By Tope Adeniyi
When big egos collide, they leave on their trail bruises and injuries that take ages to be nursed back to healing; that is if they heal at all. The stage is set for a battle between Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, a seasoned political warlord who has been to many battles and carted home some spoils of war in conquest, and the music superstar, Davido’s father, Adedeji Adeleke, a moneybag but political rookie who has decided to build a political dynasty out of his family. And Osun State is the battleground for this clash of egos.
Forget his recent mandate to reconcile warring factions in his All Progressives Congress (APC), the battle for political supremacy in Osun State occupies the uppermost on the mind of Asiwaju at the moment. And he appears to have found a formidable opposition in the Adelekes, who are bent to ensure that they are twice lucky with their brand of hereditary politics that saw the ‘Dancing Senator’ Ademola Adeleke inherit the seat of his late elder brother, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, which culminated in a series of political intrigues that saw Ademola cross-carpet from the APC to the PDP under which umbrella he inflicted an electoral injury on the Asiwaju camp-anointed candidate, Mudashir Hussein in last year’s Osun-West senatorial poll.
It is authoritative that Tinubu has perfected plans to ensure that his cousin and current Chief of Staff to Governor Rauf Aregbesola, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola takes over when Aregbesola’s second tenure expires in November. In the same vein, Deji Adeleke has thrown its weight behind his brother, Ademola, who has thrown his hat into the ring in a move to actualize their late brother’s gubernatorial ambition, another inherited dream of late Serubawon.
The senatorial victory for the Adelekes conspicuously etched a scar on Asiwaju’s political family in Osun State. The Lion of Bourdillon has since put his best foot forward for victory this time around. It is certain that the next bout would not be fought with kids’ glove as Asiwaju would do everything to ensure that his blood relation, Oyetola, is enthroned as Osun’s numero uno.
Ademola’s critics have continued to reason his being in the Senate could be excused but running a state government is too serious a business to be gambled away to a jesting dancer who has no moderation to his antics when the dancing spirit descends on him, and one who has not matched his dancing skills with same gusto in the Senate, as he has hardly made contributions during debates in the Senate nor has any bill been traced to him.
Well, his supporters would also say Oyetola has no traceable history of electoral success at the poll except being related to Asiwaju who is largely instrumental to Oyetola’s appointment as Chief of Staff.
It is incontrovertible that the next battle in Osun is that of featherweights backed by two heavyweights, both of who share mutual networks of wealthy friends. Weeks ahead will reveal who will be queuing behind whom among these friends; but one notable personality in this mutual circle of friends who has an entrenched culture of standing aloof when politics tries to put a wedge between his friends is Alhaji Aliko Dangote.
