Moving forward, the Option A 4, though condemned by the United Nations archaic and primitive, to me it is the most transparent, less expensive and most accessible for the poverty-stricken mass of the people. It is an option clean, clear and sure as the counting is done on the spot, it is a powerful antidote for electoral rigging, out right thuggery, money bagism and unbridled violence. The option A 4 or ‘direct method’ that has produced Alhaji Isiaka Adegboyega Oyetola, Chief of Staff to Governor Aregbesola as the undisputed Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the September 22nd, 2018 Osun State Governorship Election will go a long way to sanitize future governorship primaries within party politics in Nigeria if it is embraced, because it is open to all party members irrespective of their sentiments?
[dropcap]O[/dropcap]n July 20th, 2018 the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State of Osun again scored another political goal by subjecting all the Governorship aspirants who wanted to succeed Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola in office to undergo a blanket, uniform and universal process tagged: ‘direct method.’
The other time it was a parliamentary system that was adopted by the APC in Osun to pick candidates into the Local Government Areas. In getting that done what the party did was to allow all the contestants to the various wards to struggle to be elected, after which the successful candidates were offered the plank and liberty to elect their chairmen from among themselves.
Though some political pessimists and professional reactionaries raised eyebrows concerning the parliamentary style of bringing in the council chairmen, the fact remains that looking at the scarce resources available to the party and the State the parliamentary innovation was democratic, fantastic, cost-effective and rancor free.
I was fortunate to be in Oshogbo, the state capital during the APC Governorship Primary on July 20th, 2018. When I moved round some of the Local Government Areas cum venues close to the metropolis I was confronted with a very peaceful exercise, as party faithful and stalwarts engaged themselves in a most orderly, civilized and sophisticated manner.
I was excited to see the rank and file of members of APC queuing eagerly and excitedly behind governorship aspirants/ representatives of their choice under a most peaceful democratic atmosphere.
The experience I had on the field during the primary quickly brought my mind back to the historical reality that shook the Nigerian nation to its foundation on June 12th, 1993, when the legendary Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola of the then Social Democratic Party (SDP) won the freest, most credible and universally accepted Presidential Election in the checkered history of Nigeria, using the same direct method of mass participatory election.
And since that time the option A 4 system of election has not been used in the country. This is the second time that the method has been allowed to decide electoral proceedings again. No doubt this is a fanstatic signal coming from Osun State.
The Option A 4 dimension, instead of the usual delegates style, that was adopted by the APC in the State to conduct the Governorship Primary afforded all aspirants to the coveted crown available at the Bola Ige House in Abere, Oshogbo to prove their mettle and absolute popularity amongst the big family which Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has created and nurtured painstakingly in the State in the last eight years as Governor.
Expectedly, some governorship aspirants and their supporters thought otherwise, arguing that Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola would have brought his full weight to press heavily in their direction in the name of zoning the party governorship to western axis of the state.
Given the delicate nature of the secessionist plank available in the State, where Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has courageously led an extraordinary, open and all-inclusive administration that has taken the fortunes of the State to the highest crescendo since 2012, when he dislodged and dismantled the political machine of General Olagunsoye Oyinlola, such decision would have been a devastating one for him (Aregbesola) to make.
Devastating, yes, because how would a positive character with scintillating democratic credentials and antecedents like Ogbeni Aregbesola descend so low to publicly pitch a political tent with any camp amongst the avalanche of governorship aspirants that lined up to succeed him?
By his action of staying aloof, disconnected and unsupportive of any of the governorship aspirants, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has added another feather to his sophisticated scientific politicking.
Certainly he has refused stubbornly to be bitten by the notorious bug that has negatively afflicted some ex-sitting governors within the political firmament of Nigeria, a phenomenon that has branded some of them as malevolent godfathers.
Moving forward, the Option A 4, though condemned by the United Nations as archaic and primitive, to me it is the most transparent, less expensive and most accessible for the poverty-stricken mass of the people.
It is an option clean, clear and sure as the counting is done on the spot, it is a powerful antidote for electoral rigging, out right thuggery, money bagism and unbridled violence.
The option A 4 or ‘direct method’ that has produced Alhaji Isiaka Adegboyega Oyetola, Chief of Staff to Governor Aregbesola as the undisputed Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the September 22nd, 2018 Osun State Governorship Election will go a long way to sanitize future governorship primaries within party politics in Nigeria, if it is embraced, because it is open to all party members irrespective of their sentiments?
Now that Isiaka Adegboyega Oyetola has been universally chosen within the APC, what does it portend for the party in the fast approaching September 22nd 2018 Osun State Governorship Election?
The candidature of Isiaka Oyetola, given the administrative experience he has acquired under the indefatigable, selfless and people-oriented leadership of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola in almost eight years now will certainly speak heavily in favor of the APC during the thick and thin of the campaigns for the highest stool in the land.
One can now say that via the option A 4 the indiscriminate use of money amongst governorship aspirants has been minimized, if not totally avoided and the common attitude of some politicians moving about from one ward to the other was truncated as aspirants were confined largely to where they dully exercised their franchise.
This process has positively put the APC in a vantage position to approach the Governorship Election as a most cohesive entity ready to do serious battle against the opposition.
No doubt, with Adegboyega Oyetola as the flag bearer of the APC, and the tumultuous turn out of party members for the historic exercise the coast seems clearer for the APC in the state to hugely reenact the unprecedented magic that ushered in Aregbesola as governor for the second term in 2014.
Something that significantly struck positively during the July 20th APC Governorship Primary was the way some party members abandoned everything, including the mosques on a Friday, and passionately responded to the decision of the Adams Oshiomhole-led National Executive Committee (NEC) not to go the way of the delegate system less than twenty four hours to the D-day.
The point being made is that Governor Aregbesola and the mammoth party supporters were left in the dark about twenty four hours to the day of the primary, only for them to adjust almost immediately to the wish and directive of the national leadership of the party at the eleventh hour.
A closer look at the final results that came out of the primary revealed the stunning fact that party members voted according to their conscience without being browbeaten or cajoled from any quarter to do otherwise.
It is interesting to note that the eventual winner of the race Isiaka Adegboyega Oyetola was badly beaten in some local government areas that were not his stronghold, only for him to level up in areas where he was exceedingly popular before he was able to surpass and out classed other contestants for the valued APC flag.
Credit must therefore be allotted to incumbent Governor, Rauf Aregbeasola for staying above board during the historic exercise by displaying uncommon neutrality.
As a result of this development, has presented himself as one of the nation’s best leadership materials, most especially since he won the Osun State governorship race after pulsating judicial battles in November, 2012.
Close to the end of his tenure of office, Ogbeni by his leadership dynamism, acumen and extraordinary success has placed himself on an enviable pedestal of greatness that has qualified him as a product of history.
Ogbeni’s incredible rise from obscurity to the pinnacle of power is a revolution that arouses the energies and enthusiasm of the people Osun State; greatly increase their political consciousness and capability to self-sacrifice and heroism, which the party members genuinely demonstrated hook, line and sinker on July 20th, 2018.
Indeed, the just ideas and cause Ogbeni stood (and still stands) for, his worth and greatness shall speak loudly for Alhaji Isiaka Adegboyega Oyetola on September 22, 2018, during the State’s governorship election.
