THE TRIUMPH OF TWO BOLA, (IGE, TINUBU)

The formation of Alliance of Democracy A.D in 1998, by Cicero of Esa-Oke and his co traveler in then Afenifere were a good omen to the people of the western region state, at least they can feel and see the differences between the progressive and

conservative led party P.D.P and APP, the Southwest people were the most enlighten people and very educated in any area of their political and social life,Ige pulled out in the late hour of the formation of the P.D.P, as one of the leading light of the G38 group that wrote an inflammatory and acidic letter to then dark Goggle dictator, Gen Sanni Abacha, from there he shift his loyalty and dedication to the newly formed A.PP, before we can say, hosanna, he left hurriedly, because he was not comfortable with the presence of Adedibu, the acclaimed strong man of Ibadan politics and infamous NBA agitator Arthur Nzeribe that used their platform to scuttle the most free and fair election of M.K.O Abiola in 1992. In twinkle of an eyes, he and his Afenifere colleagues formed the newborn party A.D; God endowed Bola Ige with the gift of ability of organization, he went through the length and breadth of the southwest to mobilize all his old comrade in the day of A.G and U.P.N, he burnt fuel, and energy to successful put the house on the stronghold. To his credit today, he is the only one that wrote the 3 parties manifestoes.

The aim of this write up is to compare his ability with our own pathfinder now and political Juggernaut Asiwaju Bola Tinubu (ABT), later I would soon dabble there in the next paragraph, for Ige to form a party is one thing and to manage it is another aspect of it, particularly political party believed as a tribal party, which didn’t spread its tentacles across the other region of the country, he tried his ability as a Kaduna Boy to spread the message across Nigeria, but they were fruitless.

Now in the process of the party gubernatorial candidates primaries of his party, we knows that there is a lot of interest and power block that have an interest on the individual candidates, he and his colleagues tried to manage all the 5 states primaries from the southwest to their ability without any rancour except Lagos, where Eng. Funsho William and Senator Bola Tinubu slug it out in the fight to finish battle; Ige is the ex-governor of the old Oyo state now Oyo and Osun, he govern the both States in 1979-1983 for 4 years, he knows a lot also about the terrain of the state, for example he knows the three Busaris in Ibadan land,( Obisesan, Adelakun and Raji).In the day of A.G in Oyo’s he also knows Alhaji Akibu Ajagba, the father of the former speaker of Oyo state and the present Senator now representing Oyo south. Rt Hon. Monsura Sunmonu and Pa.Ayoola, in the Oke-Ogun axis there is Micheal Kolesoho his former comissioner, in Osun likewise also is Chief Abiola Morakinyo from Gbongan; his former commissioner of finance, Bisi Akande; his six month deputy, when S.M Afolabi the strong man of Iree politics rebel against the establishment,Ige is very savvy and swift,when the P.D.P brought up the idea of fielding Alhaji Yekeen Adeojo as their flag bearer, as the Seriki musulumi of Yoruba land, it is a hard-nut to crack as Ibadan indigene, Ibadan carry about 54% of the voting strength of the state, Ige idea of presenting Micheal Koleosho from saki, his former aides, was not an idea he can flew anymore, because Koleosho is a Christian, and from minority clan, then Ige went for the old principal of Zumurat-hu-jaj School, and former House of Representative member of UPN, in 79-83 Uncle Lam Adeshina, Although Lam maintain a column in the Nigeria tribune formed in 1949, by the late Sage Chief Awolowo, still uncle Lam is a man of austerity measure, Ige called and counsel Koleosho to work for Lam, Kolesoho didn’t hesitated, gone are the day of the party supremacy. Ige packages Lam against the formidable and wealthy candidate of P.D.P, Yekeen Adeojo, Ige campaign throughout the nook and cranny of the state, to convinced electorate to the side of Lam, Ige succeeded at last, Lam floor the mighty Adeojo without any rancor or litigation. So also the same scenario occur between Bisi akande and Abiola Morakinyo of gbongan fame, let me emphasis this Osun issue more wildly, Both morakinyo and Akande were Bola Ige ably lieutenant from Osun division, when the duo serve him as the finance comissioner and SSG/Deputy governor respectively, when the die is cast Ige left both of them to convice the delegates and to showcase their manifesto and ability to govern the state, Morakinyo, were strikingly rich, he succeeded to bought all the majority delegates to his side, while Bisi Akande campaign train were very scanty, But Ige had a very good foresight, he knows two of them equally, at least he is the one that brought Akande up at the 1978 constitutional conference representing Ila division Zone, from their Awo got to know Akande through Bola Ige, later Ige went for Bisi Akande, immediately Ige join the Akande train, all the delegates turned in favour of Akande, Akande were penniless, he was able to win the primary against morakinyo, after he scale through the general election by defeating Senator Olu alabi, Both the Oyo and Osun candidates were so poor, so the leader went for the integrity and ability of them to deliver, I didn’t have much to say concerning Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti of year 99 period because my area of specification is between Oyo/ Osun and Lagos, due to their political circumstances thrown up there, I thought Ige weather the storm likewise Jagaban Asiwaju, Ige encounter two night of long knife episode in his lifetime, one in the UPN convection, UPN leader accused him of hob –nobbing with Obasanjo during his feud with his strong willed deputy S.M Afolabi, who is a good friend of Obasanjo and his Senior at Abeokuta boys high School, according to the sources Obasanjo called for reconciliation between both of them, as a good old friend, George Ige former Permanent sectary for works, Bola Ige elder sibling serve under Obasanjo when the latter was Commissioner of works under General Gowon in the latter year of Gowon administration, although his path cross with Ige also; as Brigade Commander at Ibadan when the General Adeyinka Adebayo, were in the saddle, as a brigade Commander, by law and protocol, he Obasanjo was constitutes among the security council member, while Ige is the commissioner of Agric and National resources, from there Obasanjo also met Dauda Soroye Adegbenro, Bisi Onabanjo and Stephen Kola Balogun of Otan-Ayegbaju, the great Zikist, but the leader of U.P.N through the instigation of ebullent, maverick Busari Adelakun, sanction Ige and S.M for their unholy alliance with obasanjo, because a lot of them won’t forget and forgive in hurry the role Obasanjo played against their leader in 1979 general election, The second scenario happened recently during the battle ready primaries (presidential) between chief Falae the great economic, the former S.F.G to the IBB Military government, whose many believe didn’t have a tangible chord with Awolowo dynasty against Ige, a formidable awoist, legal luminary, and an outspoken terrible enfant of Awolowo family, Ige travelled out of the country during the party primary at D. Rovan Hotel Ibadan, believing that all his Co-comrade would returned him unopposed against Falae, whose is a green horn in their midst, the 23 wise men headed by Baba Emmanuel Alayande, the former Vice Principal of Ige at the Ibadan Boys High School, and whose made Ige as the School head Prefect in 1948, including the 1999 six south west governor elect; infact the primary were conducted in a secret ballot, the Ige old comrade ditch Ige at the last minutes by supporting falae, And the economist incidentally win the primary with 14-9 votes in favor of him Against Ige, Nigerians where very shocked, South west people were very dejected through the outcome of the treacherous result, when Ige arrived the country from England, a sea head of journalist bombarded him with their question to knows next movement and mood at the Muritala Muhammed airport, he just laugh broadly and told them that I will work and campaign for Falae ; due to his pledge he campaign through the north for the Olu Falae/Shinkafi ticket, the rest is history, they lost the election , as a wise man Ige tried to find out his loyal 9 candidate that vote for him in the governor elect Cadre, among the six, Lam, Akande, Niyi Adebayo and Bola Tinubu vote for him, while the remaining two went for Falae, Dramatics of the matter is that Baba Alayande the great chapel of A.G, whose Bola Ige floor at the U.P.N Primaries election between both of them in 1979 voted ige, But Baba was helpless as the convection chairman he just have an only one vote likewise the member also; (may God bless Baba Alayande soul) Ige confront his co-comrade for their treacherous altitude against, but they told point blankly that he also did the same to Baba Alayande in 1979, but told them that the scenario is very different, that Falae was never known to chief Awolowo, but is a military apologist; and a core-civil servant, he went on by saying that he met Awolowo through Chief Moroundiya, a lawyer friend of Chief Awolowo in the 60s since then Awolowo so much loves him by putting him in the charge of A.G group foreign policy, after then becoming the public publicity of A.G, from there Awolowo sent him to the north at Jos to defend J.S Tarka, against the northern establishment that wanted to silence him by all means, from there he went to Ubiaja detention by the order of the administrator Dr. Majekodunmi, but with all this cross, Still Baba Alayande voted for me, now he retorted why you my people were crying more than the bereaved, from a vivid account by Ganiyu Olawale Dawodu(G.O.D) from Lagos says they were on board inside the plane, when the leader instructed them that Ige would not be controllable if given power, infact Ige was so bitter that he accepted a political appointment from Obasanjo and he tried to paralyze the activities of Afenifere, by being the masquerade behind the forming of Y.C.E, he went throughout the Southwest to pacify all the Akintola supporter, that the two core actor have gone to the world beyond;and there is no need of any enmity again, you know Ige has great power of persuasion and an ability to organize, they succumb to him and accept his proposal after the launching. Baba Alayande head it, Adeyinka Adebayo also and Kehinde Sofola (SAN) from Ikenne whose enmity with Awo lies from Ikenne, may be about their ego about their township issue or their traditional ruler imbroglio, Imagine Sofola in the Y.C.E through the effort of Ige, all those organization ability of Ige is what cause a no love interest between the Ijebu Mafia and him, had it been Ige is from Ijebu. I believe they would not behave so. Imagine when Ige visited his leader Pa Solanke Onasanya of IjebuAyepe, on his way with his security details he fell down flatly, without any stud and root anchor disrupting his flowing agbada, since then I have been having great fear for his life, after one outspoken and the most rigid one among them, say that Ige has deviate from Awo teaching by accepting to serve in Obasanjo government, their long life arch-enemy, that he had behave and act in Akintola way, he says he believe Ige will soon end in the way of the assassinated former premier of western region, The prophecies come to pass; unfortunately Ige was shot at his solemina close Bodija residence by the son of the hell, Adieu Ige. I cherish you, I admire you, you came, you saw and you conquer the death; good night Cicero of Esa-Oke.

For me to connect Asiwaju Tinubu with Ige, is a daunting task for me, this man named Asiwaju voted for Cicero at the D.rovan hotel, against his leader wish Ganiyu Olawale Dawodu (GOD), who wrote a book, who is greatest Awo or Zik? I do always cherish and admire any human being that had an independent minded of his own, among all the four governor that went with Ige, the other three have pre-earlier relation with him in one way or the other, what baffles me now is the same thing that also worry my mind about all those Ijebu Mafia against Bola Ahmed Tinubu now, this Ijebu Mafia didn’t believe in the type of Tinubu politics, even all done and say, at least through God and him, he succeeded to install Awolowo son-in law as the present vice-president of the country. The Ijebu mafia claim they were the one who help him to bag the nomination ticket as the A.D controversial governorship primary aspirant in Lagos, for some people this can be help; but according to the constitution of A.D then, if that any state chapter were involve in deep crisis and unable to present a duly elected candidates; their case should be refer to the national headquarter of the party to resolve, Sir with due respect Pa Ayo Adebanjo this is not a favor or what you thought about it, if not for the bias of Chief Dawodu and his interest on one of candidate, there wouldn’t have been a crisis at all.Pertaining to the illustration above, I stump on one Asiwaju interview a decade ago, about his visits to Dawodu residence after the primary election, he said that he met a lot of people and party men there inside the palatial compound, he asked his party chairman what step next forward, the leader tried to act in disguise way by telling him that all the report we have been gathering from the field were not favorably to you Bola. Asiwaju says at the moment he was very sad and dejected as he was preparing to move out of the compound, when a man there in the midst of the crowd, Dressed in Kaftan types of the northern people, to his surprise the unknown man shout to him, that Tinubu were are you going, you are the one that win the primary Tinubu; we were just trying here to rig you out, Asiwaju said immediately he look straight into Dawodu eyeball, he was dumb, he couldn’t ulter a word, he said from there he made up my mind that he will fight this injustice with the last blood of his body. Asiwaju said what baffles him till today, is that he can’t be able to locate this mysterious man, he said that he believed the man is not just an ordinary human being, he says he believed that the man is a God’s sent to him, with all his contact and network he cant be able to track or seen the man till today. What an almighty God.

Then the grievance of the so called Ijebu leaders against Tinubu is that he is undermining the authority of Ganiyu Dawodu, but I didn’t know in what form is that because I believe they share everything equally in the first term of Tinubu, why? Because Tinubu were an open minded person and accommodating after his appointment of the youthful commissioner for youth and sports Segun Dawodu which is the son of Ganiyu Olawale Dawodu,Also with a lot of board appointment, even when the fight is getting messier, Tinubu did not contemplating of sacking the son, he resigned voluntary due to the prompting of his father, that told the world that he trained his son to be a lawyer; that he can fend for himself, after all he got him an office apartment for his legal work at McCarthy street, Lagos Island. Even if the situation come in other side of the coins; they wouldn’t be so compassionate like he asiwaju did to them; but Tinubu didn’t think so, then about the removal of Ganiyu Dawodu as the state party chairman issue and replaced by Prince Abiodun Ogunleye from Ikorodu, this is a free and fair election of the party congress; To be a governor didn’t deny you your civic right to have a candidate of your choice after all Baba Ganiyu also did the same by supporting Eng. Funsho William against Tinubu in 1998/1999. I could learn later that the party hierarchy summoned them to Ijebu Igbo meeting to enable both camp to cease fire under the leadership of Pa Abraham Adesanya and then decided at the 60/40 ratio formula, between Tinubu and Ganiyu Dawodu group; which both of them succumb to, but when Asiwaju arrived Lagos and told his supporter the outcome of the parley, they were not happy at all, they told him straight to his face that if the the ratio is implementend, they will revolt against his authority and leadership; that’s how they throw it into the dustbin, They believe they were more popular and also in the majority, They told him if not Sir, let them go with us in popular test and you know in politics you have to calculate and watch your step a lot to avoid eventually fall down.

The sleeping dog lies low for a while, I think the issue is about the award winner and journalist Sam Omatseye article at the back of the nation newspaper that he wrote a passionate appeal to mama H.I.D to stop hob-nobbing with the likes of Alao Akala, Gbenga Daniel and Ayo Fayose, that how is great husband will feel in the grave, by this word of advice from Itsekiri born Omatseye which is factual correct in any aspect; truly becauses hadn been Awo were alive you can never found him in the so company of those people, The Ijebu leader was let loose, The Ijebu Mafia were throwing daft from every angle to Asiwaju, they believe that Asiwaju is the one that contract Omatseye to write the article, to the extent of calling for his head, and by asking for verification of his true mother, now excluding Alao Akala, where is the position of Daniel and Fayose today, are they not the one destabilizing the opposition party P.D.P today by their division tactics for supporting and aiding the war of attrition between Sheriff Bunu and Jerry Gana/mantu faction, I believe Sam is still waxing stronger, and i also believe that if anything that warrant disciplinary sanction to be carried out; Victor Ifijeh was in the position to met it out; not Tinubu that didn’t know or bother how they run the tabloid; still Asiwaju did not shrink from his responsibility, by looking for the United Southwest to negotiate our future in the country of the mere geographical expression of the nation, He spearheaded the formation of Afenifere Renewal Group, headed by Honorable Wale oshun; a former House of Representative Chief whip during the 3rd republic and the author of the book of “clapping with one hand” he and his colleague went to the extent of calling the both actor of the Afenifere leader Baba Fasonranti and Baba Fasanmi to the IITA Ibadan, still there is no true reconciliation; which was the topmost of the agenda; I love Asiwaju so much, suffice to say that this man is an accountant and auditor, but he behaves like Historian, apology ofies to Jide osuntokun Oke-mesi and other, Because the man learn from history too much, assuming Chief Awo refused to go to the centre in the 1959 federal election, and he did what Sardauna did by sending Tafawa Balewa to the centre to compete instead of him , had it been he sent SLA also there, Nigeria history would have take another shape now, If the British rig Akintola has as they done to chief Awo, Akintola would quietly settle back to his position as the deputy leader of the A.G;he inherited due to the sudden death of Chief Bode Thomas,(Balogun of Oyo)who to blame Awolowo? Nobody! Awolowo didn’t have the grace and opportunity to learn from anyone; If so Awolowo will not ever find himself behind the bar, talk less Gowon releasing him through state pardon, and he wouldn’t serve as a commissioner of Finance and Vice-Chairman of the executive council, where he got the anger of Igbo people during the civil war, that he works against them, and the enmity of 20Pound given to them after the war, if not, Awolowo would have succeeded to govern this country in 1979, because the least Awolowo got from Southeast was 0.9%, upon all his scheming and technicalities by choosing Phillip Umeadi from Southeast as running mate; instead of the the most favor northerner Aliyu Muhammadu Kura, although he retrace his step four years later by fielding Kura.

Asiwaju quietly understand all this above illustration, and he took the advantage to himself, had it been Asiwaju is selfish and run with Buhari in the last election, thats would have been a suicide mission, I don’t think they will be able to defeat Jonathan, but then he made a sacrifice for the party and Nigeria by presenting Osibajo, my advice Asiwaju your time have come, your time is still coming, prosperity will judge you, the Ijebu mafia. I implore you to sheath your sword to work together will these man of our time to enable us to arrive our destination quickly and more faster, Adieu Ige, long life and good health to you Bola Tinubu, you will live long, and we are ready to follow you so far.You didn’t look up to the types of Professor Femi Aribisala, Yinka Odumakin and the rest of them.