Ondo: Aiyedatiwa and the Jinx of being a deputy Gov

The current situation of democracy in Nigeria is very pathetic by the manners in which the governors have turned themselves to terrors of the people. Many people are quick to condem the president of the country while neglecting the underperformed governors in our states of the federation. They(governors) who blame our adulterated federal system for their failure in their states where they are the presiding officers, but can’t explain why some of them are candidates of EFCC and ICPC’s invitations after their tenures. The Nigerian governors have turned to the almighty , being the ones who will appoint their deputies, commissioners , chairmen of local governments, deputies of these chairmen and councillors of various wards. These totalitarian leaders won’t stop there, they ensure that ministerial slots to the presidential cabinet are their nominees and the major federal DG positions are their puppets. To add insult to injury, after their unceremonious era, they put people who will be doing their unreasonable biddings as their successors while they go to senate as the liabilities to the nation.

If you are asked to mention many governors who did well while in helms of affairs, you can’t mention 10 in this political dispensation of over 2 decades. The race for speakership of house of representatives has started, most of the governors like Aketi have been showing their preferred aspirants without putting the interest of the president elect, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu in view. They have succeeded in appointing their anointed persons as speakers of their houses of assembly, now, they want to appoint speaker for president, just to mention a few of their terrible and unreasonable actions. Less I forget, all the elected officers into various political offices must first worship at the unholy altars of our governors before they can be given tickets at primaries. When Comrade Adam Oshiomole was elected as the national party chairman of APC, he tried to subject these powerful ones in his party to the higher authority, termed it party supremacy, but they plotted against him and he lost the battle, he recently bounced back in the last elections as a senator elect and his man, Jagaban of Borgu won as the president elect of Nigeria, the duo are awaiting swearing in.

In a nutshell, for Tinubu to succeed as the president in this country, he must find a way of curbing the excesses of the governors. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo realised it in his second term, used the anti – corruption tools at his disposal to cut these emperors called governors into size, a few of them were impeached, knowing fully well their corrupt tendencies, they became prey of the mighty in the hands of this former head of state and president of our great country for two terms. In Ondo state, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu brought Aketi to political limelight, paid all the expenses of his the campaign in 2012 under ACN against the ruling Labour party, it was a cash consuming adventure for Asiwaju of lagos state. He used all his influences to depose Dr. Mimiko for Aketi but never worked out. The current governor of Ondo state, Arakunrin, soon forgot this when he was not favored by him in 2016. He openly insulted this APC national leader by not recognising Tinubu’s presence at his swearing-in , until his attention was called to it. 

The apologists of Aketi have been claiming he delivered Ondo state for him which I have debunked on several occasions with my articles. From primary election of the last APC presidential election , Aketi was indifferent to Tinubu’s aspiration, most of his trusted aides were with Prof. Osinbajo, his learned colleague while the state party chairman, Mr Ade Adetimehin and Rt hon. Victor Olabimtan, (current chairman of SUBEB in Ondo state ) pitched their tents with Dr Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti state. Only few ones like Hon. Ifedayo Abegunde, Abena, Hon. Afe Olowokere and others, through SWAGA , took up the challenge which Arakunrin is trying to hijack the glory. I don’t need talk much, this is Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, a professor emeritus of politics in Africa, with unparalleled political acumen and wisdom, he knows how to handle unstable individuals and glory seekers like Aketi. Rt hon. Yakubu Dogara can testify to this .

The deputy governorship position in Nigeria has been bastardized by the governors who don’t want anyone to compete power with them in their various domains. After collapsing the entire local governments, i.e the third tier of government in Nigeria, it took various cases that ended in supreme court of Nigeria for them to decease from the usual caretakers they prefer to elected chairmen. Also, majority of them remained resolute about making the local government’s autonomy a mirage. It’s a pity that Nigerians don’t understand the bigger than life’s influence of these governors and very eager to attack the president at every provocation . If These crops of Nigerian leaders in charge of our states were the premiers of Western, Eastern and Northern Nigeria of the days of Sir Amodu Bello, Zik, Opara, Awo and Akintola, there won’t be any legacies for our generation and others after us, they are only concerned about their pockets, family members and bed mates.

In the choices of their deputies, not like Tinubu who picked Sen. Kazim Shetima for his performances in Bokoharam infected Borno state when he was the governor, most of Nigerian governors prefer dullards, nonentity, elderly men or someone who is not a governorship material, to just remain in office and be collecting salaries without giving them headaches while their family members and concubines are having field days on common wealth of the people . Since the inception of this democracy it was only three or four of them who had been fortunate to succeed their bosses, the former deputy governor of Zamfara state, Alhaji Mahmud Shikarfi, a relative of late popular politician, Alhaji Umaru Shikarfi, succeeded Alhaji Sanni Yerima, after 8 years of being a deputy governor in 2007, being the only one of his colleagues to have enjoyed this great benefit in the entire 36 states then. The outgoing Kano state governor, Alhaji Umar Ganduje, took over from Alhaji Rabiu Kwakwaso of eight years ago. In addition, Eng. Dave Umahi of Ebonyi state, having served as PDP state chairman, board chairman at federal medical centre, Asaba, he became deputy governor to Sir Martins Elechi between 2011 to 2015, had the support of Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim, then secretary to federal government to defeat the anointed aspirant of the governor, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu who was a serving federal minister.

Only divine hands and destiny can that help H.E. lucky Aiyedatiwa to become the number one man in Ondo state comes 2024, humanly speaking, there is no hope for him. In the usual manner, governors ensure they have ‘YES DADDY’ as their deputies, if you are in doubt, listen to the recorded audio voice that went viral of her excellency, Mrs Betty Anyanwu Akeredolu while she was talking about the issue of Mrs Bunmi Ademosun and her husband, Aketi, the manner at which his name ( Lucky ) was mentioned without any iota of respect from her excellency to his office as number two citizen of Ondo state. She said and I quote ‘if anything happens to Aketi, Lucky takes over, it’s a constitutional thing. Any reasonable person who listens to this audio will ask this question, which Lucky was she talking about? Lucky the deputy governor or lucky their house boy? Though, man proposes and God disposes in life’s issues, if God has destined him for the position, H.E. lucky Aiyedatiwa will become the governor irrespective of analysis or projection from anyone ( including myself ). God’s decisions are final on Earth and in heavens, the victory of Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu (the president elect) at the last presidential polls ( at the primary and general elections ) should teach us a great lesson i.e the Almighty rules in Kingdom of men, that is my belief. 

Peoplesmind