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By Ibraheem Alli
After my mandatory NYSC, I worked at I-Media in Abuja. Equally, I had a sojourn at a private secondary school in my hometown, Ileogbo. Moving forward, I ventured into mini business, hoping to get better. At those instances, I’ve been rewarded with salary, wages and made profits. When a present is made without service rendered or good sold, it is a gift and not salary or wages. Gifts are giving to appreciate or encourage without condition attached. In core Yoruba custom, every gift has it peculiar meaning. As I love giving gifts, I’m also a recipient of gifts. The last one I got was last week given by a loving grandmother.
Same last week, the number one citizen of Osun State, Governor Gboyega Oyetola, during his strategic engagement tour to Ila Federal Constituency, had a stop over at the residence of the pioneer Chairman of APC Chieftain, Chief Bisi Akande who was equally a former governor of the state. Therein, the governor was gifted a horse by the former governor, Baba Akande. Akande popularly called Baba Omo Keke was quoted as saying “Take this horse, ride it to power”
According to free word “The main symbols that depict the horse are courage and freedom. This majestic animal is a being of power, independence, freedom, nobleness, endurance, confidence, triumph, heroism, and competition”. Of all the similar symbolizations, only Baba Omo Keke can tell better of his relative meaning.
The intra party political heat in the Osun State APC is worrisome most especially to those who want to see Oyetola succeed in clinching second term ticket. The inner leaking roof and the cracking wall is a prime challenge demanding celestial intervention of stakeholders, Baba Akande inclusive.
As an ardent reader of political history, intra party crisis is not a new phenomenon, only the season presents a tense atmosphere. While the Top are fighting single battle against the Ileris, the Ileris are having two antagonists – their brothers in the Top and the major opposition party, the umbrella. Today, most Top members will prefer to sleep comfortably on the same bed with PDP members than the Ileris. So also the Ileris. Such is the definition of the happening in Osun APC. I was aware the national reconciliation committee has come and gone but nothing, to me, has changed.
More so, when intra party friction is so hot and failed to be pacified by political lubrication and libation of the stakeholders, there is fire. When the house is on fire, what do you do?
I’m also an admirer of gifts. In fact, I must equally present one to my workaholic Governor at appropriate time for his prudency, resourcefulness and stretegic approach in administering Osun despite challenges on ground. In my own assessment, he deserves an encomium for stabilizing the epileptic salary scale and embark on infrastructural projects.
A ride to power is verily achievable most especially when your precedence is credit. But in this case, harmonization of Top with the Ileris is critically essential. The Top hold allegiance to Ogbeni than even the party forgetting that, without APC, there can’t be Top. While the Ileris should equally note that, the Top has little or nothing to lose.
Worthy to acknowledge is the fact that, the major opposition party in the state, PDP, is of similar challenge but unique mode. That has been covered in one of my previous articles titled “Osun 2023 and the Naked Dancers”.
On this note, a cart should be out before the horse. I strongly suggest that APC stakeholders who truly laboured to promote the party in Nigeria and Osun State should endeavor to bring out olive branch between the Ileris and Top. This, in my opinion, will make the election less expensive for their party and make a horse ride to the power. Should they fail to do this, we shall live to remember this. For this purpose, I’m presenting an olive branch to my governor, your governor, our governor. As a resolute man of honour,I’ve the hope that my olive branch that symbolizes peace will be of value at this critical time.