Reports on the July 8 by - election in Osun West Senatorial District, which will see the younger brother to the former occupier of the seat, late Senator Isiaka Adeleke, Ademola, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) squaring up with Senator Mudashiru Hussein of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator Isiaka Adeleke was a household name in Osun State, where he was the first civilian governor during the Third Republic on the
platform of the defunct Social Democratic
Party (SDP). He was not initially favoured to
win the party’s ticket as the front runner was a lawyer, Oladipo Oladosu, but after a close
primary in which Adeleke came second, a
runoff was held and the latter won.
Adeleke went ahead to win the election to
become governor of the state in 1992 at the
age of 37. The uncommon feat earned him the
nickname “Serubawon.” After the dissolution
of the Third Republic, Adeleke pitched his tent
with the opposition group, Afenifere, but later
switched to join a Democratic Party of Nigeria
(DPN).
In 2007, he was elected senator for Osun West
on the platform of the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP). His bid to return to the Senate in
2011 was dashed as he was defeated at the
poll by the candidate of the Action Congress
of Nigeria (ACN). He, however bounced back
in 2014 ahead of the governorship election in
the state with his defection to the All
Progressives Congress (APC) of which ACN
was one its legacy parties. He promised to
work for the victory of the party in the poll
and never relented. Little wonder, he emerged
the party’s senatorial candidate for Osun West
for the 2015 elections.
Making a return to the Senate for the second
time, Adeleke, popularly called “The Guv” by
his numerous admirers and supporters,
assured his constituents that he was prepared,
more than ever before, to render selfless
service to the people of his senatorial district,
saying he was not out to push personal
agenda.
No doubt, the Asiwaju of Edeland, whose his
political structure spreads across the length
and breadth of the three senatorial districts
and 30 local governments of the state, walked
his talk. This prompted calls for him to join
the 2018 governorship race in the state.
Death, however, cut him short on April 23.
But, how relevant Senator Adeleke’s political
structure is after his demise would be put to
test on July 8, when his younger brother,
Ademola, who is seeking to take over his
vacant seat in the Senate under the platform
of the People Democratic Party (PDP).
Ordinarily, the former governor’s political
legacy is expected to brighten the chances of
his younger brother. A political analyst in the
state, Adesoji Adebisi, told our correspondent
that late Adeleke political influence would
linger forever as he touched several lives and
as a result of this, his political associates,
friends and supporters will likely back his
younger brother at the poll during the July 8
rerun.
But, politics being a game of the possible, the
question being asked by political observers is:
Can the younger Adeleke ride on his late
brother’s political structure in his bid to loin
the rank of business moguls, who have
ventured into politics?
A school of thought in its response to this
puzzle believes that the late Adeleke stood out
as a politician who took care of people
irrespective of political differences. This,
perhaps, explained why his supporters after
series of meetings, unanimously presented the
younger Adeleke as their candidate for the
July 8 bye-election on the platform of the
APC.
Besides the younger Adeleke, others who eyed
the senatorial seat on the platform of the APC
were a national ex-officio of the party, Hon.
Akintola Omolaoye; the state secretary of the
party, Ayobami Sansile; Alhaji Tiamiyu Bello;
Mr. Tijani Adekilekun; Alhaji Sule Alao and
Senator Mudashir Hussein.
On the platform of the PDP were the former
speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon.
Adejare Bello; Senator Olasunkanmi Akinlabi;
Hon. Bamidele Salam and Col. Olayiwola
Falabi (rtd).
During the screening exercise carried out by
the national leadership of the party last
weekend, to determine who emerges as the
APC candidate, other contenders for the
vacant seat except Senator Hussein withdrew
from the race but he was later disqualified.
The committee led by the Speaker of Zamfara
State House of Assembly, Hon.Sanusi Rikiji,
disqualified Hussein for his failure to resign as
a serving commissioner in the state.
Rikiji stated that Hussein was disqualified
because the party guidelines stipulate that a
candidate must not “remain as an employee of
the public service within 30 days prior to the
date of an election.”
But, Hussein claimed that he formally resigned
his position and tendered his resignation letter
to the Governor Rauf Aregbesola on June 6 as
the Commissioner for Cabinet Matters.
An appeal committee, which entertained his
objection to the disqualification, affirmed the
position of the screening committee. In its
report signed by its chairman, Hon. Abdullahi
Bello and secretary, Alhaji Shehu Nguru, the
committee stated that “an objective view of
the petitioner’s nominations form for the
primary was not duly sworn to before a
magistrate or a notary public and his failure
to do this constitute an incurable defect.”
It added: “The failure of the petitioner to
submit his nomination form for the purpose of
certification and oath before a magistrate or a
notary public is fatal to his cause.”
The appeal committee therefore affirmed that
“upon the above consideration, the appeal for
reconsideration and reversal as presented by
Senator Madashiru Hussein lacks merit and is
hereby dismissed.”
Unsatisfied with the development, the power
that be in the party was said to have mounted
pressure on the national leadership of the
party, which later reconsidered Hussein and
cleared him for the primary.
Sensing danger as a result of the late hour
clearance, Ademola Adeleke tendered his
resignation letter from the party and
decamped to the PDP for screening less than
24 hours to the party’s primary and was given
the ticket.
Adeleke said his resignation was due to lack
of trust in the APC. The letter reads in part: “I
am constrained to take this decision due to
the obvious manipulations and political
godfathers and power brokers that created the
cloudy and controversial circumstances that
led to the mysterious requalification of a
candidate that was disqualified at two levels
of the party’s screening committee.
“Equally important and unacceptable is the
fact that the party has chosen to conduct the
primary in Osogbo instead of Iwo, the
senatorial district headquarters, thereby
exposing the process to potential
nullification.”
He expressed his lack of confidence in the
outcome of the primary, saying “a
manipulated process will only lead to a
manipulated outcome.”
The state chapter of the APC in its response
through a statement by its Director Of
Publicity, Barr Kunle Oyatomi, said: “We
received a letter, conveying the decision of
Otunba AdemolaAdeleke to withdraw from the
primaries in which he is slated to contest as a
candidate for the position of senator for Osun
West Senatorial District, on the platform of the
All Progressives Congress.
“He claimed he based his decision on two
grounds: What he termed as ‘obvious
manipulations and interference by political
godfathers and power brokers that created the
cloudy and controversial circumstances that
led to the mysterious re-qualification of a
candidate that was disqualified at two levels
of the party’s screening process’ and his
grouse with the non-use of Iwo, for the
election because he takes it the headquarters
of the Osun West Senatorial District.
“He also tied the withdrawal of his
candidature to his total resignation from the
APC. Otunba Ademola Adeleke has been riding
on mischief all along, concocting false and
irrational explanations as a subterfuge for his
failed attempt to destabilize our party in the
state.”
While the claims and counter-claims over the
twist in events was expected, Adeleke’s
defection to the PDP triggered jubilation in the
party and those who had earlier signified
intention to contest for the party’s ticket
stepped down for him.
At Iwo Township Stadium, where the party’s
primary took place, Ademola had his political
way as other senatorial aspirants in the party
like Senator Olasunkanmi Akinlabi, retired Col.
Olayiwola Falabi and Bamidele Salam stepped
down for him after a stakeholders’ meeting of
the PDP in Osogbo.
As a result of this, his emergence came
through affirmation after polling 343 votes.
The votes came from the 10 local governments
that make up the senatorial district and the
number of delegates recorded in these local
governments were: Iwo 52, Ede north 41, Ede
south 36, Egbedore 39, Olaoluwa 36, Ejigbo
40,Irewole 41, Isokan 40, Ayedaade 39 and
Ayedire 36.
Speaking on the conduct of the exercise, the
PDP National officer, who was also the
returning officer of the election, Chief Pegba
Otemolu, appreciated all party members for
their cooperation in making the voting
exercise a successful one.
In an interview with newsmen shortly after his
emergence as the candidate of the party,
Adeleke said he dumped the APC because of
its unholy attitude towards the conduct of the
primary election.
He added that “come July 8, we shall come
home with victory by the grace of God.
Nothing can stop us. We are winning this
election.”
In his own remark, the Osun State chairman of
the PDP, Hon. Soji Adagunodo said: “You can
see that we are open and transparent in our
primary election.”
On whether Ademola is a member of the party,
he said: “Ademola Adeleke was our member
before he joined the APC. Now he has come
back. What happened today is a sign of good
thing to come in 2018 when we would win
2018 governorship election. With the
consensus candidate we have presented, we
are good to go in the July 8 bye-election. We
would win landslide”
At the APC primary conducted at the
Distinguish Event Centre, Egbedore Local
Government Area, the same day the PDP had
its own, Senator Hussein had the day. He was
the sole contestant for the ticket.
Hussein in his acceptance speech expressed
his commitment to the welfare of the people of
Osun West, advancement of democracy and
good governance in the country.
With the battle line drawn, the belief in the
senatorial district is that the bye-election
would be a battle of the titans. While some
are optimistic that Adeleke would ride on the goodwill of his late brother to the Senate, others are of the opinion that Hussein, as a tested politician, has what it takes to win the poll.
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