PERSPECTIVE: Why Osun Must Reject Bola Oyebamiji: A Question of Character, Truth and Dignity
- By Wale Balogun
The steady erosion of traditional institutions, culture, and values in Yorubaland has reached a dangerous and intolerable stage. Politicians now routinely trample on sacred institutions, while some traditional rulers shamefully desecrate their stools for material gain. This degeneration is not accidental; it is the direct outcome of political arrogance, moral bankruptcy, and the monetisation of our heritage.
Even more disturbing is the role played by compromised Obas. From the controversial conduct of Oba Adewale Rashidi, the self-acclaimed Emir of Iwo, whose actions within the palace and public posturing distort Yoruba spirituality and history, to the Alaafin of Oyo prioritising homage to the Sultan of Sokoto above the Ooni of Ife, a clear and troubling pattern has emerged. These actions and inactions reveal an agenda that undermines the Ooni, distorts Yoruba history, and steadily advances external religious and political dominance in Oduduwa land.
At the heart of this decay is the compromised process of selecting Obas. Kingmakers, corrupted by money and political pressure, now impose pliant and unworthy candidates on our communities. These imposed Obas, once enthroned, show little respect for the stools they occupy, trading ancestral heritage for personal gain. As a result, individuals indoctrinated by foreign religious ideologies feel emboldened to ridicule Yoruba culture, traditions, spirituality, and history without consequence.
Had Obas imposed by visionless and greedy politicians possessed even a modicum of respect for the people and traditions of Oduduwa, the collapse of our values would not have reached this disgraceful level.
It is within this broader crisis of values and leadership that Bola Oyebamiji, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), must be judged. His widely reported attempt to shake the Soun of Ogbomosho, an act deliberately and rightly ignored by the monarch, was not a trivial breach of protocol. It was a public display of entitlement, arrogance, and ignorance of Yoruba traditional etiquette.
More revealing still was what followed. The same Oyebamiji who could not recognise the dignity of the Soun of Ogbomosho immediately ran to kneel before Kafayat Oyetola when he sighted her. This single act exposes the hierarchy he truly respects: not Yoruba tradition, not ancestral institutions, but political patronage and servitude. It lays bare a man who bows to power, not principle.
Oyebamiji is a political protege of former Governor Isiaka Oyetola, and his conduct reflects the culture of subservience and opportunism that defined that administration. Such a man cannot be trusted to defend Osun’s dignity, autonomy, or values.
Beyond conduct and symbolism lies an even graver issue: dishonesty. As Commissioner for Finance under the administration of Rauf Aregbesola, Bola Oyebamiji was fully aware that the modulated salary policy was the best option available at the time. The policy was adopted to prevent mass retrenchment of workers while sustaining the unprecedented infrastructural and social development projects ongoing across Osun State. Oyebamiji knew this. He defended it then. He implemented it then.
To now deny or distort his role is political cowardice and intellectual dishonesty. A man who disowns yesterday’s difficult but necessary decisions cannot be trusted with tomorrow’s challenges. Leadership demands truthfulness, courage, and institutional memory. Oyebamiji has demonstrated that he possesses none of these qualities.
Osun State does not need a liar who rewrites history to suit electoral ambition. It does not need a man who disrespects traditional institutions while grovelling before political patrons. It does not need an errand boy masquerading as a leader.
For his dishonesty, his lack of respect for Yoruba traditional institutions, his political opportunism, and his demonstrated servility, Bola Oyebamiji must be rejected at the polls. Osun voters must say no; to falsehood, to arrogance, and to the continued humiliation of our heritage.
The dignity of Osun State, its people, and its culture demands nothing less.
- Comrade Wale Balogun is the Converner of Mekunnu Koya
The opinions expressed in this publication are solely those of the author. It does not represent the editorial position or opinion of OSUN DEFENDER.
