The road to the Osun State Government House in Abeere, Osogbo, Osun State may not be as dusty and murky as that of the neighbouring Ekiti State but it doesn’t appear straight and easy all the same.
With the election just some few days away (Saturday, September 22 to be precise), the various participating political parties are leaving no stone unturned to appeal to the 1,626,383 registered voters to elect their candidates to succeed Rauf Aregbesola whose second term tenure ends in November 2018.
Founded on 27 August 1991 from the Old Oyo State by the military regime of Ibrahim Babangida, Osun State has a total of 30 Local Government Areas (LGAs) with an estimated population of 3,416,959 (2006 census).
The state’s current governor is Rauf Aregbesola, who was declared as the winner of 2007 election by Appeal Court in Ibadan on 26 November 2010. Ogbeni (as he preferred to be called) was also reelected as governor on August 9, 2014.
However, before the incumbent, others who have governed Osun since creation include;
Col Leo Segun Ajiborisha who was the first Military Administrator of the State and he governed from August 1991-January 1992 when he handed over to an elected governor
Alhaji Isiaka Adeleke who was the first civilian governor and ruled from 1992 to November 1993.
Col Anthony Udofia ( Dec,1993-Aug 1996)
Col Anthony Obi (Aug 1996-Aug 1998)
Col Theophilus Bamgboye (Aug 1998- May 1999)
Chief Bisi Akande was elected as governor and served from 29th May 1999 – 29th May 2003.
Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola served from 29th May 2003 – 29th May 2007 for the first term.
Prince Oyinlola had spent three and a half years out of his second term until he was removed in a landmark judgement on 26th November 2010, by the Court of Appeal, sitting in Ibadan which nullified his election and upheld that of Rauf Aregbesola.
Who takes over from Aregbesola?
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recently released a list of 48 candidates participating in the September 22 governorship election. However, out of these, the following are some of the notable candidates jostling for Aregbesola’s job.
Gboyega Oyetola
Party: All Progressives Congress (APC)
Current Position: Chief of Staff to the Governor
Previous Position: Private Sector
Local Government: Boripe Local Government
Senatorial District: Osun Central Senatorial District
Date of Birth: October 1, 1954, 63 years
Before his appointment as the Chief of Staff to Governor Aregbesola in 2010, the name Isiaka Adegboyega Oyetola might not have ringed a bell in the realm of Osun politics. Oyetola had been in the private sector all his life. His experience as a financial expert gave him a successful career in the private sector managing so many businesses.
Though his emergence as APC’s flag bearer dusted several controversies with many party faithfuls decamping to opposition parties, Oyetola might somewhat be the candidate to beat as he obviously enjoys the support of the incumbent and his governor colleagues from the South Western States in Nigeria.
Oyetola is also believed to be a cousin to a national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who also played a major role in fielding the incumbent governor in 2007 and fought hard till he was officially declared winner in 2010.
Senator Iyiola Omisore
Party: Social Democratic Party (SDP)
Current Position: Nil
Previous Position: Two-term Senator (PDP, Osun East), Deputy Governor
Local Government: Ife Central Local Government
Senatorial District: Osun East Senatorial District
Date of Birth: September 15, 1957, 60 Years
Christopher Iyiola Omisore is a known face in Osun politics dating back to the 3rd Republic. An electrical engineer by profession, Omisore has been in the murky water of politics for long.
His sojourn into political limelight dates back to 1999 when he emerged as the Deputy Governor to Governor Adebisi Akande. After he was impeached and imprisoned as the number 2 citizen of the state in 2002 due to controversies that surrounded the death of the Former Governor of the Old Oyo State, Chief Bola Ige, Omisore returned to politics as he became the Senator representing Osun East Senatorial District in 2003 and was returned in 2007.
He contested against the incumbent Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola under PDP in 2014 and lost. Omisore has had the opportunity of winning his Ife stronghold in most of the elections he has contested.
He recently defected to SDP after it became clear that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP were not ready to give him the ticket.
However, one major impediment to the acceptability of Omisore’s aspiration to govern the state is the Osun East senatorial district where he hails from which produced the incumbent governor of the state.
Ademola Adeleke – PDP
The sudden death of his elder brother, Isiaka Adeleke in April 2017, brought Ademola Adeleke into lime light.
Isiaka is also served as the first civilian governor of the state (1992 to 1993).
After the death of his brother, the younger Adeleke, Ademola, joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) when the ruling APC failed to give him ticket to replace his brother. Adeleke contested the by-election and emerged as the senator of Osun West Senatorial District.
He is reputable to be social and an uncle to ace musician, David Adeleke (popularly called Davido), who has also cancelled his tours in the United States to openly declare support and campaign for him (Ademola) as the next governor of Osun State.
It is believed that Davido’s massive influence will boost Adeleke’s chances at the poll next Saturday.
Fatai Akinbade – ADC
The ADC candidate, Fatai Akinbade, joined the Osun State government, working for over 16 years under three military administrators and then under a civilian governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola.
In 2003, he was appointed Secretary to the State Government by Olagunsoye Oyinlola and became the leader of the Party in the Iwo Federal Constituency in 2004.
Mr Akinbade was a contender to become PDP candidate for governorship of Osun State in the 2011 election.
He is seen as one of the major contenders in the September 22 governorship election.
Moshood Adeoti – ADP
The candidate once served as the state chairman of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Osun.
Mr Adeoti was appointed the Secretary to the State Government following his role in the emergence of Mr Aregbesola. He left APC after alleging that all machineries in the primary were put in place to favour Mr Oyetola.
Mr Adeoti’s exit from APC has left the party with a major loss as 12 executive members and some other elders of the party followed him and declared their support for him.
The Iwo born politician in Osun West senatorial district is also a major contender in the race.
