From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
Dr. Aaron Ola Ogundiwin, an Associate Professor in Political Science, is the Coordinator, Omituntun Initiative in the Diaspora (OID) in Oyo State. He hails from Ita-Bale Olugbode, Ibadan, with his ancestral village at Owobale in Ward Three, Egbeda Local Government.
In this interview in Ibadan, he showed optimism that the 2023 governorship poll in Oyo State will be a one-horse race and not three-horse race as being articulated by political observers and analysts.
Ahead of the 2023 governorship race in Oyo State, some political observers said they have foreseen a three-horse race. They opined that the winner of the exercise will emerge among Governor Seyi Makinde of PDP, who is seeking re-election, Senator Teslim Folarin of APC and Chief Adebayo Adelabu of Accord. Do you agree with them?
Three horses are not running anywhere. It is only one horse that is running to 2023 and to 2027. The horse is healthy. The horse is not tired. The horse is from the strongest breed and that individual is His Excellency, Engineer Oluseyi Makinde. Both indigenes and non-indigenes of Oyo State and people from other countries living in the state can see the good work that Governor Makinde is doing.
One needs to ask those horses that I cannot see, who is challenging them? Is he saying they shouldn’t wait until after 2027? Is there anything that he is not doing right that they want to correct? Do they know how well he has used the resources available to him?
If it is on infrastructure, he has performed creditably well. Can they account for how much is budgeted to that annually and the deliverables over the past three years? Is it creation of employment? Is it payment of workers’ salaries and 13th month salary? Is it promotion of workers including teachers to the peak of their career? Let them name just one thing that they think he is not doing right that they want to correct. Is it on security? Is it the management of the volatile chieftaincy arrangement in Ibadaland? Is it sharing his powers with those who joined hands together to put him in power in 2019? What do they want to come and do in 2023 that they feel the current governor cannot go further?
I am sure that the voters in Oyo State are wiser than before. We need to begin to profile anybody who is contemplating to come to power. What has been his antecedents? Everyone joining in the single horse race is warming up against 2027, which will also be tighter for them if Makinde continues the good work he has been doing. When you have done a very good work and you’re raising the hand of another person to ask for votes, people will do that. You cannot use religion. Check his own cabinet, ministries, you cannot say the state is for one religion. They say politicians are incurable optimists. I have the conviction that Makinde will come back to the seat in 2023 to continue the good work because four years are not enough for him.
But how will you assess in general terms the Oyo State Government?
If you mean assessment of this new government since 2019, I would not know where to begin especially, when I assess it against the prevailing circumstances of COVID-19 pandemic and economic recession that greeted the current first term. I would say without equivocation that it has been of legendary, and non-partisan fulfillment of electioneering promises across the state.
Who is Governor Seyi Makinde to you?
I really don’t know why you asked that question. His Excellency is my brother with whom I don’t share any biological consanguinity and I don’t think one needs to be biologically related to be brothers or sisters. It is a function of values, moral code and belief system.
But why are you so loyal to Governor Makinde?
Ah, there you are! There are many Makindes in this world. But I am loyal to values, kindness, truth, good leadership and providence. As a journalist, you know who embodies those virtues in Oyo State today.
Where were you in the build up to the 2019 general elections? Did you support Makinde’s election then? If yes, why?
Yes, I supported his election 100 per cent by educating and mobilising youths, who for over two decades have been following my family, and I as their non-partisan opinion leader across wards in my local government. My ward alone in Egbeda Local Government has 41 villages, where we hold sway except when we elect to remain silent as a matter of principle.
And to your second question, why? You know I am an educated citizen by the grace of God with BSc., MSc., and Ph.D in Political Science. Why wouldn’t I support a man who has a name to protect, a family to respect, a religion to honour, a leader first before becoming a politician and, a man of verifiable sources of income? Who else would you support?
Did he bankroll your campaign for him?
You see! That is a big problem we have in Nigeria today. Everything is reduced to money and what you hope to benefit personally rather than looking at the bigger picture which is providence. We don’t take money in my family to go the way of God. Our conscience leads us.
The first time I saw Makinde was in 2014 when he came to Babcock University to attend Ph.D graduation ceremony of one of the political leaders in Oyo State. I was with that leader when he came in company of another brother whom I later discovered to be brother Peter Eledan, whose elder brother, Moses Eledan, all have perfect taste of what good governance is and should be.
The second time I met him (now as His Excellency) was on December 25, 2020 when he attended the 80th birthday ceremony of Pa Jacob Adetoro of Igbeti. I was in church on that day as the State Coordinator of our group, following the directive of the Convener of the group, Mr Moses Eledan, when Makinde came to worship in thanksgiving with Pa Adetoro, while the third time was at the 2021-2022 budget meeting.
I had the belief that the state has good governance to reap. I am always happy because our choice is not wrong. I asked our members to be more active offline, to go to their wards to sensitise the electorate towards the positive change I personally saw GSM was bringing the way of Oyo State. So, in terms of educating and mobilising the electorate for GSM, I can beat my chest that I worked the most among my colleagues in my domain and this is a fact that can be checked.
Are you proud of what you did for Governor Makinde in 2018 to 2019, and what rewards can you show for it?
Ah, I am very proud of my decision and my efforts! But first of all, kudos must be given to the convener of our group, and his brother for their leadership. If your motivation for doing what you are doing is not selfish and God blesses your efforts with public goods, you cannot but be daily full of praises to God.
Governor Seyi Makinde (GSM) has completed close to 300 Primary Healthcare Centres out of 351 in each electoral wards. My ward is one of the first to benefit in the state.
He has linked Oke-Ogun, Ogbomoso and Oyo and its environs with road networks to make transportation and vehicular movement across the zones of Oyo State effortless. He is fixing inner and feeder roads in the city of Ibadan.
He has completed well over 300 projects in education sector, including but not limited to, the construction of 26 model schools, renovation of over 132 classrooms, the construction of 87 classrooms and installation of over 50 boreholes to make learning worth the while for the teaming population of pupils and students across public and private schools in the state.
The inherited over 272,000 out-of-school children have been brought back to classrooms in such a speed of light that their population has been reduced to less than 20 per cent.
In my entire life, no administration has been so functional, humane, frugal and accountable as to keep me glued, counting and losing counts of its achievements within three years as GSM administration. Free education from primary through secondary school, recruitments of competent teachers, 35 per cent reduction of what private schools pay to the state, promotion of teachers to the peak of their careers, bursary award to 233 Law School students as at my last count, reinstatement of 129 school teachers unjustly sacked by the former administration, full state-ownership of LAUTCH, Ogbomosho, with N500 million take-off grant released for its Iseyin Campus, payment of pensions and gratuities of retirees, prompt payment of workers’ monthly salaries and allowances plus 13th month salaries.
Why shouldn’t I be proud of what we did in our own little corners to support GSM’s emergence? Is it the wonders in agribusiness and the training and support for thousands of youths who desire to be self-reliant and creator of jobs that one shouldn’t be proud of? Or the innovation and commitment GSM has brought to the security of the state that one shouldn’t glorify God for? What of GSM zero tolerance for corruption? Or justice, fairness, equity he has brought to bureaucracy of the state? What of the appointment of the like mind, ageless, forward-looking and equally passionate lover of the state, Barr. Adebayo Adeleke Lawal as the Deputy Governor? Shouldn’t we be proud of GSM’s native intelligence, respect for royal authority, the appointment of Olubadan of Ibadanland and his religious tolerance.
Prior to the 2023 governorship poll, we embarked on voter education outreach towards providing eligible voters with credible information so that they can make an informed choice and cast their votes for the re-election of Governor Makinde. There is no doubt about the fact that voter education and civic engagement are the bedrock of virile democracy. So, the main purpose of the outreach is to promote awareness, and build voters’ knowledge of democratic values that support peaceful and significant participation in the forthcoming elections and beyond.
But the opposition don’t see things the same way you are painting the pictures. What if they take you up on this?
You know that I am not a politician, right? I don’t know who the opposition are. Maybe you mean those who want GSM to release the capital expenditures to them so that Oyo State can go to the never-satisfy grave that their stomach represents. Or those who want him to give them the recurrent expenditures so that workers can work for 11 months without salaries like it happened in the recent past. Ask them for one thing, just one thing GSM is not doing right that they want to correct, and they go gas-lighting. I like the words you used in your question: “don’t see.” The blind don’t see except the Lord restores their sight by miracle. So those you refer to as opposition; I shouldn’t see them as opposition because, opposition in democratic studies has its useful place.
Critics have raised concerns over perceived inadequate and ill-equipped primary healthcare centres in the state, ineffective waste management system, deplorable roads in some areas, and so on. What is your take on these?
About one year ago, Governor Seyi Makinde rated himself 65 percent. You will agree with me that the self-assessment was conservative enough. I see him as someone, who is not arrogant, and not looking for power at all cost. It is highly commendable for him to have managed resources of the state well at a time of COVID-19, when others states closed shops. Still, he scored himself 65 per cent. It means he has a good heart. Presently, I give him A and an A in my university starts from 80, though in another university, it is 70. Of course, it is a fact that you cannot be a perfect person in a human gathering. Obviously, there are areas you will need to improve on certain things. One of the qualities he has is listening ear, which has made his administration to do a lot in a single term of four years.
For the 2023 general elections, political parties have selected their candidates. But what will you advise Nigerians to look out for in making choices?
We must be able to look at individuals, profile them, hold them accountable, ask them what they want to do in the key sectors of the Nigerian economy, how do they want to do it and where do they want to get the resources to do it. We must look at the capacity that they have.
I, personally, support individuals as against political parties, without asking that I should be mobilised for anything. It is a matter of punishing us. I am well educated to know my civic responsibilities and not to be despondent at any time, regardless of discouragement that these political elites bring our way as ordinary citizens.
So, we must look at individuals, ask them critical questions, ask them for deliverables. Don’t just come to say that you’ll give free education, allowances at university, you’ll defeat Boko Haram. Rather than look at political parties, I will advise Nigerians to look at candidates and see whether an ideal one can be selected from them.