“Dismembering” Prof. Adewole’s Report

In my last week’s reflection on Prof. Isaac Adewole’s repositioning committee report regarding the Osun APC crisis, I concluded the piece with the following paragraph:

“The responses to my reflections on Prof. Isaac Adewole’s repositioning committee report have highlighted the need to summarize the series of events that culminated in a full-blown crisis, leading Osun APC to a setback and opposition status. This, in my view, will provide a deeper understanding of the history of the Osun APC crisis, helping the public decide whether to adopt the report’s recommendations or take other proactive steps to restore the party and prepare it for future elections.”

My intent was to refresh the public’s memory regarding the sequence of events that led to the party’s fractured state, ultimately resulting in its defeat in the last elections. Furthermore, I aimed to enable the public to assess whether Prof. Adewole’s committee report could serve as a reliable document for repositioning the APC in Osun. However, contrary to my initial decision, a new development emerged last week, nearly six weeks after Prof. Adewole submitted his committee report to former Governor Alh. Gboyega Oyetola in Osogbo.

In a seemingly dramatic turnaround from a state of confusion, the state chapter of the party, under Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, established another committee tasked with deriving “actionable recommendations” from the report. This development underscored the fact that some of Prof. Adewole’s boardroom recommendations are impractical. It confirms my earlier assertion that the report contained numerous impractical recommendations and suggests that some recommendations were based more on imagination than on the actual facts of the crisis.

In my initial analysis of the committee’s work, I expressed strong dissatisfaction with the adoption of a “foreign system” to address our domestic political problems and administer justice. Prof. Adewole employed an academic approach rather than a practical political one, drawing on both classroom and boardroom experiences to formulate recommendations, some of which are now considered unworkable. Therefore, it’s not surprising that Sooko Tajudeen Lawal opted to subject the entire report to scrutiny and reevaluation.

During the committee’s assignment, it was discovered that some local governments did not provide any memoranda. Consequently, presenting a report that represented a general problem situation within the party in these areas amounted to little more than an academic exercise, rendering the entire endeavor somewhat farcical. Nevertheless, considering the effort, time, and resources invested in the assignment, Prof. Adewole deserves our sincere sympathy.

Reliable sources have informed me that my previous analysis of the report influenced Sooko Tajudeen Lawal’s decision to hastily establish the committee led by Rt. Hon. Timothy Owoeye. I find it hard to disagree with them, given the significant time gap between the report’s submission to former Governor Oyetola and the party’s subsequent actions. This further reinforces the perception among the public that Oyetola’s commitment to the party is casual and uninspiring. He appears not entirely concerned about the party’s future survival and the welfare of its members in Osun. While he remains a standby and frontline beneficiary of any opportunity in the party, his sincere commitment appears limited.

So, what is Hon. Timothy Owoeye’s committee going to review? A collection of stories compiled in a document, presented as a report, with the expectation that former Governor Oyetola will once again act to reposition Osun APC? This is another source of amusement for the party, as genuine sympathizers continue to demand a proactive solution to the ongoing crisis.

There should have been no reservations about assigning responsibility to Hon. Timothy Owoeye in this matter. However, his perceived fickle style raises concerns. He has had opportunities in the past but failed to act. As a former speaker and a critical stakeholder in the party, he had the opportunity to prevent the crisis from escalating, but instead, Timothy Owoeye chose to be a fighter rather than an arbiter. He resembled Nza, the little bird in Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” who, after a heavy meal, challenged his chi to a fight. Consequently, he has lost the trust and confidence of many.

Just like the main committee, the outcome of Timothy Owoeye’s committee is predictable because, according to their terms of reference, they are only tasked with considering actionable recommendations and not introducing anything new. This is akin to building a sturdy structure on a faulty foundation.

Now that the report has transitioned from Prof. Adewole’s clinic to Hon. Timothy Owoeye’s abattoir slab, party members and the concerned public eagerly await another episode of the never-ending drama within Osun APC. If proper damage prevention mechanisms had been deployed from the outset, this unique mess might have been averted.

In the words of our elders, “Pipe ti a pe jo se oku alaisi, ti a ba pejo bee toju alaisan, boya ko ba ma ku” – As we gather for a befitting burial for the deceased, if we had expended similar effort on caring for their health, per adventure, they would still be alive.

The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author. They do not represent the opinions or views of Osun Defender