Dear Mr. Governor,
I hope and pray this message gets to you and at your right frame of mind.
As an indigene of Iperu, a member of the APC and someone privileged to know to some extent, the relationship between you and the former Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel (OGD), I then found it necessary, with utmost sincerity, to write you this open letter.
It is important to first review some of the developments in the relationship.
In 2019, OGD, shortly after he crossed from PDP to APC, was the one that deployed his political structures to support your Gubernatorial race which you narrowly won with 19,517 votes to beat Adekunle Akinlade, then, of APM. If the OGD’s supports in Ogun East were to be discounted, no doubt, you couldn’t have become the Governor of Ogun State. This is an open fact.
As the saying goes that “to whom much is given, much is expected”, unfortunately, the ‘much’ were not seen from you to someone who provided that support for you. Most and if not all OGD’s requests to your office, were not met.
Then came the issue of the ‘Senate Ticket’. Many of us are aware that OGD notified you of his intention to run for the Ogun East Senatorial ticket. Unknowingly that you were already nursing same ambition against 2027 and with the calculations that OGD, if granted the ticket and after his first term may still wish to go the second term, you then tactically sponsored Seyi Oduntan and towards the last minute when it dawned on you that Seyi Oduntan may not be able to stand OGD at the polls, you encouraged Senator Lekan Mustapha to take-up the ticket. The rest as they say; is history. Also, the game-plans towards the primary elections; the last minute intervention attempts at the Awujale’s residence and at the Itoro Hall, Ijebu-Ode until OGD was declared the winner, were all known to many.
Dear Mr. Governor, one will expect that with the APC ticket eventually won by OGD, you will immediately grant him free-hands to prepare for the elections but regrettably, you did not. Rather, you initially delayed him from taking-off with his campaign plans which he eventually did and for his wide acceptability by the Electorates that still got him the unprecedented number of votes to win the senatorial election.
Then came your Gubernatorial election which again, you narrowly won but now being contested at the Tribunal by the PDP Candidate, Ladi Adebutu.
It is an open knowledge that you attributed your poor performance at the elections to OGD as being the Mastermind of the votes received by Ladi. This is not true. It was rather a known fact that prior to the elections, Electorates all over the State were not happy with the APC Government and at all levels. Truth then must also be told that over 60% of APC members in the State are not happy with your Administration. The few of those that surrounded you were not just telling you that truth.
Dear Mr. Governor, was it OGD that came to preach to the Electorates at your Ikenne Constituency and the three Wards at Iperu where you lost the elections, not to vote for you? Absolutely No!
This was the real straw that broke the camel’s back of your relationship and with which we are all seeing the aftermath today in Ogun State.
From the grapevine, Political bigwigs, numerous personalities and even your Mother, the gentle Widow, Chief Mrs. Victoria Abiodun, have made several efforts to appeal to the two of you without a headway from you. Till the point of writing this letter, many are aware that Mama is not happy with this development.
Fast forward to the ugly invasions of the DATKEM PLAZA owned by OGD’s Wife in the early hours of 3:00am on Sunday 10th September, 2023 and your open comments thereafter claiming that the building did not adhered to the State building regulations can best be described as ‘executive recklessness’. As Yoruba will say; “À n je èkuru kó tàn, a tún n gbon owo s’awo“. (while making attempts to allow peace to rain, we still continue to flame-up angers).
Only a fool of the highest order will be expecting to be told that the undue and senseless actions of that early Sunday morning is not politically motivated. Let us just forget all the fabricated and baseless faults being raised to justify the wanton vandalization of a building already erected with hundreds of millions of Naira which to many, is an added image in Ijebu-Ode and a source of revenue generation even to the State.
Permit me to remind you of the tribute written by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the death of your Father; Dr. Emmanuel Adesanya Abiodun (2/8/21), a.k.a. ‘Baba Teacher’ of blessed memory. Asiwaju, then, wrote that;
“……… It is on record that Papa left behind a legacy of integrity, hard work, perseverance, honesty, commitment to worthy causes and selfless services. For him, integrity meant a lot. He placed premium on building a good name, believing in that time-honoured Yoruba wise-saying that good name is much more desirable than riches……..”
Dear Mr. Governor, considering your current actions, can this type of tribute be written about you tomorrow?
How do you expect OGD’s Wife, your Wife and the Children of both families to relate tomorrow over the ongoing between you and OGD? Please ponder over this when you are probably alone in the middle of the night and not when those Sycophants are milling around you as they will not see anything good in this letter.
In conclusion, I advise that you do not get carried away by those praising you now for taking what can be described as wrong steps but because of their selfish interest.
Remember the words of Pierre-Jean de Beranger; “Glory is a shroud that posterity often tears from the shoulders of those who wore it when living “.
Please, follow the footsteps of the Late ‘Baba Teacher’ and let the sleeping dog of Ogun State lie.
2027 is just some hours away and around the corner.
- Kazeem Adenuga is from Iperu.
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