OSUN STATE AND THE CHOICE OF THE SPEAKER
Nigeria Political system like that of U S seems to be very interwoven, THE two Nation practice Presidential System with the Constitution that gives room for a separation pf government and Power among the 3 Arms of government which are the Legislature,the Executive and the Judiciary. This System is obtainable any where in the World where Democracy is being practiced.
Nigeria started the elective principle in 1921. It was Lagos and Calabar that was given the opportunity among many Cities and towns thar was then.The two had been the seat of colonial master then.
Since our periodic political menstruation falls to every four years,it behoves on Nigerians to cast their vote within the period to elect new Leaders who will be saddled with constitutionally recognized responsibilities.. The nascent democracy started in 1999,after the 1992 Republic was scuttled by Babangida Abacha and Abdul Salam Abubakar regime. Abacha government was able to divide Nigeria geo_politics for administrative and political expediency. Nigeria was divided into six geo political zones. This is so important for balance of power System. There can never be a lopsidedness. States in the Federation were not left out. Every States has 3 Senatorial Districts.
The name given to each Senatorial Districts differs from one State to the other. The nomenclature in Osun State is Osun West, Osun East and Osun Central. Osum State did not participate in just concluded gubernatorial General election,the State had it last year July 16. The political arrangement was thwarted in November 29,2010. This permanently changed the handing of the reigns of an administration from one governor to another except political steps and legal understanding is allowed it will go like this.
Osun West occupies number one position now in Osun State. The second of same gesture. The first time was not up to 4years, military interregnum and intervention sent Nigeria back to another wilderness experience. Our own Hitleric period. A period when Boys are men and men becomes Boys,the period when green khaki became green connotatively and drop in the disrepute annals of historical dust bin.
The arrangements at the time between the Executive and Legislature reflected balance of Power System. Osun West produced the Governor, Osun East produced the Deputy and Osun Central produced the Speaker. This period has the same political morphology like then. It was Barrister Wale Afolabi from Ifelodun Local got that was the Speaker then. Polity was heated up at the time. Osun State was greeted with political acrimony between the Executive and Legislature, those who are matured in age and politics now will bare witness to this. No one pray for such experience again. The period was best captured relatively in the book written by Chinua Achebe ” Things fall Apart” he said ^Here and there in the widening glare the falcon could not hear the falconner things fall apart and the centre could not hold”, It took time before the State was settled.
The new administration in Osun State began on Nov 29 2022. Senator Ademola Adeleke defeated the incumbent government Oyetola in the gubernatorial election. Senator Adeleke is from Osun West like that of 1992. The present Deputy is from Osun East no one needs Bishop Nostradamus to tell us where the Speaker must come from. It is Osun Central. There are 9 Federal Constituencies in Osun State of which 3 out of it falls like any other zone in Osun to the Osun Central. The one at the Central are Osogbo ,Olorunda, ifon-orolu and the rest, ila, ifedayo,Boluwaduro, Boripe, Ifelodun and Odo-Otin are included. Top among the Federal Constituency at the Central that got better largesse are ila and Osogbo zones of the federal constituency .
While Ila has Senator and House of
Rep at the same time Osogbo zone got. Secretary to the State Govt, SSG. The federal constituency that is in the cold now is Ifelodun, Boripe and Odo-Otin zone popularly referred to as IBO Zone.
The office of the number 3 Citizen of the State in terms of political arrangement falls to IBO zone. In the zone Ifelodun which has its headquarter in ikirun has a Federal Member Elect into the NASS in Abuja. Boripe local government for now has the only opposition in the State House of Assembly,which gives a better chance to Odo- Otin. The lot that was cast among the movers and shakers in Osun State for the office of the Speaker falls on Prince Adewale Egbedun,a member elect from Odo- otin. This has become taik of the town. A young ,vibrant,astute ,political maestro and graduate of Ladoke Akintola University. A staid native and denizen of Ashi, a town that could be likened with Greek State. In the lyric of the song sang by my god musician Majek Fashek, those who are something in the World, that besotted the World like a colossus are from a village getho, Socrates, Plato,Aristotle, Prophet Mohammed (SAW) ,Our Lord Jesus who has a uniqueness of given birth to in a getho. Chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolow sage and political light that though died but still reigns in the political firmament was from a getho, the late Cicero of Esa- Oke Chief Bola I’ve was from the getho, Zik of Africa was
from the getho,he was even born in Zungeru.All these in the contemporary with Prince Egbedun who is also from City of no mean city like Apostle Paul of Tarsus.
In order to have political stability and to avoid the occurrences of the wounds of 1992 Odo – otin State constituency stands tall among its peers. Political imbroligo of 1992 could be highly predictable again if round peg is not in the round hole. Professor John Cilly defined political science as the product of history. The only way to avoid political problem of whatever dimension is to avoid the centre state Constituency of IBO.
For every position there must be a responsibility and for every responsibility a duty,for every duty an obligation. This is the theory of life. It is a good political arrangements that will promote the growth and developments in a given state. Osun state is a state that respect equity, fairness and justice. The just concluded administration with their Haile- Salesse toga observed the arrangement.
Odo-Otin State constituency should be closely looked into among the State Constituenvies at the central of Osun State. If in the federal constituency of Ila Senator and House of Rep member could be produced in the same political dispensation and Osogbo zone of the federal constituency could produce SSG and IBO federal constituency which has Ifelodun state constituency producing both state assembly member and Federal Rep at the same time in a given political dispensation then care must be taken not to deny Odo-Otin what’s rightfully theirs. Or should it be only ifelodun. What’s good for the goose is good for the ganders. Ifelodun state constituency should allow reason to prevail. Ambition should not override reasons.
Comrade Femi Babalola writes this piece from Obaagun ifelodun StateConstituency
