The political scene in Osun State today borders on tragic comedy, if not a theatre of the absurd. In the aftermath of the recently concluded and fiercely contested governorship election, the distinction between the two appears increasingly blurred.
The people of Osun State deserve commendation and, indeed, applause for their broad-based resistance to imposition and the deployment of what has come to be described as “Federal Might”. Their determination to defend their democratic choice was remarkable and should not be diminished by the political manoeuvrings that have followed the election.
Ironically, the action has now shifted to Abuja.
Abuja was the nerve centre of efforts that, in the eyes of many Osun people, sought to undermine the free expression of their democratic will. It is therefore difficult to ignore the irony of the re-elected Governor, Ademola Adeleke, travelling to the nation’s capital to pay what was described as a courtesy visit to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
The visit is particularly difficult to rationalise given the minister’s role in the political drama surrounding the election. Wike did little to conceal his hostility towards the governor and, by extension, the political position of a large section of the Osun electorate. His interventions before the election were often incendiary, provocative and unnecessarily combative.
Against this background, the governor’s decision to extend a courtesy call to the minister raises legitimate questions. What exactly was the purpose of the visit? What message was it intended to convey? And, more importantly, what does it say to the people who stood firmly behind the governor in what they perceived as a battle for the soul of Osun?
A courtesy call on the President of the Federal Republic, who has been increasingly adorned in a regal political toga, can at least be rationalised on grounds of political expediency. The President wields enormous constitutional and political powers over the states. He controls federal allocations, appoints key officials, and, in extreme circumstances, possesses powers capable of fundamentally altering the political and administrative equilibrium of a state. It is therefore understandable, from a tactical standpoint, for a governor to seek accommodation with the centre.
But Wike is not the President.
It is difficult to see what significant harm the FCT Minister can inflict on Osun State or what compelling strategic advantage the governor stands to gain from such a visit. Indeed, the optics are far more consequential than whatever private benefit may have been intended.
Governor Adeleke must understand that leadership is not only about winning elections; it is also about respecting the sacrifices that made victory possible. The people who resisted intimidation, stood against perceived federal interference and defended their votes deserve to see their mandate treated with seriousness.
The visit, therefore, was ill-advised. It risked diminishing the significance of a struggle in which many Osun citizens invested their hopes, resources and, in some instances, personal safety. The memory of those who stood in the heat of that political battle must not be trivialised by gestures that appear to reward or legitimise those who worked against the very mandate the governor now occupies.
That said, politics inevitably demands engagement. Governance also requires accommodation, negotiation and the ability to build bridges even with adversaries. But such engagement must be guided by strategic purpose, not by an appetite for meaningless political symbolism.
The governor should now turn his attention away from courtesy calls and towards the more difficult task of governing.
He should work with democratic forces, civil society organisations, professional groups, traditional institutions, labour, youth organisations and other stakeholders to develop a genuine pro-people New Deal for Osun State. The people have gone through enough. They deserve competent governance, economic opportunity, improved infrastructure, stronger local government administration, better public services and, above all, a tangible dividend from the mandate they have given him.
The election may be over, but the real work has only begun.
Governor Adeleke should therefore resist the temptation to spend political capital on gestures that offer little value to the people. His priority should be to consolidate the democratic mandate, heal the divisions created by the election and deliver a government that is visibly different in its responsiveness, accountability and commitment to the people.
Osun does not need more meaningless visits. It needs results.
… EDITORIAL: A Bizarre Visit! Read More on … OsunDefender.
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