Sessan Julius ||Big wigs in oke ogun in Oyo North senatorial district have decided to take over power from the Ibadan people who have been dominating the governorship position for the past 30 years in Oyo state.
As a result, they have been having consultations with themselves and other money bags in the area that could make the dream of the zone come true. Recently in Ibadan, the people of the Zone converged at Iyaganku to press home their demand for the governorship of the state.
They argued that it is now their turn to rule the state because for over 30 years they have been playing the role of deputy governor in the state to the people of Ibadan who have been dominating the governorship seat.
They further argued that the people of the state are now determined more than ever to get the position and they have been working very hard for it, adding that they would now approach the mission with one voice and not as a divided house.
The people who converged at Iyaganku argued that the notion before was that they have been sidelined by the Ibadan people because they have not been united or committed to clinching the governorship but the attitude of the people of Oke Ogun is now different saying that they are no longer prepared to play the second fiddle in 2019. ‘’This is the reason why we have all come out to show that enough is enough that it is our turn to rule the state since the second republic and the ongoing political dispensation when we have been relegated to the position of number two in Oyo state which belongs to all of us.
The president of Oke Ogun Development Consultative Forum, Dr. Olusegun Ajuwon, argued that they believed that the time has come for the Oke Ogun People to ask for and get the governorship position in the state.
According to him, there are reasons to justify the clamour for the governorship to shift f to Oke Ogun, saying, that the areas and the people have been practically forgotten because of the physical distance from the state capital and the federal government. ‘’We have been practically forgotten, the roads linking us to the state capital are bad and they have remained like this for so long. We don’t have the presence of the federal government except for the Nigerian police and few law uniform enforcement agencies whose presence is to collect revenues without any compensation in terms of derivation as it was being given to other areas earning resources for the federal government through oil and gas’ ’This is despite the equally huge returns from customs duties and taxes daily accruing from Oke Ogun that harbours extensive stretch of the nation’s international borders. With all these things from us, it is therefore fair and equitable, for us to be giving the chance to produce the next Chief executive of Oyo State.’’
According to Dr. Ajuwon who was the Chief Medical Director of the national hospital the people of Oke Ogun are loyal, hardworking, with integrity and as well very friendly, peace –loving, Godly and bold, saying that, they have demonstrated this, from the time of the old western Region, Western State, old Oyo State to the present but no citizen of the area has been a governor. He argued that they have been patient but now convinced that it is now the right time for them and their turn to lead
He further said that right now the people of the area have what it takes to be the governor as they have well educated, experienced with track records of excellent performance in public and private sector.
Dr. Ajuwon argued that they are aware that the governorship cannot be won without the support from other areas and that is why they are soliciting for the understanding of other compatriots in Ibadan, Oyo, Ogbomosho, and Ibarapa to join hand with them to accomplish the goal.
Meanwhile Hon Olayode who was a Local government Chairman in the area and who is one of the people aspiring for the position said that the people of Ibadan have been at the helms of affairs of the state for so long and that the only person that came who is not from Ibadan Otunba Adebayo Alao Akala from Ogbomosho, was not even allowed to spend a second term as the people of Ibadan ganged up against him despite all he did to satisfy them at the expense of his people and those of us from the same Oyo North Senatorial District from him.
He went down memory pointing out that the Ibadans have been ruling the state right from the second republic till now. Dr. Omololu Olunloyo of the NPN, Chief Kolapo Ishola of the Social Democratic Party(SDP ), Senator Rashidi Ladoja,(PDP), and the Present Governor, Senator Isiaka Ajimobi who is now spending his second term in office. This means that if an Ibadan man comes in in 2019, he too would like to spend two terms then when will the people of Oke Ogun be considered for the coveted position. I think it is now the time and we are ready to fight for it’’
Already notable people from the area have shown interest to dispel the notion that there are no money bags in the area to slug it out with the money bags in Ibadan. Those said to be interested in Oke Ogun, are Barrister Hamid Raji, who is Senator Bukola Saraki and Sambo Dasuki’s lawyer. He is also very close to former President Obasanjo, Deolu Akande former Chief of Staff to Governor Abiola Ajimobi and a strong associate of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Segun Adeshina, the Editor of the Guardian Newspapers in Lagos, Barrister Adebayo Shittu, the current Minister of Communications, Ajiboye Omodewu who is a member of Ajimobi’s kitchen cabinet, Alhaji Bolaji Kareem who was the former commissioner of Works in Oyo state, Engineer Remi Laniyan and Dr Dibu Ojerinde, former JAMB boss.
