by: Mukhtar Ajelogbon DeMoon
Osun State was created 27years ago, precisely on the 27th of August, 1991. And since that time, the general belief is that, though not written in the constitution, power shift arrangement is a gentleman agreement that has come to stay in Nigeria.
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In the case of Osun, going by what has transpired electorally in the past, the brilliance of the script detailing how Osun was segmented into six zones named by the regime of the first Executive Governor, Alh. Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke in a gazette, are:
Ife Zone 1: It comprises Ife Central, Ife East, If South, Ife North and Area Office.
Ilesa Zone 2: Comprises Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Atakumosa West, Atakumosa East, Oriade and Obokun.
Ede Zone 3: Comprises Ede North, Ede South, Egbedore and Ejigbo.
Ikirun Zone 4: Comprises Ifelodun, Boripe, Odo-otin, Boluwaduro, Ila and Ifedayo.
Iwo Zone 5: Comprises Iwo, Olaoluwa, Ayedire, Ayedaade, Irewole and Is plan.
Osogbo Zone 6: Comprises Osogbo, Olorunda, Irepodun and Oroki.
According to another arrangement, Osun State is just like other States across the Federation with six distinct divisions, meaning that every Senatorial District has two distinct zones that should not be marginalized. This school of thought believes that it would not be proper to share political positions and other benefits basis without taking cognisance of the other legs on which the districts stand.
With breaking down the components of the three Senatorial Districts in the State, some analysts explained that in the East Senatorial District, there are Ife and Ijesa axis; the West consists of Iwo and Ede Zone while the Central District are Osogbo and Ila with their environs.
The argument was then shifted backward to explain why some axis are being marginalized in the scheme of gubernatorial benefits since the period of the Western Region.
Going down the memory lane by the above two analysis on Osun zoning formula, the first indigenous Governor in the defunct Western Region was Sir Adesoji Aderemi between 1960 and 1967. He hailed from Ile-Ife in the Eastern District of the present Osun State. The late Cicero of Esa-oke, Chief James Ajibola Ige (SAN), who was once the Governor of Oyo State also hailed from Ilesa zone, Eastern part of the present Osun State in 1979 – 1982. Ede axis produced Alh. Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke between 1992 and 1993 from the Western part of Osun State. Chief Bisi Akande from the Central Senatorial District of Osun was the Governor between 1999 and 2003 from Ila axis. Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola was the Governor in 2003 to 2010 from Okuku (Ila zone) of the Central Senatorial District of Osun while the current Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, an Ilesa man from the Eastern part of Osun since 2010 to 2018.
From the above analysis, all the three Senatorial Districts have held sway for the coveted seat. But when we break it down from one of the two legs of each axis, Osogbo and Iwo zones from the Central and Western part of the State has not occupied the office of the governor at least for a day.
This must have informed the seriousness some aspirants from both Central and West are exhibiting in their activities towards becoming the next governor of the State from September 22nd, 2018.
When Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola approved the State owned University, he made a recourse to the 1993 gazette by establishing campuses of the institution in the six (6) zones. Namely: Osogbo Campus, Ikire Campus, Ipetu-Ijesa Campus, Ejigbo Campus, Okuku Campus and Ife-wara Campus.
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Electorally, Osogbo is a beautiful bride to all political parties to get the guber mandate for their parties as Osogbo is by all standard the largest political constituency in Osun.
Judging by the previous guber elections that ushered in and ushered out Sen. Adeleke, Baba Akande, Prince Oyinlola and Ogbeni Aregbesola, Osogbo is a city that worth being accorded the respect as the determinant of success of Governor poll.
Let’s look at the last Osun guber election in 2014:
Osogbo LG APC – 39,983 PDP – 11,513
Olorunda LG (Osogbo) APC – 26,551 PDP – 8,483
Iwo LG APC – 20,827 PDP – 15,493
Currently, Osogbo voting strength is over half a million while the political moral of an average Osogbo is of the highest speed of producing the next governor especially from Osogbo youths.
Now that Osogbo elders, youths and political leaders have risen and united to pursue a common goal of succeeding Aregbesola, in any political party who democratically picked any Osogbo indigene trough its primary elections may have won 50% of the governorship election in Osun come 22nd September, 2018 as Osogbo is currently producing the most vibrant, competent, grassroots and politically weighted governorship aspirants.
My thought though….
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