It is in the words of the famous literary Icon – Wole Soyinka that I set my opinion on and I quote, “When a leader encourages the culture of impunity, the society is lost and it makes the work harder for the rest of us.” Kosofe Local government is blessed with dignified persons who can turn around the fortune of the communities under its jurisdiction but nothing has changed since 1999. If the closest government to the people is in the hands of accidental servants, then we will always be running same brutal cycle.
Ahead of Local Government Elections scheduled for July 24, 2021, the APC primaries for LG Chairmanship would hold on May 29 but that is not the news. The crux of the matter is the perennial and usual scheming by leaders to adopt the highest bidder against ‘the popular choice’, each election circle. As an observer of times and trends, it is obvious that there will be nine aspirants fighting it out for the LG’s number one seat at the APC primary election [if there will be any]. So far, these are the battlers – Ganiu Oyebanjo, Gbemisola Ketiku, Rabiu Olayinka “Whytee”, Lanre Carew, Moyo Ogunlewe, Fatai Gbadebo, Babatunde Saliu, Aigoro Musiliu and Lanre Oladunjoye. This list consists of the regulars, rookies and intruders – my sorting is coming from the obvious grumblings and estrangement amongst the aspirants and stakeholders. The real enemies of Democracy are not the godfathers of crooked politicians but those who cheer them up when they go against public opinion and rational stances – this is so powerful that it can murder its own citizens with impunity.
The brazen nonchalance of some elders in Kosofe politics will further plunge A.P.C into factions – as resistance from party stakeholders have begun and this will smell good for the P.D.P. The mood of the party is skewing toward an aspirant and they seem to be flaunting it with reckless egocentrism.
Amongst the main political groups and actors in Kosofe politics is the ‘Save Kosofe Group’, and it seems to be on the side of the people with a sane and pro-people stance on the crisis plaquing Kosofe APC. In a Communiqué flying round, where it is clearly stated -their position. “We are ready to support the party candidate, provided the winner emerged in a free and fair primary. The era of sole adoption or selection of candidate(s) by any person or group of persons without due consultation are gone. If you are doing any thing in the spirit of fairness, it must be in consonant with the mood of the majority of members and that of all aspirants.”
“Our position is clear. We will never be a party to any process that is undemocratic. Everyone must be on the round table to decide who will lead us. At no point will ‘S.K.G’ support any aspirant cum candidate, without the consideration of all interests. We condemn any form of impunity/imposition and we will resist it under any disguise. We say NO to imposition of candidates!”
Going by this aforementioned quotes, one can easily predict the end results of this skirmish that is already on. Some splinters groups are already in talks with other political parties and this might be the beginning of a new unstructured partisan politics in Kosofe. But if the laws or populace consensus are to be so trampled upon with impunity, and a minority is to dictate to the majority, anarchy and confusion is to be expected thereafter.
History has shown that the politics of ‘god-fatherism’ and ‘anyhowness’ has debarred credible representation at the grassroots and these has eaten deep into the process of electing those who represent us at all levels.
Kosofe with an area of 81 km2 (31 sq mi) and a population of 665,393 at the 2006 census can’t be at the mercy of few political juggernauts – people of old ideas and primitive stances that has impeded the growth of the younger generations. Nothing predicts future behaviour or misfortune as much as past impunity.
I am an ardent believer in justice and equity and will always support any act that will outmaneuver the status quo.
But then I ask, is ‘Save Kosofe Group’ working to truly save Kosofe?