By: Òtuńba Oláídé Òshifęsò
‘Dapo Abiodun is an active and marvelous leader of our time in Ogun State whose understudied winning tactics and strategies cannot be revealed cheaply. It would take volumes of book to study. That is if you desire to be a unique gamechanger as him.
‘Dapo Abiodun has been an active politician since the 1990s. He was an elected Senator of the Federal Republic on the platform of UNCP.
In the fourth republic, the Ogun State public around the Ogun East senatorial district were given poster picture of ‘Dapo Abiodun as the All Progressive Congress-APC nominated candidate for the senatorial contest against the main rival candidate from People’s Democratic Party-PDP, the masses’ man, late Senator Buruji Kashamu.
Late Senator Buruji Kashamu was a strong politician who went about his political trail blazing convoy of vehicled and walking throng of supporters not less than two kilometers in road lenght behind him.
Conversely, ‘Dapo Abiodun’s poster picture in 2015 for the senatorial contest is still vivid in memory. He was cladded in modestly tailored navy blue agbada made of trelin wool. He had a look of new innocent “homeboy” ready to operate on the tough political terrain of Ogun State and Nigeria altogether.
Nothing about him suggests that Nigeria’s politics had rode roughshod on him and he is a weather-beaten politician whose nerves are now made of steel. He looked emphatically noble and confident as a successful tycoon from the private sector willing to serve the public with his winning skills.
At closer look, his set grim lips and the steel in his bespectacled eyes evince grit of purpose achievable with finesse. Though shrouded in their party’s politicking, how he came first among the political luminaries of their political party as flagbearer for the senatorial contest is laudable.
‘Dapo Abiodun unconvinced, lost the senatorial contest to Late Senator Buruji Kashamu in 2015 as the election petition tribunal finally affirmed to him. That loss inspired him to dig deeper into himself and leave no stone unturned if he would be recognized to serve his beloved people of his geographical State in their public office.
Undeterred, he widened his operation scope state-wide in his chosen political party, APC with his marketing skills proving his leadership skills and his preparedness to serve the State nobly. His self-marketing efforts paid off with astounding recognition amongst his party’s chieftains and the grassroots members, state-wide.
In a heated controversy that led to the party’s sharp division, chieftains of the party staunchly stood by ‘Dapo Abiodun against a more popular candidate nominated by the then incumbent State governor. ‘Dapo Abiodun eventually emerged as the party’s preferred governorship candidate in 2019.
His nomination weakened the party as some members in huge number angrily left APC, their party, for another party where they could present ‘Dapo’s former rival at APC as governorship candidate for the Ogun State office.
Interestingly it is not only ‘Dapo Abiodun’s political party-APC that was crisis-ridden over the governorship candidate nomination. People’s Democratic Party too was embroiled in the similar crisis. If ‘Dapo Abiodun had been unskilled and feebleminded, he would have second guess himself at the whirlwind and cloudy situation that clearly spelt possible failure at the polls for the APC candidate. Ogun State had never been so conflicting and contrasting at the governorship election as the 2019.
Contrary to opposition’s beliefs and the common frights that pervaded Ogun State, ‘Dapo Abiodun emerged as the winner of the 2019 Ogun State governorship election in a clear victory.
Remarkably he defeated late Senator Buruji Kashamu whom he lost the senatorial contest to that fate presented against him in a greater governorship contest, which he won convincingly. ‘Dapo Abiodun made history for himself and APC his political party with his greater leadership skills. He did not lose the State’s office to another political party as was feared for him. Like the proverbial Atlas, he capably bore the weight of the State and his party on his back at the polls.
What defines a great leader from the rest are the challenges of office that the leader overcomes. ‘Dapo Abiodun’s main challenge was the global COVID-19 pandemic. Not every political office holder capably governed the pandemic era effectively. Those that failed at proper handling of it lost public confidence in their leadership and were therefore removed from office at the State and national levels around the world.
‘Dapo Abiodun capably looked after the State’s residents with medical attention and palliatives that reduced the casualties’ figure to the barest minimum during the pandemic era. Remarkable feats that he achieved during his first term in office were mainly accomplishments of his set projects for the State’s infrastructures development. Social welfare too to alleviate people’s inadequacies before and during emergencies were timely and adequately provided among others that delighted the civil service workers that partnered him.
The Independent National Electoral Commission-INEC declared ‘Dapo Abiodun as the winner of 2023 governorship election in Ogun State for his second term in office as the Ogun State public still reposes greater confidence in his competences to serve the State longer for greater benefits derivable from his efforts.
Nonetheless his main rival at the polls is displeased with the popular results as announced. The election petition tribunal has heard the presentations and defense of all allegations. While the tribunal’s ruling is awaited, the people of Ogun State believe in the political finesse of this brilliant politician that looks after them lovingly and wish him and his family well in return.
Òtuńba Olaídé Ęmíolá Òshífęsò,
Ex-Executive Chairman of,
Ijębu North Local Government Council,
Ògùn State.
