I DEY THINK OOO

For some reasons, I have always thought top notch politicians were great tacticians. Not particularly because they deliberately dye a portion of their hair grey nor they are superhuman but that they have considerable hands on experience in the game.

It has however become clear I need to have a rethink if the various political calculations and miscalculations are anything to go by. I may have one reason or two to mention issues affecting the Nation as a whole but I would prefer to spend time thinking about my dear state, Ogun.

I am trying to in the first instance understand what went wrong all of a sudden between Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and his political Son, Gbenga Daniel. What exactly brewed so much bitterness? I also want to have a clear idea of how it extended to Jubril Martins Kuye and Chief Alani Bankole, father of Rt. Hon. Dimeji Bankole.

At various times in the last few years especially counting from the beginning of Daniel's second term, many actions and utterances painted a clear picture of discord between these individuals.

I have always maintained that if the reasons behind their rivalry are not in the interest of the people which in almost all cases are not, to hell with whatever the interest they stand to protect. I therefore do not readily pick interest in their matter. At the end of the day, it is a question of power play and string pulling.

This rivalry which above every other things further describes how unruly and disorganised the Ogun State chapter of the ruling party is and also her members got so embarrassing that separate full fledged primaries were held producing two different candidates for virtually all offices. The comedy is that each primary was so tailored that no one from within individual faction is contesting the outcome.

While I must admit my bias for respective candidates and also make it known that I had a preferred candidate amongst the lot, something more than obvious is that both primaries were based on the regular padi-padi arrangements.

I am still thinking how Dimeji Bankole settled with the Governor Gbbenga Daniel at the eleventh hour and became part of his faction's primaries held at the Moshood Abiola Stadium. That to me is an unforgivable goof.

Certain things might explain such immature move. First, we should understand that a man can't give what he doesn't have, not even to himself. Mr. Dimeji has not being particularly known with intelligent ideas all through his reigns as the Speaker of the National Assembly. If I would forgive him based on this, what about his Dad who had virtually ran the office from Abeokuta residence or the retinue of political advisers and think-tank?

They still luckily have another opportunity to retrace their steps and help poor Dimeji get a ticket to return to the National Assembly. That also is based on the outcome off the general elections. As it stands, winning a PDP ticket doesn't guarantee victory at the polls anymore. People are wiser and more committed to participating in this process.

I am thinking they, (the Bankole's) all the while might not have had any principled reason to lock horns with Daniel; that must have made the resolution so easy. If on the other hand, they claim to have, I am dead sure no attention was paid to the strength of their allies in the marriage of convenience against Daniel.

For the Martins Kuye and Obasanjo camp, I am thinking there was an understanding to properly harmonise and define who the Boss is. That also would mean that one of them understood the need to concede leadership and nomination forms were shared without noise.

Obasanjo, the man who is in the middle of the whole crisis played a fast one by presenting Tunji Olurin who incidentally is a Yewa indigene as against the rumours he was going to impose his daughter, Iyabo, (coincidentally, she also is a ticket holder for the Senate). That's a mark for the General. This doesn't endorse such criminality but gives me great joy to watch the key players within the elitist democratic stage in this country play a fast one on each other.
Hard as I find it to bring Mr. President into this, I have once again come to understand his weakness and desperation to hold on to power judging from his presentation of the party's flag to Tunji Olurin as the party's candidate in Ogun State.

I would've expected GEJ to ensure the crisis was resolved and have the state produce a unity candidate but what would have been the need for it in the face of a stooge serving his master's orders.

How he intends to manage the crisis of the Niger Delta still beats me as well.

I would've given full credit to Gbenga Daniel for not attending the Ibadan jamboree but for his excuse that he was stopped by his supporters. Would he have gone to witness such presentation or stop it from happening? He is not in any way better than Mr. Bankole who must have attended to resound his desperation to get a ticket by a way of identifying with the true Boss.

INEC's list-in-motion approach to the contestants' list stamps the fact that so many things would still happen before the elections thereby leaving a room for prodigal sons and daughters get on the list.

Based on the power indices, Chief Obasanjo has been able to prove his hold not only on Ogun State chapter of the party but also the National Body. This as well, marks Baba's desperate attempts to remain relevant by proxy at all levels.
Gbenga Daniel should not feel so bad in any case, as he is a product of the same system and approach and also, he is set out to achieve the same thing Baba wants to achieve which brings me back to the point that none of these issues points to any other thing beyond the selfish political gains of this men.

My loss would not be measured by either Olurin or Gboyega losing at the polls; something tells me Daniel and his Governor to be Boy would move out of PDP to contest the elections, afterall there are so many parties that can afford to step candidates down for the right price. My loss would be if the Yewa/Awori project is killed because of set out individual gains.
Whatever happens at the end of the day, I think anybody who would truly serve the interest of the people should win the elections and put the state on the right track rather than have the Yewa/Awori project politicised by the state-born gladiators.

For all its worth, I will like ly spend so much time thinking about the damages they have caused our state.

I still dey think and the process is continuous.