2023: Much Ado About Okeogun ‘Lo Kan’ and Oyo North Senatorial Contest !! By Barr AbdulWaheed O Lawal

Much Ado About Okeogun Lo Kan and Oyo North Senatorial Contest !! By Barr AbdulWaheed O Lawal.

As far as Oyo North representation is concerned, it is not the town or the local government where the candidate comes from that matters, but what he has got to offer.

As a full blooded Okeogun and a stakeholder in the Okeogun Project Forum, I have sat down to review our modus operandi and methodology for the zonal or regional political relevancy, I discover that we need to up our game and do away with parochial sentiments.

I have examined my relationships with many leaders, particularly, the politicians and I came to that irresistible conclusion that everybody is fighting for his interest.

People complain when the system does not favour them. People use Okeogun ‘lo kan’ to scam unsuspecting and gullible indigines. Others only shout Okeogun ‘lo kan’ as a stepping stone to draw attention and gain political relevance.

It has now become, let us shout Okeogun ‘lo kan’ to make it to the top and take care of our families and cronies.

I have said it repeatedly that a region whose elders could not form a common front and direct her affairs without town rivalry and religious discrimination cannot achieve much.

We have left so many questions unanswered and many issues, primary and fundamental, but we want to resolve secondary issues. It doesn’t work that way.

The inability to have an acceptable central working committee for Okeogun, a functional and working Council of Elders that is truly representative of all towns, religious leanings and political affliations are part of the unresolved issues.

What did we do to a situation where an Okeogun indigine elected on a joint ticket was purportedly removed and replaced with another Okeogun indigine without recourse to the people of Okeogun?

How many times have we called our prominent Okeogun leaders who support and sponsor non indigines to order? The only people we blackmail and harass are those of us who have identified a performer who does not discriminate in the way he distributes the dividends of democracy.

Let it be known that everybody fends for himself and then come back to dictate to us. We have got to sit down and dialogue, not to attempt to coerce anybody.

With respect to the senatorial contest, what I expected my good people of Okeogun to do was to summon all these senatorial candidates for an interactive session, examine their credentials, pedigrees, capacity and their capabilities. And if there is anyone who has had opportunity to serve us, he should put his score card on the table for a panel of wise men to scrutinise them and make a recommendation not a directive. After the recommendation, an average Okeogun indigine will then take an informed decision.

The idea of issuing directives will be counter productive. Apart from the fact that it is illegal and undemocratic to direct Okeogun indigines to vote a candidate only on the ground that he is from Okeogun, it is also unconstitutional because every Nigerian citizen has the fundamental right to freely associate, belong to a political party and vote for a candidate of his choice.

The idea of harassing, blackmailing or intimidating any Okeogun indigine for choosing to work for and vote a non indigine of Okeogun in the senatorial election will not bring us any good. That approach is not in any way different from the methodology of Yoruba Nation Agitators. If you want me to work for a particular Okeogun indigine , you have got to convince me that such candidate from Okeogun truly merits my sympathy and vote. I must satisfy myself that he has demonstrated the capacity and capability to represent our senatorial district.

Another danger in the Okeogun ‘lo kan’ advocacy for the Senatorial contest is that, there are not less than 7 Okeogun sons contesting for the Senate. Which one is or is not an Okeogun indigine?

We need to play a matured and civilised politics in Okeogun. The paradigm has shifted from premordial sentiments to capacity to perform and deliver the democratic deliverables. Good governance, particularly, the promotion and protection of the wellbeing of the electorates are what matter today.

Not only before man, but before God Almighty, I am proud of Sen. AbdulFatai Buhari’s achievements and quality representation.

If the previous senators had performed like Sen Buhari, we would have passed the stage of providing the kind of dividends that he is currently facilitating.

With every sense of responsibility, I make bold to assure us on behalf of this most productive senator that , we will be on his neck to perform better than in his 1st and 2nd terms combined.

In view of the fact that if reelected, Sen. Buhari is going to automatically be a ranking senator and most likely combined with a position of the principal officer, the opportunities and dividends he is going to bring may extend far beyond Oyo North and even Oyo State.

I appeal to my good people of Oyo North, particularly Oyo North to give Sen Buhari another chance in the overall interest of not only Oyo North and Oyo State but the South West Zone in general, because he is the only ranking senator we may have from the entire South West in 2023.

To all lovers of Asiwaju Tinubu, let us ensure that we elect National Assembly members that will work harmoniously with Tinubu’s presidency not those who will be playing opposition to him. Take or leave it, in the choice of the senators that should be elected to work with Asiwaju Tinubu, a ranking senator matter and that is where Sen Buhari’s election is of utmost importance. Vote for BAF, he is going to add more value to our votes for Asiwaju Tinubu.

E-signed:
AbdulWaheed O Lawal, a Lawyer and Political Activist writes from Saki-Okeogun, Oyo State.