- Ede, Ife Central, Ila LGAs major beneficiaries
- Barr. Jola Akinola as Health commissioner, Ogungbinle – Deji Adeleke’s choice as finance commissioner
- Uneven distribution, gender insensitive, religious sentiments among others
The crisis engulfing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Osun Chapter, and the Adeleke dynasty has intensified as the State Assembly published the names of those nominated for commissioners by Governor Ademola Adeleke while it awaits the House’s confirmation.
On Friday, Sen. Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke, the executive governor of Osun State, forwarded the names of nominees for the positions of commissioner and special adviser to the assembly.
The Osun assembly’s Speaker, Rt. Hon. Adewale Egbedun, read the governor’s letter, which included the nominees for members of the House of Assembly, during plenary on Friday, July 7, 2023.
The nominees are: Barr. Oladosu Babatunde, Prince Bayo Ogungbangbe, Mr Sesan Epharaim Oyedele, Barr. Kolapo Alimi, Mr Soji Ajeigbe, Mr Moshood Olalekan Olagunju, Hon. George Alabi, Hon. Sunday Olufemi Oroniyi, Mr. Abiodun Bankole Ojo, Dr. Basiru Tokunbo Salami, Mr Morufu Ayofe, Mr Sola Ogungbile, Rev. Bunmi Jenyo, Mrs Ayo Awolowo, Barr. Wole Jimi Bada, Hon. Dipo Eluwole, Alh. Rasheed Aderibigbe, Prof. Morufu Ademola Adeleke, Mr Adeyemo Festus Ademola, Mr Olabiyi Anthony Odunlade, Barr. Jola Akintola, Hon. Mayowa Adejorin, Mrs Adenike Folashade Adeleke, Mr Tola Faseru and Alh. Ganiyu Ayobami Olaoluwa.
The problem affecting the party and the Adeleke dynasty has worsened as a result of the list’s release since several resentful individuals, including close friends and PDP supporters from Ifedolun, Orolu, and other eight LGAs, are protesting their exclusion from the list. When asked why these local governments were not taken into consideration for the list, some party chieftains who spoke with this reporter said that they do not know because some had more than two nominees.
The governor has unintentionally declared war against Ikirun, according to a party member only known as Soji, who spoke to WITHIN NIGERIA. “By endorsing Egbedun from Odo-Otin LGA in the race for speaker, the governor worked against our son.” Once more, he replaced Soji Ajeigbe from Odo-Otin LGA on the list in place of our son, Hashim Abioye. A quite dejected Soji explained, “This definitely demonstrates the governor’s disdain for Ikirun.
Orolu, a PDP stronghold, was completely ignored in the nominees list, according to Lanre, a party member who also happens to be an Orolu resident. Lanre said he is still perplexed by this.
The Orolu people, in my opinion, merit inclusion. Orolu received House of Representatives and House of Assembly tickets from the APC. At the polls, they disregarded them and cast their ballots in favor of PDP candidates. Orolu’s appalling defeat is regrettable, Lanre continued.
A reporter for WITHIN NIGERIA noticed that the thirty (30) local governments are not evenly represented in the list of nominees. The list of nominations looks to be gender insensitive, promotes favoritism and nepotism, and tends to increase debates regarding religious dominance.
UNEVEN DISTRIBUTION
A closer examination of the nominees’ list revealed that, despite having nominated twenty-five (25) people, only twenty (20) of the thirty (30) local governments were given consideration.
Olaoluwa, Ayedire, Isokan, Orolu, Ifedayo, Ifelodun, Atakunmosa East, Ilesa West, Ife South, and Ife North are the ten local governments that Senator Ademola Adeleke left off of the nominees list.
According to findings by WITHIN NIGERIA, Senator Ademola Adeleke nominated three people for positions in some local governments while abandoning others, a strategy that many have criticized as “robbing Peter to pay Paul.”
FAVORITISM AND NEPOTISM
There are four nominees from Ede North, Ede South, and the Egbedore federal constituency among the 25 candidates, according to WITHIN NIGERIA, which discovered that three nominees are from Ede, the hometown of Senator Ademola Adeleke. Sola Ogungbinle, the projected commissioner for finance, is also from Ede; he was Deji Adeleke’s personal choice.
Two people have been proposed by Senator Ademola Adeleke for commissioner positions in the Ila LGA. Despite the fact that they are from Ila Orangun, Ademola Clement Akanni is a member of the House of Representatives and Ajagunla Olubiyi is the sitting senator for Osun Central Senatorial District. One of the two nominees is allegedly the brother of Senator Ajagunla Olubiyi, according to certain sources.
In the Ife Central LGA, Senator Ademola Adeleke put forward three candidates for commissioner positions. In addition to Sesan Oyedele from Ife East, the same LGA as the Deputy Governor, Prince Adewusi, who is also nominated, Dipo Eluwole, Wole Jimi-Bada, and Biyi Odunlade were also put forward by him.
They share a local government district with Hon. Ajilesoro, a federal lawmaker who represents the Ife Federal Constituency, as well as Dipo Eluwole, an ally of Rauf Aregbesola, an ex-interior minister who also served as a commissioner during Aregbesola’s term as governor, and Wole Jimi-Bada, who was slated to be the state’s attorney general.
Adeleke’s candidate for state cabinet post in the Ayedaade/Isokan/Irewole Federal Constituency shares the same LGA as the deputy minority of the senate, leaving Isokan LGA without any representation.
Unconfirmed reports indicated that Senator Ademola Adeleke’s relatives make up two of the twenty-five nominees on the governor’s commissioner nominations list that the State House of Assembly released.
This reporter’s research showed that the assertion is false and deceptive. While Mrs. Adenike Folashade Adeleke is the daughter of Chief Omidiran, who wed the late Executive Governor of Osun State, Isiaka Adeleke, Prof. Morufu Ademola Adeleke is an Osogbo native.
But the argument that Senator Ademola Adeleke put his sister-in-law on the list of commissioner nominations at the detriment of other local authorities is valid.
GENDER INSENSITIVE
A policy called the “National Gender Policy” was developed to encourage women’s involvement in governance. The policy mandates that women participate in all governance activities at a rate of 35%. This 2006-formulated policy mandates that 35% of women participate in all aspects of governance.
According to information obtained by WITHIN NIGERIA, two women were included on the list of commissioner nominees that Senator Ademola Adeleke sent to the Osun State House of Assembly. Only two women, Mrs. Ayo Awolowo, Commissioner for Women Affairs, and Mrs. Adenike Folashade, the in-law of Governor Adeleke, Commissioner for Federal Matters, were among the 25 nominees.
The commissioner’s choice of candidates is insensitive to gender and a clear break from efforts to respect the goals of the National Gender Policy. It also represented Osun women as being frail and unsuited for positions of leadership.
RELIGIOUS SENTIMENTS
According to findings by WITHIN NIGERIA, the governor nominated 25 people for the State Assembly, including 17 Christians, 1 traditionalist, and 7 Muslims.
A party chieftain who requested anonymity in response to the situation stated to WITHIN NIGERIA that he was astounded by the religious disparity in Senator Ademola Adeleke’s list of nominees.
CLAIMS
Our governor is a controversial Muslim. The vice governor is a Christian. The Speaker of the House of Assembly is a Christian. As of right present, 17 Christians have been proposed for commissionerial positions. The party boss questioned what Senator Ademola Adeleke was actually saying against our party and his administration.
An insider further revealed to WITHIN NIGERIA that Senator Ademola Adeleke was forced to substitute Christians for Muslims on the nominees’ list after they were forced to delete their names from the list.
After Hashim Abioye, the Ikirun-born politician and lawyer, was removed from the list, Soji Ajeigbe, the late Ajeigbe’s beloved son known as Baba Gomina, was recently added. The insider added that Sola Ogungbinle, a Christian and personal preference of Dr. Deji Adeleke, the older brother of Senator Ademola Adeleke, replaced Yahaya Akin Ajetunmobi and was also taken off the list of nominees.
The insider claims that Atakunmosa West and Ilesa West were excluded from the commissioner’s list of nominees due to the selection of Fadipe Ibukun as SUBEB (State Universal Basic Education Board) Chairman.
Moshood Yakubu would have been on the list, but the governor later removed him to make amends to Osogbo due to protests and allegations of segregation from the government they helped install.
According to the insider, Prof. Morofu Ademola Adeleke claimed the position.
The insider added that former PDP caretaker chair Akintunde, who is also an Ondo State native, will be nominated as special adviser on public health and that Barr. Jola Akinola will serve as the anticipated commissioner for health.
What can a lawyer accomplish as a health commissioner? Politics may occasionally be dangerously funny. I think protests prevented Dr. Akintunde from being appointed a commissioner, but he was conferred SA in Public Health. The insider laughed hysterically and said, “I think he will still be in control because the lawyer would probably be a titular office holder.”
The source said that politics is all about gain and remuneration while making comments regarding two of the former governor Rauf Aregbesola’s aides as nominees.
Senator Ademola Adeleke’s party and win were actively supported by Mr. Biyi Odunlade and Kolapo Alimi. They should be recognized for their victories, in my opinion. Rev. Bunmi Jenyo has just been added to the list of candidates for Commissioner for Commerce after he protested.
He continued, “I believe Senator Adeleke ought to show greater support for people who work for him.
We contend that we are superior to the APC, our major adversary, but Senator Ademola Adeleke appointed special advisers Kunle Adepoju, born in Ibarapa, and Akintunde, born in Ondo, because of their potential for greater influence in the state. Ajeles is also pushed, with references to APC as the party of Ajeles. I wish Senator Ademola Adeleke well in her new position, he added in his final statement.