Recently news broke of the reconciliatory meeting between Professor Wole Soyinka and Gen Yakubu Gowon. The latter had jailed the Nobel Laureate between 1967 and 1969, for complacent and sympathetic remarks for the promoters of the half of the yellow sun, during Nigeria’s civil war. The two men, now in their late 80s, emptied hearts’ burdens of over 52years in rectitude of peace and gained a lighter journey towards the grave. This development was generously welcomed by the political class and the entire public as the sort of news and event our polity needs in such times of national despair and acrimony amongst the country’s ethnic nationalities.
It was in this euphoria that the media received the news of Gov. Ibikunle Amosun’s visit to the family house of Governor Dapo Abiodun in Remo, Ogun State, on a supposed condolence visit to the governor’s family, to comfort him over the demise of his beloved father. The gentlemen of the press were elated to cover the unexpected but noble trip of the immediate past governor of the state, who many have labeled as very opinionated. Seeing him shed the differences between himself and the current governor, and the bitterness of the latter flooring all his antics and desperate efforts to the keep the piper’s pay over Ogun State, was a soothing news the press couldn’t wait to share.
But the host family, guests and gentlemen of the press were treated to a rude shock when all the senator did was stroll down the hallway to scribble a few words and return to his convoy totally ignoring everyone. At that moment Senator Ibikunle redefined what a condolence visit is and desecrated the ordinance of honouring the dead and his bereaved.
The Yorubas are known for a rich culture of courtesy and homage. That’s why emissaries are often sent ahead of a visit to the house of a king, bearing decent gifts. Governor Dapo Abiodun is the substantive governor and leader of the entire Ogun State inclusive of Amosun himself. He deserves respect and tribute from every citizen of the state. This is the least expected of a highly esteemed ‘omoluwabi’ son of the state!
Like every other eminent visitor, amongst whom were ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, a condolence visit can only be honouring when the governor is accorded the respect of fore knowledge, whereby the guest would be hosted and expected to deliver the condolence message in person to the grieving chief executive of the state, who would greatly use such gesture at this low time. In a manner consistent with the believed haughty personality of 5th republic senator, he chose to breeze past at a time Prince Dapo was away to avoid sharing a podium where the spotlight would be on someone else on the soil of Ogun State. Well, to checkmate possible public queries if he hadn’t shown up at all, a well-choreographed photo-ops style visit was stage. Maybe the visit was to Late Pa Emmanuel Abiodun and not Prince Dapo Abiodun, the chief mourner.
You would recall that in the last Ogun State gubernatorial elections, it was reported that Senator Amosun schemed in all manner and fashion to foist his designate on the people of the state. He explored all possible privileges of his office to achieve the ambition of transmitting power to his in-law, amongst which was the hijacking of the state’s party structure and suspension of the party’s processes in hosting a legitimate primary election.
His handpicked successor, whose selection led to the exit of some of the former governor’s trusted commissioners like Bimbo Ashiru, from his cabinet, was planned to be returned unopposed as the party’s candidate. But despite the then governor’s perfected plan and assumed Aso Rock backing, the then vociferous national chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomole, and the party’s NWC botched his plan and held a primary election that gave birth to Dapo Abiodun’s candidacy.
Amosun in his usual intolerant character embarked on some recoiling games that some tagged anti-party to undermine the candidature of Prince Abiodun and scuttle his campaign for the office. He even sponsored and supported his anointed candidate’s on a new party’s ticket (APM) and made the electioneering process very tough for the now governor. Some advert agencies and PR companies who spoke to Freelanews at the time reported major loss on expected advert businesses, because billboard owners in the entire Ogun State were cowed into refusing adverts from Dapo Abiodun’s campaign.
At the height of desperation, Amosun’s supporters disrupted the campaign of train of President Buhari at Abeokuta, which had all major party stalwarts in attendance, including its national leader Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu. A scene that warranted the activation of the security recourse of the president was a national disgrace and total embarrassment to his party.
Since that election, the power tussle between Ibikunle and Dapo took a more divisive turn. It was gathered that the ex-governor is unrelenting despite his overwhelming defeat of 2019. He has taken solace in leveraging his strong ties to the Villa for usurping Governor Abiodun’s political influence in the state. Privileged information from top Ogun State APC members reveals that Amosun was more influential in the nomination of the current federal ministers in the state and still commands a considerable amount of influence in the political affairs of Ogun State.
Therefore, what would have been a utopic scene, authoritatively quelling the internal political rancor in Ogun State and setting out a path to a more peaceful 2023 elections, was reduced to a charade by a man seemingly interested in self-accentuation only, other than self-discovery. State elders still hope that Senator Amosun would someday outgrow his vile tendencies and embrace a future of magnanimity, forbearance and peace.
An African proverb asserts that a farmer that gives up going to his farm to condone with his bereaved neighbour has only planted trees that will shield his own graveside. It will be decent for Senator Amosun to redress this with a call at the Governor’s Abeokuta office, even if for posterity’s sake – what is worth doing at all, is worth doing honourably.
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