By Kayode Ojomo
“To be a state Governor is different from a Local Government Chairman”, how can anyone say this? I disagree completely with this infantile postulations above by some people loyal to Eyitayo Jegede, one of the Governorship Aspirants of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State.
Being a Local Government Chairman offers you qualitative exposures to Executive responsibilities just like the Governorship on a smaller scale at the Local Government grassroots level closest to the downtrodden people.
A local government chairman would listen to the cries of the downtrodden, aggregate their anxieties, their dreams, pains, successes and goals; thereby, allocating values, resources with workable solutions to alleviate their sufferings and elevate their goals into palpably cherished accomplishment.
Eyitayo Jegede has not chaired or headed any executive political position before, inspite of his shinning accomplishment as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). He is experimentally deficient in this regards.
Akeredolu is also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), yet, a political failure. We all can see how Ondo State people are lamenting now.
Banji Ben Okunomo (BBO), inspite of his young age, has the strongest political qualification and weaponry, not just because he served as a local government chairman under Ilaje, but looking at the historical facts, he brought political sagacity, level headedness, strength of character, sincerity of purpose and vivacious competence to bear on executive calling as the very best local government chairman in his time during the reign of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko as Ondo State Governor.
Okunomo’s record of performance as council chairman and chief security officer of Ilaje Local Government till this day remains unparalleled and unrivaled with a lot of infrastructural projects and humanitarian efforts which have magnificently and positively impacted the people and got them talking to date.
BBO therefore, is coming to this race as the worthiest and the most pragmatically prepared aspirant who knows, feels and dissects the democratic palpation of the grassroots, most efficiently, resourcefully and mutually rewardingly.
This robust background of political participation at a level closest to the people has tremendously fired the furnace of the gubernatorial ambition of Okunomo, despite Eyitayo Jegede’s antecedents as former PDP Gubernatorial Candidate, far ahead of all other aspirants of PDP in the current race to pick the PDP Gubernatorial ticket as the very best, most hardworking, most impacting and most politically strategic – predicated on Political Wisdom, Efficacy and Correctness at all times.
With a benefit of hindsight, this same robust political background in pragmatic grassroots sociopolitical engineering came in handy for BBO when our own Distinguished Senator Nicholas Tofowomo of Ondo South Senatorial District chose, after wide consultations, amidst gigantic multidimensional challenges to saddle Prince Okunomo, the former Chairman of Ilaje Local Government, former PRO of the nine States of the Niger Delta that make up the NDDC’s states and most performing PRO of our dear party, PDP, in Ondo State with the onerous challenges of piloting his mostly underrated Senatorial ambition as the Director -General of the Campaign Organisation which once again, to the glory of God Almighty became a success; and recorded the best senatorial election result in the history of Ondo State in favour of Senator Tofowomo, to the chagrin of cynics, pessimists and adversaries of the said Senator and the PDP, against a sitting APC Senator, Pastor Yele Omogunwa, who was specially favoured by President Muhammadu Buhari led-APC administration.
Some people may choose to spend sleepless nights, burning the midnight oil and self-defeatist candles at both ends simultaneously, disparaging BBO. But hasn’t God Almighty Himself sufficiently proven that BBO has a divine midas touch to succeed as he wraths great battles from His anointed hands?
Chief Segun Adegoke, our cherished Leader, a former Commissioner, and a Special Adviser in the Government of Ondo State severally, and a respected member of the PDP Board of Trustees (BOT), recently said this about Okunomo:
“When you started this gubernatorial race, many, including me did not take you serious, but today you have become a MARATHON RUNNER. Out of the three most serious candidates so far, Eddy Olafeso, Eyitayo Jegede and your humble self, you have proven to be the very best in every aspect,” said Chief Adegoke to Okunomo popularly known as BBO.
BBO as a political thespian and focused gladiator, does not fear any foe. He believes in his God-given powers and prowess to triumph over all political vicissitudes, relying on wisdom, hard work and vision.
Let me assure the people that majority of the PDP delegates in the forthcoming gubernatorial primaries are aware of these glowing qualities embedded in the “BBO CANDIDACY”, as the veritable winning formula against the arrogantly rudderless and oppressive Akeredolu-APC led administration in Ondo State.
BBO remains the only PDP Governorship Aspirant who can defeat Akeredolu with a wide margin if all sentiments are removed and all vital electoral dynamics and voting trends are factored.
With Jegede as the PDP candidate in 2016, Akeredolu took over the government from an incumbent PDP Governor. We lost the election because our political premises was democratically faulty.
How do you expect Jegede, who could not win election in 2016 when the PDP was in power, to now defeat an incumbent governor in 2020 when the PDP was not in power?
Ondo PDP must not lose this forthcoming election again, at least for the love of the already traumatized good people of Ondo State who have reposed so much confidence in us.
Eyitayo, as a product of the Mimiko circumstances cannot fly again because times and tides have refused to be kind, political narratives and dynamics have since tremendously changed. And this is part of the truth many people in his camp do not want to hear about the upcoming election in October this year in Ondo State.
I am convinced beyond all doubts that Okunomo is the contemporary Biblical David that will slay the arrogant incumbent in Alagbaka to free Ondo State people from the APC conspiracy of exploitation, unlawful extortions and oppression.
As a patriotic PDP member, I urge you not to see this contest from the ignorantly sentimental perspectives of primordial fixations to our respected Eyitayo who we all love but we all sadly know cannot win this gubernatorial fiasco against Akeredolu for reasons of bandwagons of persisting conspiracies and contradictions within and without PDP.
If we must win this election, BBO remains our divinely inspired David…
Kayode Ojomo is a PDP chieftain and a two-term Special Assistant to former Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State.
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