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By Foluso Kayode
In Yoruba land, there is a common saying that “Efin ni iwa, riru ni ru”. What that expression highlighted in essence, is that character is an innate thing, that no matter how hard one try to conceal it, it always get revealed one way or the other. Ajibola Basiru, the defeated senatorial candidate in the last general election, but was recently smuggled into the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as scribe, is a man lost to pride. And he never loses an opportunity to show it.
On Saturday, he grabbed headlines of some newspapers with a ridiculous notion that the incumbent Governor in the state, Senator Ademola Adeleke, will not use beyond one term in office. Although this will not come as a surprise to many who are conversant with his style, but it was unexpected that he would forget in a hurry that the power as to win or lose election lies solely with the electorate.
Nigeria, as it is in many other places where democracy has been chosen as a form of government, the people are the ultimate decider of who wins election. This was what played out in the July 16 governorship election that brought about this government, contrary to the thoughts, scheme and efforts of Basiru and others in his party.
While there is certainly some misunderstanding of his current status on the weight of electoral fortune, Basiru has taken things way too far. Only a few months ago, this same Basiru was resoundingly rejected by electorates in his senatorial district as he attempted re-election, struggling so hard to win two out of 10 local governments in the area.
Basiru was rejected simply because he failed to make any significant impact for constituents in the four years he was in the Senate. Yet, he was out projecting the image of a superhuman who can stop a Governor delivering good governance for the people from getting his mandate renewed despite failing in his own election.
Basiru is a megalomaniac to the maximum degree. He is not interested in the problems of wage debts that he was an active participant which Governor Adeleke is working to solve nor is he interested in the infrastructural renewal mismanaged by his party but now getting deserving attention. He covets power even though he is not interested in bearing the responsibility that comes with it.
And let’s be honest– Basiru is not really a progressive-minded politician, regardless of what his supporters think. Over the years, he has shown to be driven by selfish interest, rather than the general good. This was manifest in the terrible jobs he did as the Attorney-General of Osun state, overseeing some of the worse deals for the state. As a Senator, he wasn’t any better, as his arrogance trait brought nothing but dishonour to the state.
Like all failures, Basiru tries to see others in his mirror, forgetting that that could be a colossal error. Otherwise, Basiru will not rate the administration of Ademola Adeleke low, when the facts out there showed incredible achievements . In less than a year, Governor Adeleke has paid over N17 billion to contributory pensioners while at least three out of the 30-month half salary owed by the APC administration have been paid.
In health, no fewer than 18,000 people across the state had benefited from Imole medical outreach, which include free surgery for varying medical conditions, and more than 40 kilometers of roads have been successfully delivered across Osun by the Adeleke administration. This is with the exclusion of the 10.5km Osogbo-Ikirun-Ila dual carriage road that was delivered in the first 100 days of Governor Adeleke in office and the ongoing construction of the abandoned Osogbo circular road project.
Across Osun state, dilapidated buildings in public schools are being put back in good shape while new ones are also being built to improve learning environment. Salaries are paid at when due and even more, Governor Adeleke ensured the payment of the financial implication of promotion done by former Governor Gboyega Oyetola in 2019. This and many many more are what Governor Adeleke have done in less than a year, but to Basiru, it was nothing, maybe because he’s not used to impactful governance.
What Basiru has shown with his spineless outburst is gross disdain for Osun people and the progress of the state. Since Adeleke came to office, Osun people has seen genuine desire to correct past misdeed and sail the state on course progress and tranquility. This is what Basiru is obviously planning to frustrate with reckless disposition.
Well, I trust Osun people to answer him at the appropriate time and just as we have seen in the past, it will be a humiliating experience for Basiru. If he thinks his current position confer on him any special power to impose his will on the people, he better come out of that delusion before it is too late because power belongs to the people absolutely.
• Foluso writes from Isale-Oba quarters in Iwo, Osun State.
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