L-R: Aregbesola, Oyinlola
After illegally spending three and a half years in office as Governor of Osun State, the curtains fell on the administration of former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, as the Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan on Friday declared the candidate of Osun Action Congress of Nigeria, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, as the lawfully elected Governor of the 19-year-old state, reports TUNDE ODESOLA, Osogbo Rauf Aregbesola‘s road to victory was strewn with thorns and booby traps set by the Olagunsoye Oyinlola administration, which saw the mass appeal of Aregbesola as a threat. In 2005, a major financial backer of Aregbesola, Alhaji Hassan Olajokun, was mowed down by suspected assassins, while the Majority Leader, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Jide Omoworare, was kidnapped by the same suspects, locked inside his car‘s booth and driven to Oyo State, where he was dumped.
The trend of violence against Aregbesola‘s quest for the governorship seat climaxed on April 14, 2007 with the alleged killing of 12 ACN supporters across Osun. Some of those killed included Ayo Kemba Oni, an ACN polling agent, who was killed in Igbajo; Saheed Abbey, another ACN agent that was killed in Iree; while Samson Olanrewaju, who was the opposition party‘s agent in Ile-Ife, was also murdered. All these people were shot dead. Another polling agent of ACN, Gbenga Sogo, was shot dead in Ilesa on April 14, 2007.
In August 2006, Aregbesola, who attended Oroki Day celebration in Osogbo on the invitation of the Osogbo Progressive Union, narrowly escaped being assassinated when alleged PDP supporters and hoodlums opened fire on his bulletproof Mercedes Benz Sports Utility Vehicle. Shortly after the April 14, 2007 election, eight members of the Osun ACN were arrested in the state over an allegation that they attempted to bomb the state secretariat.
The leaders of the party arrested over the allegation included its state Chairman, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti; Secretary, Prince Gboeyega Famodun; a former Commissioner for Health, Chief Lai Oyeduntan; Osun ACN‘s Director of Research and Strategy, Mr. Sunday Akere; Minority Leader in the Osun House of Assembly, Mr. Timothy Owoeye; another member of the House, Mr. Folarin Fafowora; ACN lawyer, Mr. Gbenga Akano; a leader of the party, Mr. Sunday Laoye; and a Magistrate, Mr. Ayo Oyebiyi.
Ironically, the allegation by Oyinlola and the police that a red diary was found in the wreckage of the Peugeot 505 saloon car proved to be suspicious when both the former governor and the police refused to produce the ‘evidence‘ in court for more than two years.
Also, some leaders of the party were arrested shortly after the April 14, 2007 by the Oyinlola administration over an allegation that they precipitated the wild violence that greeted the declaration of Oyinlola as governor by the Independent National Electoral Commissioner, led by Reverend John Dansu in the state. The leaders arrested included Senator Bayo Salami, Adeoti, Famodun, Alhaji Fatai Diekola, three members of the House of the Assembly - Messrs Adegboye Akintunde, Olaide Ajibola and Korede Idowu.
Speaking with our correspondent on Friday, Akere said, ”Over 300 of our members were detained in prisons and more than 12 killed during the struggle for the mandate. We thank God for this victory. May we never have this type of Oyinlola administration in the state again.”
Winners:
Asiwaju Bola Tinubu: The former Governor of Lagos State and generalissimo of ACN is seen as the leader of the struggle. He is much feared by the leadership of the Osun PDP. Supporters in Osun sang his praise to high heavens on Friday, saying he is the only politician who can retrieve the south-west from the grip of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Rauf Aregbesola: Born in May 1957, Aregbsola, who studied Mechanical Engineering at Ibadan Polytechnic and graduated in 1980, is seen as the symbol of the ACN struggle. Popularly referred to as Symbol, Aregbesola, a few weeks ago, rightly predicted that he would be governor of Osun in November!
Grace Laoye-Tomori: The deputy to Aregbesola, the former teacher and an indigene of Osogbo, stayed steadfast in the struggle. Her Osogbo hometown voted massively for ACN during the governorship election in 2007.
Nine ACN House of Assembly members: Unlike some of their colleagues like Olaide Ajibola, who recently decamped to the PDP, nine members of the ACN in the House remained steadfast to the struggle.
Losers
Olagunsoye Oyinlola: The confidence and exuberance of the Okuku prince was punctured by the verdict. His ambition to go to the Senate might not materialise with the coming into power of the ACN. He sold two of his houses in order to fund the legal battle arising from the governorship petition.
Oba Sijuwade Okunade: The Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, is the foremost leader of the Osun PDP. The traditional ruler, who fell out with the ex-Governor Bisi Akande administration, pitched his tent with Oyinlola despite criticisms by opposition parties who said Sijuwade should be a father to all political parties.
Olusegun Obasanjo: The former President‘s desire to have the south-west in the grip of the PDP has suffered another setback, with only Oyo and Ogun states being the two of the five states won by the PDP in controversial circumstances in 2007 still standing.
Iyiola Omisore: Omisore has been anointed by both Oyinlola and Sijuwade to succeed the former. He appeared to be coasting home to victory in the oncoming primaries of the party before the judgment stopped his ambition.
Olusola Obada: The deputy to Oyinlola, Obada, referred to as the most loyal deputy governor, was eyeing the Senate in next year‘s election. Her ambition is greatly threatened by the verdict.
Osun Council of Traditional Rulers: Many traditional rulers within the council openly supported Oyinlola despite criticisms by the citizenry.
Thirty local government chairmen of the PDP: The 30 local government council chairmen of the PDP are now at the mercy of the incoming administration, which is likely to dissolve them.
The Nigerian justice system is a snail on speed. The three and a half years it took the judiciary to arrive at a judgment had tasked the patience and resources of stakeholders. However, the acceptability of the judgment by the citizenry is a soothing balm on the sorrows, aches and pains sustained during the struggle.
Source:punchng.com
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