By Foluso Adelaja
Since the advent of democracy has election suffered contentions, only the numerically superior take it by vote.
I crave the indulgence of the pious for adapting a saying of the Holy Book of the Christians to illustrate a mundane matter. But the adapted excerpt of the Bible is just apt to accentuate the supreme importance of numerical strength to victory in elections.
Invariably, because of the extreme relevance underscoring number in contesting for electoral offices, politicians seldom turn sideways at an opportunity to burgeon their supporters rank (the group referred to as “structure” in the lexicon of Nigerian politicians). They spared no effort to cajole, sweet – talk, show up at various fora, even at supporting events. They adopt all sorts of antics to retain the love of these supporters while prospecting for new ones.
Even in this age of global village, the internet becomes a ready tool in the hands of politicians to woo more sympathizers to their cause.
No blame therefore to U.S. President Donald Trump who is renowned now as an adept in the use of Twitter, an application on the internet to wow his aficionados. It is the only way to be stock – ready for any election.
This is a hard fact Ogun State incumbent governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun realized early in his bid for the office of the governor. He quickly reverted to the structure of Aremo Olusegun Osoba, a former governor and the APC leader in the state. If not for this saving grace, our man, Abiodun, would have sang the Nunc Dimittix to the coveted position.
Abiodun’s close contender in the election, Chief Adekunle Akinlade, who left the APC for the Allied People’s Movement (APM) after losing out to the former in the primary election of APC, also clung on to the structure of his political godfather, the former governor of the state, Senator Ibikunle Amosun.
For the APC, the last general election in Ogun State turned to a ‘roforofo’ fight between two formidable structures of Aremo Osoba and Senator Ibikunle Amosun.
The result of the election was an eventual close call as Abiodun won Akinlade by a paltry percentage of less than three percent. Abiodun won by 241,670 votes which constituted 35.49% of the total vote while Akinlade followed closely with 222,153 votes which is 32.62 percent.
The third position, Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka (GNI) of ADC was a far cry from the first two with only 110,422 which made up of just 16.22 percent of the total vote.
That was the way the election result went that time. Close call or not, Abiodun had the numerical strength and so carried the day but Akinlade, a terrible gladiator to meet in the arena fought him to the end in every courtroom of the election tribunal.
Abiodun Akinlade
However, don’t think that would be the end of it all, ‘lailai’.
Politicians are diehard, they are ever calculative. By now each of the contestants must have reviewed his performance and had realized where the shortcomings were and also commenced early to re-strategize against 2023.
Also, all politicians know too well that the terrain of politics is not surefooted. The scenario in yesterday’s election may not repeat itself in the forthcoming one. What we are saying in essence is that if Abiodun and Akinlade have used the structures of their godfathers now, 2023 may differ as they may not get them to use freely again.
The stories may change. So the time to put together one’s structure is now.
No blame then to Abiodun, the de-facto principal now of APC, Ogun State, if he had started early to get a structure and a game plan on the ground.
Thus, a number of crossing over from other camps to APC had happened lately.
The methodology adopted in achieving this objective however, is what calls for concern as it seemed that caution had been thrown to the wind. It had become an all-comers affair. The party could by 2023 become a house of cards waiting to crumble.
Prince Gboyega Isiaka, who clinched the third position in the last election, was recently admitted into APC at a crowded event also attended by the governor at Alake’s palace.
Also recently, Akinlade, the first runner up in the election also singularly announced his return to the fold of the party he left in the aftermath of a ‘botched’ party primary election which did not favour him.
Now the gist; Gboyega has made a number of attempts in the past for the exalted position of the governor to no avail. Even in one, it has been a near miss. All the same, a miss is as good as a mile. Gboyega has at no place announced an intention to rest this ambition, yet he was allowed into the party with his full structure.
In coming back, Akinlade too has not given up his ambition as he quoted to have told his supporters (structure) that in a later date “I have no doubt in my heart that I will be the governor of Ogun State”.
Hardly a crime to be ambitious, but this boast could be ominous to a battle royal in the party by 2023.
Maybe it is too early to worry, we should just fold our hands and wait. But I assure you, 2023, as the crow flies, is just a few paces away.”
