THE TRIUMPH OF DEMOCRACY: The Oyo State Story

THE TRIUMPH OF DEMOCRACY: The Oyo State Story

by Deji Yesufu

Gov. Ajimobi

When Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State was announced reelected, not a few people were convinced that the incumbent governor rigged the just concluded gubernatorial elections. The people who share this position are of course people who did not vote for him. These people occupy the majority of the voting population in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, were the incumbent governor lost to Senator Rasheed Adewolu Ladoja. While I did not vote for Ajimobi, I do not share in this rigging sentiment at all. I believe Governor Ajimobi allowed for a level playing ground for the elections in the state. Also, I am convinced that ever since the demise of Chief Lamidi Adedibu, Oyo State has began to witness the emergence of true democratic practices. This is what informed the defeat of former Governor Alao Akala by Ajimobi at the 2011 gubernatorial elections, even though Akala was incumbent. Governor Ajimobi understood this very well and thus deployed his campaign machinery effectively across the state for the 2015 elections. The Governor saw that his popularity in his native Ibadan town was overshadowed by that of former Governor Ladoja, and so ensured that he won the hearts of the people in other local governments in the state. So that even if he came second to Ladoja in the eleven local governments of Ibadan and did not get any vote from Ogbomoso due to the overbearing presence of Akala in that part of the state, he understood that there were still atleast other twenty local governments he could still win he reelection bid with. This is what the governor did and it paid off. I am certain that even by the eve of the elections, Ajimobi was not sure he would be reelected. That might be what informed his racing to the Splash FM studios on Thursday evening for some image reshaping, after Ladoja had just concluded an interview there. What happened in Oyo State on the 11th April, 2015 is what I wish to call the triumph of democracy. The candidates sought the votes of the people through extensive campaigning through the length and breadth of the state and the majority carried the votes. As we celebrate and congratulate the Governor, I wish to use this medium to appeal to the Governor and his supporters to be magnanimous in victory. My hope is that the Governor will review the position of his critics and work on those flaws of his that nearly cost him his office in Agodi.

While Governor Ajimobi's performance in restoring peace to Oyo State and his efforts

Ajimobi and Ladoja

at building the infrastructural base of the state cannot be disputed, the Governor's critics felt that he could do a lot more than these. The foremost issue held against Ajimobi in his campaign was his attitude towards workers' welfare. The Governor's supporters are quick to point to the fact that an almost 40% reduction in federal allocation, along with delayed payment of monthly subventions, was at the root of workers' salaries not being paid. But they must be reminded that Oyo State was not always owed subventions and that there was a time this state was enjoying extra funds from excess crude sales. It makes sense to say that if the Ajimobi government had made appropriate savings in the time of excess, it would have had enough for the time of scarcity. Outside salaries, this government will also need to make effort to effecting workers' promotion as and at when due. The issue of pensioners not been paid for months is also a matter that the government needs to take heed to. And finally, the Ajimobi government may need to begin to consider merit as basis for employment. The issue of "knowing somebody" before one can obtain a job at the civil service can never attract to best minds to the State's work force.

Another thing that nearly cost Ajimobi his job was the matter of sanitation. Even though I was not affected by the demolishing exercise of the government in sanitizing our markets and street, I could not understand the motive behind the exercise if at the beginning of the administration, shops were demolished and cars towed away for parking on NO PARKING zones. And then suddenly as election drew near, the government stopped demolishing shops and towing vehicles. The reason they stopped seem to be that they were trying to court the favor of the electorate in the coming elections. If this is it, then the government was not sincere in its motive behind the earlier demolishing exercise. A government should considers order, hygiene and safety (the reasons for demolishing) higher than reelection. If the government will resume its sanitation exercise, they should do it humanely and with sincereity. Especially now that there is nothing at stake as it where.

The 2015 Gubernitorial elections were truly keenly contested and for a space of about five months, the five leading contestants, Ajimobi, Ladoja, Akala, Teslim Folarin and Seyi Makinde, continued to beg the electorate for votes. In that time period, the electorate was king. Everyone of these individuals are very capable of occupying Agodi. Ladoja did it for me because of the record he had concerning workers' welfare in the past and the really nice philosophy in Ibadan that says "Ibadan o kin si' yo le meji", ie, Ibadan never votes one person twice. Indeed that philosophy held forth in this election except that Ibadan has realized that they are not the only kingmakers in the State.

Once again I congratulate Gov. Isiaq Abiola Ajimobi on his well deserved victory at

Former Gov. Akala

the poles. I emplore him to be magnanimous in victory. I beg him to break the jinx of non performing second termers, the same way he broke the jinx of a Governor never elected on a second term in the State. I plead with him to be Governor to all and not just those who voted for him. I trust that the Governor will listen to his critics and correct past lapses. And I believe if he would do this, his second term in office will be very successfull.