By Lanre Akeju
Though Osun governorship election has come and gone but there’s more to it as it is not over until it’s over.
Every election has three components. The pre-election matter(s), matters arisen during the election and post election matters. These are the determinant factors for which a credible and legitimate individual emerges and be legally backed as the authentic winner and the beneficiary of the popular votes and people’s mandate.
It is not out of place to say that Osun governorship election hasn’t reached the finality in view of litigations hanging up here and there particularly on the preferred candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP.
There was a pre-election crisis that almost consumed the PDP. The party held two primaries. One produced Prince Dotun Babayemi, and the other produced Sen. Ademola Adeleke, who is now the Governor-elect.
But it is crystal clear as affirmed by the High Court that the Primary that produced Babayemi was held with authentic delegates but at a wrong venue while that of Adeleke was held at right venue with wrong delegates. Incidentally, this was the basis for the nullification of the Ogun PDP primary that produced Adebutu.
As the Supreme Court sets to deliver its ruling in the Osun matter most likely in the next few hours, precisely by tomorrow, there are intrigues, apprehension and palpable fears in the both camps as to where the pendulum will swing to.
As critical observers, the intellectual view is different, in the sense that with or without sentiment, if the seat is vacant and there is a need to pick either of the embattled candidates, the noble assessment and empirical analysis will in no doubt favour Babayemi against his counterpart.
If positions of authority are truly meant for the noble ones, If leadership is about rare quality embedded in a personality, If good leadership can only be attained by the quality of one’s inward and outward dispositions and manifestations, then, Babayemi must be rated far ahead and above Adeleke in this contest.
Osun is no more a new born state, it is a state of the intellectuals, a state of the virtuous with shining records filled with distinguished citizens who have made and shook the world in their own rights by the virtue of their expertises, professionalism and academic excellence.
God for bid that such a State and a people are to be governed and administered by a secondary school dropout in the words of Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi.
As asserted by one of the PDP’s governorship aspirants then, Dr. Ogunbiyi in one of his outings before the gubernatorial election, Osun is too sophisticated to be governed by a clueless person. I agree with him.
Ogunbiyi alleged that one of the candidates contesting to become the governor of the State was a Secondary School Dropout and the people must not watch that to happen.
An inference deduced from this, though personal opinion, is that, aside from the fact that, Babayemi is eminently qualified, his choice would have been a blessing for the people and the State not a foreseen disaster from a secondary school dropout.
Now that all is set for the final judgement, the expectations are heightened but the fact remain unchanged, Osun needs a better man not a secondary school dropout.
