By TUNJI WAHAB
Since it is obvious that the tenure of the incumbent Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola will end next year November, governorship aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), are upping their plans with a view to outsmarting other contestants towards clinching the party’s ticket.
The election to pick the successor to Aregbesola is expected to hold around August next year about four clear months before the swearing-in of the winner of the election and the party primaries to pick the party’s flagbearer is expected to hold around April/May 2018.
Although all the aspirants, to some extent are keeping sealed lips on their aspirations, their body laguages and their new found love for poverty alleviation programmes at their various constituencies speak louder than verbal expressions. In addition to that, various posts in the social media by their self acclaimed aides are clear testimony that they are, no doubt eyeing Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s seat next year.
And with the gentleman agreement on ground in the state as far as power shift is concerned, the western senatorial zone of the state is expected to produce the next governor to succeed the incumbent governor, Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola who is from the Eastern Senatorial axis of the state. But investigations have revealed that some party members from the other two senatorial districts-East and Central are also eyeing the race with a view to joining it.
Recall that Aregbesola from the East succeeded Prince Olagnsoye Oyinlola from the Central District as his predecessor; Chief Abdulkareem Adebisi Akande.
The last time the Western zone produced the governor was during the botched fourth republic under General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (retd) as Military President.
And the then Governor from the west, Otunba Isiska Adetunji Adeleke, who happened to be the first civilian governor spent only 22 months before the republic was terminated by the late General Sani Abacha as
Head of State.
This therefore informs the growing number of the governorship aspirants springing up from the western zone on daily basis.
As of now, no fewer than seven aspirants, including a woman, have signified their intentions to succeed Aregbesola in 2018 on the APC ticket from the western zone of the state.
And these aspirants can be categorized mainly into two categories-Abuja based politicians and their home based counterparts.
The Abuja based would be contestants, who are from the National Assembly (The Senate and the House of Representatives), are Otunba Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke from the Senate, Rt. Hon. Lasun Yusuf, Professor Mojeed Alabi and Honourable Gafar Amere from the House of Representatives.
Notable among the home based contenders are Alhaji Moshood Olalekan Adeoti Hon. Najim Salam, Gafar Salensile, Barrister Bashiru Ajibola and Gboyega Oyetola.
While Isiaka Adeleke (Ede) was the state’s first civilian governor and now a Senator, Professor Mojeed Alabi(Ejigbo), now in the National Assembly was also former Osun State House of Assembly Speaker.
The Rt. Hon. Lasun Yusuf (Ilobu), is the current Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. He is a Federal Lawmaker along with Hon. Gafar Amere who is from Iwo.
On the home based divide are the current Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Olalekan Adeoti (Iwo), the sitting Speaker, Hon. Najim Salam (Ejigbo), the secretary, APC, Osun State Chapter, Gafar Salensile (Iwo), the current Chief of Staff to Governor Aregbesola, Gboyega Oyetola (Iragbiji), as well as a lawyer and former Commissioner for Special Duties and Regional Integration, Barr. Bashiru Ajibola (Osogbo).
The only woman in the race for now, Idiat Babalola (Ede), is the daughter of a Lagos based elder statesman, Chief S.O.B. Babalola. She is however being rumoured to be actually eyeing the deputy governorship slot to pair with the current Chief of Staff to Governor Aregbesola, Gboyega Oyetola (Iragbiji).
Our correspondent gathered that some politicians from Osogbo, the capital city of the state want the next governor to come from them with argument that since the creation of the state over 20 years ago, nobody from the capital city has govern the state, against that background, they are set to back a formidable aspirant from the city.
On the side of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Lasun Yusuf, it was gathered that the Ilobu born politician is considering launching his governorship ambition from his ancestral settlement at Moru, a sleepy community near Iwo in the western axis of the state.
However, consultations with party elders and nocturnal meetings are being intensified towards gaining advantage over the rest of the would be contenders in the race.
With the situation on ground now, the electorates are better for the competitions going on amongst the aspirants as empowerment programmes where expensive tools are being distributed to the constituents are
the order of the day.
Factors that some analysts view would determine who carries the day eventually include but not limited to Aso Villa factor, Asiwaju Tinubu factor, electoral value factor and deep pocket factor.
Adeoti
Oyetola
