......condemns hostile political succession in Ogun
By Adeniyi Adedoyin
Former Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ambassador Sarafa Tunji Isola, on Wednesday debunked the insinuation that Egba people always thwart the aspiration of the Ogun West people in producing a governor, since the creation of Ogun State in 1976.
Ishola said, politicians of Egba extraction have always been the brains behind the move by the Ogun West to produce the number one citizen in the state.
The former Minister of Mines and Steel Development stated this while addressing leaders and members of Ogun Women-in-Politics who hosted him for his 64th birthday, at the GRA Ibara residence of former Governor of Ogun State and the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Segun Osoba.
He said, "the Egba people have been a political ally of the Yewa people. Each time a Yewa person aspires for the governorship, you will find a strong Egba person as the main backbone. Former Olusegun Obasanjo threw his all behind the late Tunji Olurin in 2011 and I served as his DG Campaigns".
"In 2019, he supported Gboyega Nasir Isiaka, while the then governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun wholeheartedly supported Adekunle Akinlade, and I also served as the DG Campaigns. In 2023, Senator Amosun who is an Egba man equally supported Biyi Otegbeye, a Yewa man against the incumbent governor. If you analyse my chronicle, you will see that Ogun Central has always rallied behind an Ogun Central person to become governor".
Ambassador Ishola, while condemning the hostile political succession in the State, called on politicians in the State to embrace politics without bitterness and eschew divisive politics, stressing that no meaningful development can take place in a hostile political environment.
Isola, who observed that the State is blessed with great and astute politicians who have made their marks in the state and at the national level, said politicians in the state must learn how to play their politics without severing the cord of unity, peace, love and harmony.
He noted that politics must be played without throwing caution into the wind, insisting that"divisive politics brings nothing but retrogression.
He said that Lagos has continued to be the bedrock of development due to the friendly succession and continuity, emphasizing that Ogun State must develop the same political template to espouse development and growth.
"We can't continue with this hostile succession and hope to have a development like Lagos. From Governor Segun Osoba to Governor Gbenga Daniel, from Daniel to Governor Ibikunle Amosun and from Amosun to the incumbent governor, Dapo Abiodun, it had been a successive hostile handing over. And this has not helped our state to develop to the desired level.
"To correct this anomaly, I have visited Senator Gbenga Daniel in Abuja, Senator Ibikunle Amosun in Lagos and Governor Dapo Abiodun at the Presidential Lodge in Abeokuta..
"Also, I visited the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, the Olu of Ilaro, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle and the Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Ajayi, to express my concerns. We need to work on this so that our state can fare better and achieve its full potential.
Responding to the question on the 2027 general election, the former High Commissioner to the UK, said that the popular opinion among the Egba people is that Ogun Central is the senatorial district to produce the next governor.
According to him, "this is the first time that the Egba people will unanimously agree that the governorship position should be zoned to Ogun Central".
He disclosed that he found out during his various consultations that since 2019, Egba people have not clinched key political and government positions such as the deputy governor, Secretary to the State Government and the Head of Service, hence the need to angle for the position of governor come 2027.
He, however, thanked the Women-in-Politics for its show of love and support, urging members to continue to preach the gospel of politics without acrimony, to engender development and progress in the state.
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