An illustrious son of Ogun West and an advocate of its unity and progress, Engr. Gbenga Akinwande, on Wednesday revealed that the zone knew a month ago that neither Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) nor Hon. Abdulkabir Adekunle Akinlade of the Allied People’s Movememt (APM) would win the last Saturday, March 9 gubernatorial election in Ogun state.
Both Isiaka, a third time contestant, and Akinlade, Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s preferred candidate, hailed from Ogun West Senatorial district and puzzling enough, the zone is yet to produce a governor for the state since its creation in 1976 despite several attempts in the past by people from the area.
Prince Adedapo Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Ogun East senatorial district, was declared winner, by the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), having defeated his two main rivals – the ADC and APM governorship candidates respectively.
But appraising the election and its outcome which he communicated to The Nation, Akinwande who is the President Gbenga Akinwande Foundation, said Ogun West compromised its governorship ambition because of the bad leadership and governance of Amosun in the state.
Akinwande who rooted for Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka to succeed Amosun as the Governor of Ogun state said it became clear to many of them about a month to the election that Isiaka won’t win the election but were unable convince him to drop his ambition for Akinlade.
He added that his people also saw Akinlade as a more viable option for Ogun west based on the financial strength and the backing from Governor Amosun, but deemed Akinlade’s governorship as what could lead to an unbroken “continuity of impunity, militarised governance and bad leadership philosophy of Amosun.”
According to him, Amosun’s philosophy of governance shredded the once harmonious Ogun state into pieces “along ethnic nationalities and senatorial sentiments over the last seven years and nine months.”
The Philanthropist advised the Governor – elect, Adedapo Abiodun, to consider uniting Ogun people as one of his most pressing tasks, saying what the good people of the state want to see and hear henceforth is Ogun State agenda and not ethnic or tribal based cleavages.
Akinwande stated: “What we witnessed in Amosun era is what we did not see during Bisi Onabanjo, Chief Segun Osoba and even during Gbenga Daniel’s leadership, but this Governor (Amosun) came and divided Ogun state into pieces and we started hearing Ijebu agenda, Ogun west agenda, etc.
“My advice to the Governor-elect – Prince Dapo Abiodun is to reverse the state back to the philosophies that were in place during the late Olabisi Onabanjo and Aremo Olusegun Osoba leadership, where there were almost even distribution of states resources to all senatorial districts, developmental projects were almost equal and relative peace in the state.
“I also advised the Governor-elect not to cling to his own leadership’s philosophy alone but to consult and contact the leaders and elders of the party in the state in his policies and governance because if Governor Ibikunle Amosun had listened to people, he wouldn’t have failed to retain the leadership of the state. What we want to hear from now is Ogun state agenda, not Egba agenda or Yewa-Awori agenda.”
He lamented that the last election did betray the fact that his people – Ogun west, are really divided into three – the old Egbado North, the old Egbado South and the Aworis.
He urged leaders of the zone, particularly the traditional rulers to begin to mend fences for the future and survival of Yewa and Aworis as ethnic nationalities in Nigeria state.
Akinwande noted that Prince Dapo Abiodun won the governorship election through the leadership of Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, whom he said, rallied the support of Ijebus around the APC governorship candidate.
He appealed to the Olu of Ilaro and paramount ruler of Yewaland – Oba Kehinde Olugbenle and the Olota of Oto, Oba Adeyemi Obalanlege to rise to their responsibilities as leaders of the Yewa and Awori people.