After all has been argued and done at the election tribunal, law courts, the cousels’ chambers and within other walls where the initiatives and implementations to challenge the validity of the Ogun State governorship election results took place, it is now the appropriate time for the two candidates to embrace themselves and ensure the return of sanity and brotherhood amongst the electorates, politicians and general public of Ogun State.
Bitterness must be eschewed and request for the work programme to participate in the Ogun State development by all and sundry of the State should be the common purpose to grow the State.
Interestingly, the two candidates in the legal contest for the Ogun State office hail from Ijebu-Remo where they have known themselves and may have been enjoying brotherhood relationship in the past. Their individual goal to serve the Ogun State public at the helm should not be allowed at this stage to tear the fabrics of the State’s dignity into shreds. Ogun State in its enduring capacity tolerated the wild and weird presentations notable in the petitions and the allegations defense while the legal proceedings lasted.
Be it known to the two candidates that the grass suffered dignity and growth tramples as the two elephants locked their tusks in the heavyweight battle. Now Ogun State is in dire need of relief from the two candidates.
Statesmanship is best demonstrated at the juncture where the public is relieved of crisis and be made to recognize the truth in its radiant Light. When the public is respected by its noblepersons, the public pleasurably releases its powers of government to the noblepersons to govern it in return by appointment or election. The public capably endures the errors in judgments that the noblepersons rub on it consequently. If the noblepersons are good to the public with the governing powers entrusted to them, the public would reap the dividends thereof joyfully.
Ogun State is a great State amongst its peers in the Nigerian federation. It is a State that uniquely participates greatly in Nigeria’s nation building process before it was geopolitically created.
Recalling the outcome of the 2019 Ogun State governorship election, the contest was between Late Senator Buruji Kashamu of People’s Democratic Party-PDP and Mr. ‘Dapo Abiodun of All Progressive Congress-APC as the candidates of the two leading political parties in the election.
Late Senator Buruji Kashamu demonstrated laudable statesmanship shortly after the governorship results were announced. The late Senator calmly verified the election results as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission-INEC from his political party agents around the State.
The Ogun State public was stunned when the news of congratulatory visit by the late Senator to the newly sworn-in Ogun State governor was reported and pictures of their convivial embrace at the Governor’s office were released to the general public. It didn’t stop there. The leading aides to the late Senator Buruji too took their time and turn to pay homage to the victorious ‘Dapo Abiodun. They all pledged to support his government in work programme where they may be found competent to grow the State.
That is the Ogun State brotherhood that Nigerians recognize amongst the Yoruba Omoluwabis. The true Omoluwabis as the Ogun State indigenes of Ijebu origin.
Though it was not made public but it happened that ‘Dapo Abiodun had earlier congratulated late Senator Buruji Kashamu when ‘Dapo Abiodun of APC lost the Ogun East senatorial district election to late Senator Buruji Kashamu at the 2015 senatorial election. After the loss, ‘Dapo Abiodun challenged the victory of Senator Buruji Kashamu at the election tribunal but lost. Both men embraced afterwards and continued brotherhood of Ogun State indigenes.
As fate presented it four years later, both men represented their individual political party for the governorship election in 2019. The table turned and gave victory to ‘Dapo Abiodun. That made it easy for late Senator Buruji Kashamu to return the earlier statesmanship gesture of ‘Dapo Abiodun pubicly when he visited him in the Governor’s office and raised ‘Dapo Abiodun’s hand to concede victory to him and the peoples of Ogun State jubilantly.
The Ijebus of Ogun State are known as active politicians, traders and industrialists in their brotherhood interreliance. The Ijebus are not known for political bitterness.
Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo of Remo in his lifetime was cheated, harrased, jailed, and treated unfairly all through, nationwide, yet he was declared posthumously by one of his staunch adversaries as the best President that Nigeria never had.
In the spirit of Remo brotherhood as related to Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the great political mentor that the current Yoruba politicians of various political parties profess, Chief ‘Ladi Adebutu and Governor Prince ‘Dàpò Abiodun are here by enjoined to unite all the Ogun State divided electorates, politicians and the general public by issuing, a statement of peace to the good people of Ogun State.
Lastly, the Adebutu family of Ijebu-Remo kingdom is a family known for its astuteness in industry and nationhood.The octogenarian head of the family is well known as philanthropist that funds education notably in the southwest geopolitical region of Nigeria and supports national interests when he is contacted.
Appeal goes to the family to engrave its name in the Ogun State political history by doing the Ogun State good in the reconciliation and rehabilitation of all the Ogun State public that the governorship election may have divided.
Willingness to serve our people, should not be a do or die affair, enough said.
Òtuńba Oláídé Ęmíola Òshífęsò,
Ex-Executive Chairman of,
Ijębu North Local Government Council,
Ògùn state.
