those who supported the party as well as those who had lost their lives.
Suffices it to say that in the last three years of the administration, quite a number of giant strides have been recorded in the areas of economic prosperity, rapid industrialization, investment opportunities both local and foreign, infrastructural development, employment generation, agro-allied processing, among others.
Just recently, Ogun State government signed a $400m Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a foreign firm, Arise Integrated Industrial Platform, for the development of Olokola Free Trade Zone and Remo Agro Processing Zone. According to the agreement, the $400m is for the completion of the phase one of the projects scheduled to be delivered in July 2023. Apart from employment generation, the organisation would also focus on developing infrastructure around Remo Cluster Area and the Agro Cargo airport which is expected to be a catalyst for rapid agro-allied processing.
By projection, the Cargo Airport when completed in November is expected to create over 25,000 jobs for the teeming unemployed youths. Its technical training centre will equally benefit the state and the country in the form of Corporate Social Responsibility.
All this is made possible by the atmosphere of relative peace in the state. Today, Ogun remains the safest state in the country due to the security architecture already put in place.
In addition to conducive environment for investment as well as Ease of Doing Business, over 300km of road have also been constructed across the various communities in the state. A former deputy governor in the state, Alhaja Salimot Badru, noted the inclusive policy of the governor and commended his administration for treating all sections of the state equally in the area of project execution.
Again, as a follow-up to the promise made by the Governor to pay at least N500 million on a quarterly basis out of the outstanding gratuities owed by the previous administration since 2011, he has redeemed the pledge by making the Q1 2022 payment of N500m, thereby making a total of N2.5bn paid since March 2021.
The Permanent Secretary, Bureau of State Pensions, Mr. Olukunle Sodeinde made this known in his office at Oke- Mosan, Abeokuta, stating that the present administration would continue to honour and respect senior citizens.
The recent unveiling of the Ogun State Strategic Transportation Master Plan is also one of the policies of the government which Labour leaders have described as “the giant stride and resourcefulness” of the administration. This remark was made recently during the launch of Gateway Bus Pilot Scheme, expressing the hope that the scheme will be extended to all parts of the state.
The list is inexhaustible and a tip of the ice-berg compared to what is already in the pipeline in the coming dispensation. For the avoidance of doubt, the Governor has not told anyone that he can do it all alone. With the support of his deputy, Engr. (Mrs) Noimot Salako-Oyedele, who is also his running mate for the 2023 governorship election, and his formidable team, definitely more dividends of democracy would be delivered to the good people of Ogun State for the support and steadfastness to see the administration succeed in its development agenda. They say, “To whom much is given much is expected”.
- Ogbonnikan wrote from Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Copyright PUNCH.
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: [email protected]
