Sometime back, I wrote a piece with a similar title. I thought it was worth updating the piece considering the current situation in the state of Imole. It thus appear “Wikecracy” (you may want to read this my piece) is having tap root in the Nigerian political space. As a reminder, the crux of that seeming political philosophy suggests being in one party but endorsing a candidate of another party. Has the Imole/the PDP in Osun embraced this political philosophy? Is Wike right all along?
First off, one wonders why the rumored move of the great Imole to the APC didn’t work. Is there anyone who denies there was no attempt at decamping? Come off it, we know better. I had wondered how the rumored defection would have worked especially with the “RUTHlike” support of “I will go whereever you” from, among others, every rank and file of all political functionaries and the PDP state party structure in Osun. How would this have fitted well into the APC structure?
I had argued (in one of my previous pieces) that many Osunnites may not like that proposed move by Imole and hence I predicted its failure on arrival. But, thank God, all is now history. The right question now may be “what is next in Osun”? This question becomes instructive as the just-concluded NEC meeting of the PDP had warned its members against “spreading their legs between two parties” (the crux of point No 7 on the NEC communique paraphrased).
However, stakeholders and some leaders of thought in Osun PDP have endorsed Tinubu. I can predict that Tinubu may not fall (I pray he does) for this and he takes the endorsement as a public stunt to “deceive” him. Tinubu is no mince meat when it comes to political shenanigans.
Of course, baba knows quite well that his reelection attempt comes after Imole’s guber election in 2026. It is almost certain that after Imole’s re-election, Tinubu (even Imole) can’t really be sure of any loyalty or support in Osun. Not with the current slogan that “Osun people are not decamping”. Does anyone think Tinubu is ignorant of the fact that his party has not being doing well in the last 10 years and it will be difficult to be assured of people’s votes not only in Osun? Anyone thinks he doesn’t know this? Dey play.
Would the voting pattern not also depend on who the candidates are, especially from LP, ADC and PDP? So, what happens to the PDP presidential candidate now that the party in Osun has endorsed Tinubu? Is that not a moral burden or conundrum on Imole/Osun PDP?
Am certain Tinubu is under tremendous pressure mounted on him by his party people in Osun. They may have assured him that APC will beat Imole come 2026 (I don’t think so). Hence, as it stands, the LG issue/funds in Osun is a potent political weapon to use by any of the parties to prosecute their agenda.
Both the PDP and APC hold interpretations to which favour them regarding the rulings on ground. Legal minds and even “unlearned” individuals on both sides of the aisle argue day and night to adduce reasons why the rulings favour their side. Ummm, the Supreme Court may be the final arbiter in this case. Until then, we siddon dey look.
I can predict that Tinubu is being prevailed upon, (and being his politically-savvy self) to still hold onto the LG allocation which may have run to hundreds of billions by now. The Yes or No chairmen are already in the councils (the sit-at-home are at home). I even understand the Yes/No ALGON chairman represented the state in the group’s recent meeting in Abuja.
Tinubu wants the SW so badly, more so Osun being his homestead. How will he navigate the present dilemma in Osun? How will the PDP in Osun also navigate the quagmire of endorsing the “candidate” of the APC against a PDP candidate when it eventually gets one?
Would the PDP at the National join forces with Tinubu and endorse him? May be to counter Atiku who may eventually pick up the ADC ticket and/or argue that PDP supports the south in doing its 8 years before going back to the north? Would any of these be good optics for the PDP if it doesn’t throw up a presidential candidate?
Would Tinubu release the LG funds and allow free PDP passage and then expect to be “compensated” through closing eye to an “IREV hitches” situation during the presidential election in Osun? Some many questions begging for answers. There are surely interesting times ahead as we move towards 2026 Osun guber and 2027 presidential election. We
are watching closely.
Ire ooooooo (Eleti ofe, eti oba nile, eti oba loko… 🦻)
