In their attempts to promote or ingratiate themselves with certain politicians, some political opportunists cannot seem to help themselves. They are in search of relevance and, in the process, exploit the desperation or gullibility of politicians to cast aspersions on any political interest they perceive as unfavourable to their cause. They spread lies and misinform the public through their writings. One such piece, widely circulating on social media and titled “Beware of Dogs,” fits squarely into this category of hatchet jobs aimed at achieving sadistic ends. The author, one Chief Adegoke Adeyanju Awoso, self-exaltingly styled “The Afi Opateotemole of Yewaland,” attempts a crude historical revisionism, reducing Ogun State Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun’s electoral success to the influence of Senator Adeola Olamilekan Yayi, who represents Ogun West in the National Assembly. Although the piece is couched in false modesty and seems to acknowledge Governor Abiodun’s lack of opposition to the senator’s political ambitions, its clear intent is to belittle and undermine Governor Abiodun and all he stands for.
The “chief” quotes some people as claiming that Governor Abiodun said any chairmanship or councillorship candidates linked to the senator “will be outrightly removed,” but he then admits that “no credible source” has confirmed this insinuation. Yet, he proceeds to assert that the massive votes from Ogun West in the 2023 General Election were what rescued Governor Abiodun, claiming, “Everybody knows that after the Almighty God, Sen. Yayi was the saving grace and the messiah.” According to this character, it was the senator who, on election day in 2023, assured Governor Abiodun of his impending victory—somehow, without the governor himself knowing!
Despite acknowledging that Governor Abiodun never opposed Senator Yayi within the Ogun APC structure, especially regarding the upcoming local government polls, common decency should have restrained the writer from further comments. But, like all sophists, he couldn’t resist. He labours to create the false impression that Governor Abiodun’s re-election was solely due to Yayi’s influence. In doing so, he seeks to discredit the governor and portray him as a politician without any standing in his own state—something Yayi himself would likely never claim. It would be wise for Yayi to rein in these political opportunists before they damage his political future. Dapo Abiodun has been a significant figure in the political landscape for decades, and it is absurd to suggest he has no political structure or that his victories are entirely owed to Yayi. Such blatant historical revisionism benefits no one.
It is a fact that when Yayi attempted to contest the 2015 senatorial election in Ogun West, Prince Abiodun was the first to take him to then-Governor Ibikunle Amosun. Even though Prince Abiodun prostrated and begged, Amosun maintained his opposition and ensured that he was driven out of the state, forcing him to return to Lagos to contest for the senatorial seat. The same scenario played out in 2019. Yayi’s supporters were left scattered and demoralized after that. If not for the benevolence of Governor Abiodun, who accommodated some of them in his administration, those supporters would have faded into political obscurity. Abiodun provided a platform for Yayi to run for the senatorial seat in 2023, which Amosun had previously denied him, and of course, Yayi won.
For the avoidance of doubt, many political gladiators, including GNI and Akinlade, had lined up to slug it out in the 2023 senatorial contest. These gladiators had already obtained forms and had their own retinue of political followers. Abiodun was the one who called these other aspirants and appealed to them to step down for Yayi. He went a step further; he refunded the money paid to obtain forms. He also appealed to them to stop all pending legal issues. Why, then, would Abiodun have supported Yayi if he were opposed to him?
The claims made in the article about the 2019 election are so preposterous that they defy belief. During that time, Prince Abiodun ran against Hon. Akinlade, a Yewa man, who won most of the wards in Yewa’s local governments and defeated Abiodun in that zone. But, in Ogun East, Abiodun won overwhelmingly. So, anyone asserting that Yayi helped Abiodun’s electoral bid in Yewaland during the 2019 election is merely hallucinating.
The writer is nothing but a political jobber, a fair-weather supporter who is unstable politically. He was known to be a hard-line supporter of GNI. Was his shifting allegiance to Yayi motivated by pecuniary benefits? The man is more like a candle in the wind.
No one should mistake Governor Abiodun’s calm demeanor and his efforts to maintain peace in Ogun State as a sign of weakness. Attempting to provoke a contest between him and Senator Yayi when Abiodun is fully focused on delivering democratic dividends to the people of Ogun State—and has no political feud with the senator—is nothing but a futile exercise in absurdity. Such antics reflect more on the character of their perpetrators than on Governor Abiodun, who is universally recognized as a man of peace. His administration has brought much-needed tranquility to a state once plagued by political violence, threats, and even assassinations. All of that changed when he assumed office as Ogun’s fifth democratically elected governor on May 29, 2019.
Governor Abiodun is a man of peace and will not trade the peace of the Gateway State for anything.
The time has come for Governor Abiodun to take charge and put his house in order.
Characters like the writer of the referenced article should, as Sir Anthony Absolute says in Richard Sheridan’s play The Rivals, “cease their impertinence.” Their garrulousness makes them sound like fools. To close, let us heed the wise words of the Greek philosopher Plutarch: “It is a troublesome and difficult task that philosophy has in hand when it undertakes to cure garrulousness. For the remedy, words of reason require listeners; but the garrulous listen to nobody, for they are always talking. And this is the first symptom of their ailment: looseness of the tongue becomes impotence of the ears.”
■Ogunleye contributes this piece from Imeko Afo, Ogun State.
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