As the September 22, 2018 Gubernatorial Election approaches in the state of Osun, many contenders are now gearing up for the state’s top job. Sodiq Yusuf of Osun Defender Online in this story presents the top aspirants from across the main political parties in the state.
Many contenders both known and unknown from the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC and the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, have shown interest in taking over Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s job when he hands over on November 27. In this treatise, we try to present their resume, analyze their chances of emerging as candidates of their various political parties and winning the main election.
They say in politics, there are no permanent friend and foe, only permanent interest. As the D-day approach, alliances and dispositions will change, forces will merge to collaborate, many will decamp and cross carpet, but as of February, these are the top contenders for the job and how they stand.
The list of the top ten contenders is not arranged in any order.
Party: APC
Current Position: Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives
Previous Position: Member, House of Representatives
Local Government: Irepodun Local Government
Senatorial District: Osun Central Senatorial District
Date of Birth:October 4, 1960, 57 years
Since the beginning of 2017, the current Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives has not hid his desire to rule the state of the virtuous. Having emerged a Deputy Speaker in the House of Representatives in defiance to his party’s preferred candidate, a move which pitched him against the party structure in his home state and the south west where he hails, Hon. Lasun has proved he is a force to be reckoned with. With a somewhat heavy federal financial war-chest to fight the battle for who emerges as the APC flag bearer, he has some credibility issues to battle with.
Also of note is his hardline stance against the ruling administration of his home state. At the last Eid-El-Fitri celebrations, the Deputy speaker had openly criticized the education policy of the government, a move many see as being unnecessary all in a bid to prove he is anti-establishment. However, the move seems to have backfired as many political watchers in the state feel he should not have burnt the bridge that ultimately led him to his present position.
Despite all the baggage that trails Hon. Lasun, he may end up pulling a surprise for everyone. The only thing stopping him is the desire of people from the West Senatorial District who haven’t had the chance to hold the highest office in the state since the current political dispensation started.
Party: APC
Current Position: Secretary to the State Governor, State of Osun
Previous Position: Pioneer Chairman, Action Congress, State of Osun
Local Government: Iwo Local Government
Senatorial District: Osun West Senatorial District
Date of Birth: 27th February 1953, 63 years
Moshood AdeotiMr. Moshood Adeoti who is an influential politician in his Iwo Local Government had his image boosted when he served as state Party Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria. His party then, led the current government to victory at the polls during the 2007 election which had a protracted legal battle that eventually led to the declaration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as the duly elected governor of the state on November 26, 2010.
His political nest traverses the length and breadth of the state as he played pivotal roles in the acceptability of the then AC by Osun people. During the race for 2007, he was among the few who escaped assassination attempts, maiming from the then ruling party in the state.
His instrumental role in the emergence of the new government in November, 2010 led to his eventual selection as the Secretary to the State Government in December, 2010. Adeoti is a grassroots politician whose political history earned him several positions in the past.
Despite the widely acclaimed impression that he does not have the financial wherewithal to contest the seat, the current SSG is a man to beat any day anytime. He also comes from Iwo in the West Senatorial District of the state, a town aiming to produce the next Governor of the State of Osun.
Party: APC
Current Position: Chief of Staff to the Governor
Previous Position: Private Sector
Local Government: Boripe Local Government
Senatorial District: Osun Central Senatorial District
Date of Birth: October 1, 1954, 63 years.
Before his appointment as the Chief of Staff to Governor Aregbesola in 2010, the name Isiaka Adegboyega Oyetola might not have ringed a bell in the realm of Osun politics. Oyetola had been in the private sector all his life. His experience as a financial expert gave him a successful career in the private sector managing so many businesses.
Perhaps, the time and moment he had felt to resign and enjoy the dividends of his long service to humanity, the call beckoned on him to serve his people in the State of Osun.
His track record as a financial expert dates to about three decades where he showed responsibility, diligence and unrivalled service to humanity. His tenure in the last seven and a half years as the Chief of Staff to Governor Rauf Aregbesola has shown him as a man that has the technical know-how to govern a state like Osun.
His ingenuity in resolving several labour disputes on the side of government and contributions to improving government finances making people to point fingers at him as the next person to succeed Governor Aregbesola on November 27.
Recent events have also shown that a section of the party’s leadership in the Southwest is giving him the nod to steer the ship of the State of Osun.
Party: APC
Current Position:Commissioner for Finance, State of Osun
Previous Position:Managing Director, Osun State Investment Company Limited, OSICOL
Local Government: Irewole Local Government
Senatorial District: OsunWest Senatorial District
Date of Birth: 17th November, 1965, 51 years old
With little or no background in Politics, another name that comes to the mind of many to take up the tough job is Bola Oyebamiji. The current Commissioner for Finance in the State of Osun is an administrator and financial/commercial guru per excellence. Oyebamiji boasts of a rich experience in the banking industry going to about 2 decades.
Though in Lagos, his contributions to the growth of businesses in the private sector endeared him to Governor Rauf Aregbesola when he appointed him to head the Osun State Investment Company Limited OSICOL in 2012. His efforts at revamping the hitherto moribund company yielded positive results when the company’s major product, the Essence Table Water gained recognition in the six Southwestern states of the federation.
Oyebamiji’s prudence in financial management also secured several investments for OSICOL. His sterling record of performance gave him the new task of managing the finances of the State of Osun.
From the West Senatorial District of the state, Oyebamiji also stands a rich chance to get the job if he campaigns vigorously and gets the people to support his candidature.
Party: PDP
Current Position: Legal Practitioner,
Previous Position: Unknown
Local Government: Ifelodun Local Government
Senatorial District: OsunCentral Senatorial District
Date of Birth: October 6, 1970, 47 years.
Barrister Kayode Oduoye comes from a rich political family. His late father, Senator Olasunkanmi Oduoye was a former Senator representing Osun Central Senatorial District from 2007-2011. He hails from Ikirun in Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state.
He contested the 2015 Ifelodun/Boripe/Odo-Otin Federal Constituency seat with Hon Yinka Ajayi of the APC which he lost. Since the build-up to the 2015 elections, he has been in the forefront of rescuing from total collapse, the Osun chapter of the PDP.
Super Kay as he is fondly called is a minnow in the game of racing for the Governorship election in the state.
Party: PDP
Current Position: Nil
Previous Position: Two-term Senator (PDP, Osun East)
Local Government: Ife Central Local Government
Senatorial District: Osun East Senatorial District
Date of Birth: September 15, 1957, 60 Years
Christopher Iyiola Omisore is a known face in Osun politics dating back to the 3rd Republic. An electrical engineer by profession, Omisore has been in the murky water of politics for long.
His sojourn into political limelight dates back to 1999 when he emerged as the Deputy Governor to Governor Adebisi Akande. After he was impeached and imprisoned as the number 2 citizen of the state in 2002 due to controversies that surrounded the death of the Former Governor of the Old Oyo State, Chief Bola Ige, Omisore returned to politics as he became the Senator representing Osun East Senatorial District in 2003 and was returned in 2007.
He contested against the incumbent Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola in 2014 and lost. Omisore has had the opportunity of winning his Ife stronghold in most of the elections he has contested.
One thing that has continued to dent Omisore’s political career is the widely believed hooliganism, election rigging, manipulation and politics of bitterness which has in many years damaged his reputation in the minds of the Osun electorate.
His influence in the crisis currently rocking the Osun PDP is not far-fetched with many pointing accusing fingers at him of unsettling the party because his point man, Bayo Faforiji who can secure for him the 2018 Governorship Ticket did not win the disputed state congress that produced Soji Adagunodo in 2015. He was also seen recently in a widely circulated video on social media distributing N500 each to would-be voters at a privately organized empowerment programme.
Despite all, one major impediment to the acceptability of Omisore’s aspiration to govern the state of Osun is the Osun East senatorial district where he hails from which produced the incumbent governor of the state.
Party: PDP
Current Position: Nil
Previous Position: Former National Commissioner, National Population Commission
Local Government: Irewole Local Government
Senatorial District: Osun West Senatorial District
Date of Birth: January 5, 1960, 57 Years.
Akogun Lere Oyewumi as he is fondly called is a former Chairman of Irewole Local Government of the State of Osun. After his sojourn as Chairman, he was appointed as a national commissioner of the National Population Commission.
A key member of the Iyiola Omisore faction of the PDP, fillers in the camp of Lere Oyewumi see a last minute stepping down from the Ikire born Politician for his boss, Omisore.
Party: PDP
Current Position: Nil
Previous Position: Former Secretary to the State Government
Local Government: Olaoluwa Local Government
Senatorial District: Osun West Senatorial District
Date of Birth: April 1955, 62 Years.
Fatai Akinade Akinbade is one of the few politicians that have a rich history for being a part of the government structure in the state since the days of the military administrations. Akinbade served as Commissioner for four successive military administrators before becoming the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP that brought in Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola in 2003.
Akinbade was later appointed the Secretary to the State Government and left office when the Appeal Court declared the then government invalid in 2010. When the disintegration that tore the Osun PDP apart came in, Akinbade and his supporters moved to the Labour Party where he contested the gubernatorial seat in 2014.
Now that he’s back in the PDP, the Ogbaagbaa born politician is in the race to get the PDP ticket. Political watchers in the state have however wondered how a candidate that got just 8,000 votes in the last election will get the nod of Osun people to lead them for the next 4 years despite his background from the West Senatorial District.
Party: APC
Current Position: Legal Practitioner
Previous Position: NIL
Local Government: Osogbo Local Government
Senatorial District: Osun Central Senatorial District
Date of Birth: September 5, 1969, 48 Years
Popularly called K-RAD, Kunle Rasheed Adegoke, the Osogbo born lawyer cum politician was a key figure in the protracted legal battle that saw Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola returned as Governor of Osun in 2010.
His ideologies as seen in his campaign billboards looks like a replica of what is contained in Aregbesola’s Green Book. With no political history, his chances might be too slim to get the ticket of his party, the APC.
Party: APC
Current Position: Speaker, State of Osun House of Assembly
Post Held: Member representing Ejigbo Constituency, OSHA
Local Government: Ejigbo Local Government
Senatorial District: Osun West Senatorial District
Date of Birth: August 8, 1965, 52 Years
Najeem Folasayo “Iwaloye” Salaam is the current Speaker of the State of Osun House of Assembly, a position he has held since 2011. He was robbed off his mandate as a member of the Osun Assembly in 2007 through the court.
Since he became speaker, he has been a force to reckon with in his hometown of Ejigbo and his West Senatorial District. He is seen by many as another politician who has the requisite political, academic and financial wherewithal to govern the State of Osun with his leadership style in the House of Assembly.
His senatorial district is also a key factor for him going into the APC Primaries.
The indigenes, residents, political watchers and the international community are keeping tabs on the state of politicking in the State of Osun in the coming weeks with political activities gradually building up for the September 22 election.
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Good let the game begins, Osun 2018 it is going to be interesting
No single positive report about Lasun Yussuff.Who represent part structure in South west who was/were offended by taking the position of the Deputy Speaker?
*ABOUT PROF. ADEOLU DUROTOYE*
Prof. Adeolu Durotoye is a professor of Political Science and presently the provost of Social and Management Sciences at Afe Babalola University where he has distinguished himself as an astute administrator and excellent manager of human and material resources. He has been a journalist, administrator, public affairs analyst, motivational speaker, and preacher. He is the recipient of the prestigious University of Lagos distinguished Alumni award in 2005 and Meritorious Service award of the Men's Missionary Union of Osun Baptist Conference in 2017. He is the founder of Adeolu & Jane Durotoye Foundation which has offered scholarship, provided free eye glasses and medical examination, vocational skills training and business takeoff grants to many in the past 4 years. He has lived in and travelled wide to different parts of the world. According to him "Never again shall we have jobless youths, abandoned projects, unmaintained roads, dilapidated medical facilities, muddled education policy in the Osun State". Born in Osogbo 48 years ago, he will definitely bring his wide experience and exposure to bear in turning our dear state around. We need a technocrat like Prof. Adeolu Durotoye at this stage of our underdevelopment to run the affairs of our dear state. He is of the notion that any previous policy that works well will be sustained and improved upon.
i don't see governor among them, stop giving us headache news
The only man d mass cherishes is Adeoti Moshood.
Ten contenders without Peter Action fake news
I stil keep saying this often and often that, moshood adeoti of iwo land is the person who is capable to do the assignmetof osun state, he his the only peraon I knew he can do above and turn osun state to what pole wants. Let moshood lead and we follow.please let ur vote be counted. Apc fr life.
All are capable but lets use the most young one
God should take control of osun state cunbanitoria election
it is crystal clear that the success of AREGBESOLA in the state of osun lies in the hand of his chief of staff in person of Isiak Gboyega oyetola a business tycon, a highly dedicated and down to heart. A man who has spend from his own pocket to pilot the affairs of osun state. I urge the good modesty people of osun state to give there mandate to this gentle God fearing man . A man that believes injury to one is an injury to all "TOGETHER WILL WE TURN OSUN TO HOME FOR ALL PEOPLE'" ILERI OLUWA 2018