Major gladiators in Osun governorship race

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo

With the July 16 governorship election in Osun State fast approaching, political campaigns are at feverish pitch with parties and their candidates crisscrossing the length and breadth of the state to woo the electorate.

According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), 14 candidates will slug it out during the gubernatorial contest. However, looking at the candidates and their political weights, platforms and structures, the election is most likely going to be a four-horse race among the incumbent, Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the former Senator representing Osun West, Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Chief Executive Officer of Mutual Benefit Assurance Plc, Dr. Akin Akanmu Ogunbiyi of Accord Party (AP) and former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Lasun Yusuf of Labour Party (LP).

In this report, WesternPost takes a look at the four gladiators and their preparedness for the governorship battle.

Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola

The APC candidate and the incumbent hails from Iragbiji, Boripe Local Government in Osun Central. He has the experience of four years as the incumbent governor and eight years as Chief of Staff to the immediate past governor, Rauf Aregbesola.

The incumbency factor may work for Oyetola coupled with the modest achievements of his administration in the last three and half years with the little resources available. He is also known as a good resource manager. Oyetola was once described as not only a financial engineer but also a financial surgeon.

The defection of Senator Iyiola Omisore from the Social Democratic Party (SDP), who is now the National Secretary of APC, may likely boost the chances of Oyetola in the election, especially in the Ife axis of the state.

Also, there has been mass defection of members from the PDP, SDP, LP and Accord Party to the APC as the campaign train of Oyetola moves across the three senatorial districts of the state. This last minute defection may likely work in favour of Oyetola in his re-election battle.

On Tuesday alone at a rally in Osogbo/Olorunda Local Government, over 10,000 defectors from the PDP were ushered into the fold of APC.

Additionally, the Civic Engagement Agency, set up by the present administration and headed by a Special Adviser, Hon. Olatubosun Oyintiloye to interface with the public has been working assiduously in the last three years to educate and inform the electorate on the activities of the governor.

The agency has held several meetings with various communities, groups, trade unions, market women as well as artisans on the government policies and several have shown their appreciation for such engagements with a promise to give the governor their votes during the election.

Oyetola also has the political structure that made him governor in 2019 to again work for him this time around. That structure has been in place since the administration of Rauf Aregbesola of which Oyetola had substantial build on in all the three senatorial districts.

All things being equal, the incumbent has an edge over his three other opponents. Even the activities of The Osun Progressives (TOP), who constituted themselves into a caucus in the APC with virulent opposition to the governor may have little impact on the outcome of the election

Senator Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke

The governorship candidate of the PDP represented Osun West Senatorial District in the National Assembly between 2017 and 2019.

He has continued to enjoy the goodwill of his brothers – late Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke, who was the first civilian governor of the state and Dr Deji Adeleke, a billionaire businessman. Majority of those supporting his candidacy are doing so because of his late brother, Isiaka, who was a prominent politician in the state with many die-hard followers.

His senatorial district, Osun West has been clamouring for power rotation, contending that it is their turn to produce the next governor.

Since the creation of the state, the senatorial district has produced only one governor in the person of the late Isiaka Adeleke. Governors Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Chief Bisi Akande and Oyetola are from Osun Central, while Aregbesola is from Osun East,

This development may favour Adeleke in the coming election, although, this would depend on the other zones supporting his ambition.

WesternPost gathered that some electorate are skeptical about the personality of the PDP flagbearer. Both in and outside political circle, discussions have been that only a serious minded person can govern Osun State and not a perpetual dancer. Some electorate believe that Adeleke lacks the intellect to pilot the affairs of the state in all ramifications. He has not been known to espouse any serious economic blueprint on how to turn the state around. His campaigns have been largely dominated by mundane issues, they chorus.

Adeleke also has to face the reality of the crisis facing his party in his bid to win July 16 election. There are forces within the PDP that have refused to be appeased despite the reconciliation committee set up by the national body to resolve the wrangling within the party.

The fear is there that the candidate may face another hurdle except those internal crises were put to rest finally by the reconciliation committee.

But most importantly, the electorate believe that the next governor should be able to pilot the affairs of the state in all spheres in the face of dwindling resources and not a dance freak.

Dr. Akin Akanmu Ogunbiyi 

Ogunbiyi is the chairman of Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc, a globally recognised insurance conglomerate. He ventured into politics in 2018 and was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He picked the nomination form to contest for governor same year. He was defeated by seven votes at the July 23, 2018 PDP primaries by Senator Adeleke.

With the 2022 election approaching, Ogunbiyi had to defect to Accord Party when he realized that the national leadership of the PDP was in favour of Adeleke to once again fly the flag of the party.

And ever since the Ile-Ogbo born politician clinched the ticket of Accord, he has been traversing the length and breadth of the state, canvassing for votes and reeling out his developmental manifesto to the electorate.

Ogunbiyi is from Osun West like Adeleke. Although, this ought to work in his favour, but may turn out to be an albatross because of the presence of a more formidable opponent from the same zone. Despite his wealth, he may not have the capacity to withstand the power of incumbency that Oyetola enjoys and the financial muscle of the Adeleke dynasty.

The candidate has not also won any electoral contest before and neither has he occupied any public office. 

In APC circle, Ogunbiyi is seen as possessing the quality to be the governor of the state with his local and international exposure. His political structure is reputed to be strong but cannot be compared with that of the ruling party.

Hon. Lasun Yusuf

Yusuf, the immediate past Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, hails from Ilobu, Irepodun Local Government in Osun Central.

He is said to be a notable and experienced politician, who left APC to pursue his governorship ambition in Labour Party. The candidate has sizeable followers but his platform is still growing in the state.

Yusuf believes that he has what it takes to win the July 16 governorship election because of his vase experience in the legislative arm of government. But the opinion poll conducted shows otherwise. The poll suggested that the Labour Party candidate is not rooted in most of the local government areas for him to win the election.