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It’ll Be Unjust To Deny Ogun West 2027 Governorship – Ex-CPS Odunaro

Chief Kayode Odunaro served in Ogun State as Chief Press Secretary to two military administrators and Chief Olusegun Osoba at the dawn of Nigeria’s  nascent democracy. He was later Special Adviser on Communications to Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt.Hon. Dimeji Bankole. The highly revered journalist journalist was also the Chairman of the annual Federal Government-endorsed Oronna Ilaro Festival Planning Committee for four years. Currently, he is the Chief of Staff to Senator Solomon Adeola, the Chairman of Senate Committee of Appropriations. He expresses his opinion on the power equation in Ogun State in this short but enthralling chat with LANRE OLALEYE

 

 There is this notion that power has always rotated between the Egbas and the Ijebu/Remo since the inception of Ogun State in 1976. Do you subscribe to this notion?

It is not a matter of subscription but a fact of history that under democratic dispensation and indeed some part of military era, leadership of the state has always rotated between the Egbas in Ogun Central Senatorial District and the Ijebu/Remos in the Ogun East Senatorial district. From the first democratic administration of Chief Olabisi Onabanjo to Chief Olusegun Osoba, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, Senator Ibikunle Amosun and now, Prince Oladapo Abiodun, ultimate political power in Ogun State since its creation have oscillated between the two aforementioned senatorial districts and their major ethnic configuration of Egbas, Ijebus and Remos to the exclusion of Ogun West senatorial district of Yewa and Awori. But if your question relates to my view or support for such an arrangement, I will out rightly states that it is an unjust and inequitable situation that something must be done to redress urgently in the over 48 years history of Ogun State. And of course, the situation has its implication for the uneven development of the state as a whole and the underdevelopment of Ogun West in particular. For the state, it is clear that whatever development the fact of political leaderships has conferred on the two ruling senatorial districts, is detracted by the low-level development of the remaining senatorial district. More like a man keeping his courtyard and living rooms clean while the kitchen and backyard is left in a state of squalor. The total outlook is negative for such a household. Holistic development of all parts of Ogun State is ultimately in the interest of all Ogun State indigenes and the earlier power is allowed to rotate among all the senatorial districts and its people the better for its development and the sense of equity, fair play and justice.

Has Yewa/Awori been part of the power bloc in Ogun State?

Unfortunately, the Yewa and Awori people of Ogun West were always at the fringes of real power in Ogun State. Effectively, the closest they got to the seat of power was deputy governor under Otunba Daniel and now, under Prince Abiodun. But effectively the highest elective position attained by Yewa and Awori was the senatorial seat. And from time to time they are appointed to such workaholic positions as Secretary to State Government as perhaps the highest tokenistic position available. This absence from the power equation is a great injustice against Yewa and Awori and contradicts the national outlook of prominent Ogun State citizens like the Soyinkas, the Ransome Kutis, the Williams etc who are/were noted for fighting injustices at the national level while injustice is festering in its backyard in Ogun State. The situation should be a source of worry for any genuine lover of equity, justice and fair play among brothers and sisters.

Do you think Yewa/Awori clamour for governorship in 2027 is realistic?

I will like to think it is now more realistic than it has been in the previous years when Yewa and Awori people had contested for a lot of reasons. One reason is that people learn from experiences of previous attempts and can see through mistakes, flaws and conspiracies that saw Ogun West coming second or third place in the race. Another reason is the possible desire of the party leadership at the national level to redress decades of political injustice among its members in a state. The calculation here for the party is to be seen as a party of equity and justice for its members. It is therefore not inconceivable for all political parties to decide that for equity and justice sake, the governorship ticket should be ceded to Yewa and Awori aspirants after almost five decades since the creation of the state. The ruling political party in the state and at the national level, All Progressives Congress, (APC) are likely to buy this argument not only for its justiciability and equity but its electoral value and calculations. From the records, this was one of the major considerations of the party in the recently conducted and won election in Edo State. The candidate of APC that won the election and now sworn in as governor Senator Monday Okpebholo was chosen for the simple reason of redressing an albatross in the power equation of Edo State as his senatorial district has been shut out of the power equation for decades. Ogun state happens to be about the only state in Nigeria that is afflicted with this albatross and it is realistic to think that come 2027, the situation will be remedied. 

There are speculations that top politicians in Ogun Central (Egbas) are not ready to concede the governorship to Ogun West (Yewa) in 2027. If this is true, would this not affect Yewa/Awori's gubernatorial ambition in 2027?

 Well, as it is individuals cannot be prevailed upon not to exercise what is their rights under the constitution. But such individual ambition must not be cloaked under any overarching ethnic, religious or any other colouration when the basis for such is negated by the fact of history and a sense of justice, equity and fair play. In this instance, any ambitious person from Ogun Central have to contend with the fact of history that Egba sons had occupied the position of governor for upward of 14 years in the state’s history of democratic rule under Aremo Olusegun Osoba and Senator Ibikunle Amosun with Senator Amosun handing over to the incumbent from Ijebu/ Remo in Ogun East. And the speculation that top politicians from Ogun Central are not ready to concede the governorship to Ogun West remains in the realm of speculation. I am aware that majority of the key political players in Ogun Central have not made any public utterance indicative of opposition to concession to Ogun West. And they are unlikely to as this may question their integrity with many of them having rooted unsuccessfully for Ogun West to become governor in the past. Doing so at this point with additional years of injustice to Ogun West may question their initial belief and support for same. So as said, anyone from Ogun Central aspiring to contest for governorship is doing so on the strength of his ambition and not on the basis of justice and equity.

Again, the Aworis are also reportedly showing strong interest in the governorship in 2027. Don't you think there is need to harness shades of interest as far as Yewa/Awori governorship ambition is concerned?

Aworis are major stakeholders not only in Ogun West politics but indeed in the politics of Ogun State. Any aspirant from Aworis in Ogun West is welcome to contest provided the aspiration is backed by capacity, credibility and antecedents that are acceptable to all Ogun State at large for the occupation of the Government House in Abeokuta. As stated, the time is now ripe for Ogun West to redress an unbalanced situation with the experience of hindsight of yesteryears. At every event all the people of Ogun West will jointly put out their best hands to govern Ogun State based on proven antecedents and performance. But certainly, Ogun West is not in short supply of aspirants from Yewa and Awori and efforts are on to present a candidate that will inspire confidence of the two other senatorial districts to concede to Ogun West.