Segun Akanni, Toronto, Canada 
“As long as we have faith in our own cause and an unconquerable will to win, victory will
not be denied us.”
– Winston Churchill
The Osun APC Governorship Primary, won by the incumbent Governor Gboyega Oyetola,
has come and gone; a winner has emerged and losers have also started licking their wounds.
So, the rest, as it is often said, is history.
But, just like any other contests, there are lessons to be learnt. First is the issue of crisis
management in political parties. In fairness to posterity, the structure and the leadership of the
ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State deserves commendation for its ability
to prevent the feud from escalating. That Osun APC showed firmness and leadership skills in
managing the crisis was an indication that the future of the ruling party in the state is bright.
Why did I say so? Elsewhere, what happened between the Gboyega Famodun-led party and
the splinter group could make the party go into total disarray.
So, it’s noteworthy that both
the government and the political leadership ensured that APC remained focussed.
Another vital lesson is that February 19, 2022 in the life of Osun State has taught Nigerians,
especially, the political class, how to be tolerant as well as how to accommodate other
people’s views, needs, feelings and ideas even when one is “willing to express, defend and
re-examine” his or her “opinions.” The fact that all the factions participated in the Primary
was also an indication that democracy has come to stay in our country; and that there is hope
for the ruling party, nationally. Yes, those who were ultimately defeated displayed a rare
spirit of sportsmanship in that they were able to come under the same umbrella for the
conduct of the election. That speaks volume of their belief in the democratic ideals of the
party. It can only get better.
Apart from the political gladiators, the followership has also learnt that, though it is its
inalienable right to air its grievances, that shouldn’t translate into the destruction of the
structure of the party, more so as the party is bigger than any individual or interest. In other
words, democracy works on the empirical, not sentimental. It encourages a genuine party
man and woman to always find ways of dichotomising between institutions and its
sustenance, and individual and personal interest, which could be parochial or, at best,
sectional. We must also bear in mind that democracy is about ‘give and take’; you win some,
you lose some! In simple terms, it means being rational about one’s demands and the context
of the larger needs of the party, on the one hand, and the agitations of the society, on the
other. That’s how to sustain the trust of the people. Doing otherwise is tantamount to playing
the underdog spoiler!
Now that we have put that sordid phase behind us, it is believed that genuine efforts will be
made to ensure that all APC factions and fractions – wherever they may exist in Osun State –
will come under one umbrella and reach out for July 16 in the interest of the party. Except we
want to be economical with truth, that some funny comedians, somewhere, cannot attempt to
script a dubious surprise as far as the forthcoming election is concerned should not be
contemplated at all. After all, a comedian is, as we speak, the president of one of the world’s
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independent sovereign states. It therefore behooves APC faithful and those who wish dearstate well to come out en masse, do the needful at the Ward and Local levels with a view toensuring that victory for the ruling party is a done deal.Let us now come back to Governor Oyetola, a ‘man with a history of victory’ and theundisputed leader of the party in the state, who has won this battle by a landslide. In his book,‘Killosophy’, Criss Jami wrote: “to seek greatness is the righteous vengeance.” At a time likethis, Nigerians expect the governor to be magnanimous in victory. For a fact, that ‘this man ofnature, who lives a real life’, has won the governorship ticket of his party clearly shows thathe is popular and that the good people of Osun State still want him. To this end, he shouldcontinue to do stuffs that will make the people happy. For instance, it will serve his 2ndTerm ambition well if he can complete most of, if not all, the road projects his administration hasstarted. Over and above all, this governor should not renege on his promises, becauseNigerians are already taking him at his word.But, again, how did Osun APC get to this sordid pass? In the words of Bernard Ginbel, “twothings are bad for the heart: it’s either running uphill or running downhill.” Obviously, the‘family feud’ has shown why real leaders shouldn’t “create followers” but “more leaderswho can stand on their own.” It has also taught us that the first duty of a leader is how toendeavor to secure the optimism of the people while doing so is rewarding, because everyleadership will one day be tested. Love him or hate him, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has shown thatbuilding leaders for tomorrow is far better than building peasants and beggars. After all, mostof the insults that happen to a man in life are as a result of his economic level.Oyetola’s sweet victory reminds one of the contest for kingship that might have taken thecontenders to the throne faraway from reasonable points, all in a bid to achieve their differentdesires at getting the only crown. Well, now that a candidate has emerged from the samefamily, what the family members must now know is that ‘home is home; that the prosperityand the integrity of the home must be defended by all; and that everybody should be openlywelcomed back home with listening ears to his or her grievances, without prejudice. To put itbluntly, once straying members die to their fleshy desires and become awaken to the realityof life, APC must not only rejoice and welcome them back but also ensure that they are well-reintegrated back into the system.Lastly, the tragedy of elections in this part of the world is that, while all attention has nowshifted to the July 16, 2022 gubernatorial exercise, that our system has created a multitude ofpeople who have now left their natural habitats to become a team of professional politiciansis no longer news. Needless to repeat therefore that it was the same system that scapegoatedTinubu with #EndSARS as if he was the founder of SARS! Of course, it is the reason we arefinding it difficult to maintain what we obtain. It is also the reason we are fighting fromvictory instead of fighting for victory. Factoring these into the exigencies of the forthcomingelection, it is advisable that this class of people is averagely maintained to appease itsrumbling appetite.May the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, make Gboyega Oyetola the bestgovernor in the history of Osun State!KOMOLAFE wrote in from Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State (ijebujesa@yahoo.co.uk)
