The 2022 gubernatorial election in Osun State is only months away however prior to the date, political gladiators in the state have actually continued to campaign for the support of the electorates.

The last gubernatorial fight was hung on Saturday, September 22, 2018, with a rerun on Thursday, September 27, 2018.

The injuries sustained from that particular contest have actually refused to heal after four years and are still festering, yet another gubernatorial contest is fast approaching.

The insults, injuries, lies, intrigues and politicking that accompanied the poll are yet to subside but fresh political campaigns have now opened old injuries triggering old enemies to as soon as again square up to charm citizens to their side in the mission to choose a new governor.

In the start

The fight for the soul of Osun started in 2005 when Rauf Aregbesola, then Commissioner for Works in Lagos showed an interest in running for guv of Osun under the Action Congress (AIR CONDITIONER).

The then guv, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola would not have any of it and being the war general that he was, he squared it out with Aregbesola up until the choice of the Federal Appeal Court on Friday, November 26, 2010, reversed Oyinlola’s electoral success of 2007.

Hint back to 2014 to the epic battle in between Rauf Aregbesola of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the incumbent governor who sought another term and Senator Iyiola Omisore of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Omisore’s ambition and the intrigues surrounding the interference of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, the then PDP President of Nigeria forced Senator Isiaka Adeleke and Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola to decamp to the side of Aregbesola and in the ensuing electoral fight, the odds were against Omisore who can be found in as runners up at the end of the day.

Prior to the gubernatorial contest of 2018, there were currently underground schemings but the untimely and shocking death of Isiaka Adeleke, the first civilian guv of the state in 2017 scattered the political permutations that were constructing up in the state.

It was well known that the senator was eyeing the gubernatorial slot of the APC and was a crusader for the West program (the West program being that both the East and Central Senatorial Districts of the state had actually produced guvs who have ruled for two successive terms of 4 years).

Before his death, Adeleke had gone back to the senate in 2015 as part of his reward for supporting Rauf Aregbesola and the APC in the 2014 gubernatorial election in the state.

His death opened a vacuum regarding who would fill the uninhabited position in the Senate. The Osun West senatorial district clamoured for another candidate from Ede, the nation house of the Adeleke’s but the state federal government would have none of that choosing previous Senator Mudashiru Hussein who was edged out for Adeleke to return and complete the uninhabited position.

Hence, the fight line was drawn, Ademola Adeleke who felt cheated by Aregbesola’s choice to sideline and bypass him left for the PDP and with him a majority of his late bro’s fans.

In the by-elections that were held later in 2017 in the 10 city governments that make up Osun West, Ademola Adeleke won in 9 city governments while Hussein with the support of the state federal government might just win in one local government.

With the upset, the stage was now set for more surprises that will can be found in the 2018 gubernatorial election.

2018 Osun gubernatorial election

There had actually been a growing clamour for the West program within the APC and PDP but challengers of the program in the APC countered with the idea of proficiency superseding rotation.

At the end of the day, the APC nationwide secretariat opted for direct party primaries in Osun in place of indirect primaries that were obtained on previous occasions.

Adegboyega Oyetola who was a hitherto peaceful Chief of Staff to Governor Rauf Aregbesola became a celebration prospect after the primaries which many aspirants in the APC thought about a transaction while the argument that grew out of that decision has remained unclear to date.

In the PDP, Senator Omisore wished to pull his weight once again for the second time however members translucented his intention and worked against it forcing him to defect to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Ademola Adeleke becoming PDP prospect for the election.

Thought about the underdog, he stood no possibility in the elections he was entering into especially against the assistance that the battle-tested Rauf Aregbesola was giving the APC candidate, Adegboyega Oyetola.

Election day came and Osun State and undoubtedly the country was amazed. At the end of the collation of votes, Ademola Adeleke led by 353 votes. The election was stated undetermined and a rerun election 5 days later turned the whole affair around. Adegboyega Oyetola was announced as governor-elect of the state.

Based on the words of President Muhammadu Buhari that the victory was “remote-controlled” from Abuja, it has been alleged in public quarters that both the PDP and APC expended funds in their desperation to get the votes of the electorates however that the APC outspent the PDP.

Now, unlike in 2018 when the fight for the candidateship of the PDP was between Senator Ademola Adeleke and service mogul Akin Ogunbiyi, the 2022 contest within the PDP has actually six candidates pitched against one another.

These prospects consist of Sanya Omirin, Dotun Babayemi, Fatai Akinbade, Akin Ogunbiyi Ademola Adeleke and Dele Adeleke.

A brand-new entrant into the race, Dele Adeleke; Ademola Adeleke’s nephew and representative throughout the 2018 polls amazed everybody after he showed interest to run.

The PDP has not recovered totally from the “remote-controlled” thievery of the 2018 Osun gubernatorial election and yet it is divided down the middle by chairmanship tussle which has its root in the prospect the celebration would be pressing forward again for the 2022 polls.

Supporters of Akin Ogunbiyi who has the backing of Olasoji Adagunodo, the National Vice Chairman, South West of the party and fans of Ademola Adeleke who has the support of Sunday Bisi, the incumbent PDP state chairman have continuously battled for the soul of the celebration.

The fight has actually threatened the possibilities of the party to advance any candidate as its candidate for the election on Saturday, July 16, 2022.

Sunday Bisi had in an interview with DAILY POST throughout the second quarter of 2021, stated his faction of the party is supporting the candidateship of Ademola Adeleke for a return as the celebration’s flagbearer in the election.

He also stated despite the public support they are revealing for him, other aspirants were free to suggest interest in the ticket.

This statement might have sent a signal to other candidates who quickly banded together and kept that another ticket for Ademola Adeleke will not be healthy for the party.

They likewise maintained that the option of Adeleke was bad for the party due to the fact that of the debate surrounding his scholastic qualifications and also since his household was wielding excessive impact on the party which they might view as another piece of their company empire.

The spoiler in this video game for the “dancing Senator” who has actually refused to speak with the press but chooses to pass his message throughout through Christian tunes and his hallmark dancing is the sign of Dele Adeleke, his nephew and agent in the Osun 2018 election into the race and in the same party, PDP.

Political observers see the inroad of Dele, who is the son of late Isiaka Adeleke as that of a spoiler and they have gone on to allude that he’s being established to function as a method of scuttling the aspirations of his uncle albeit, he might not be given the party ticket at the end.

In the PDP in Osun, it will be safe to categorise these aspirants into 2 equal camps; the Senator Ademola Adeleke camp which has the support of the Sunday Bisi led state executive committee and the other camps comprising of Sanya Omirin, Dotun Babayemi, Fatai Akinbade, Bamidele Adeleke and Akin Ogunbiyi who have actually chosen to align themselves with the other faction of the celebration in the state under the proxy management of Wale Ojo who is standing in for Olasoji Adagunodo who’s now the National Vice Chairman, South West of the celebration.

The greatest undoing of the party as they ready for this election will be their inter-party squabbles.

All six candidates have purchased and submitted nomination and intention forms however the celebration has actually not conducted state primaries to identify who their prospect will be.

Fingers are crossed as the aspirants have actually considering that headed home to ideal their methods however feelers from the celebration suggest that there is a probability that an agreement prospect will emerge in between the other 5 aspirants to battle Ademola Adeleke in the party primary.

Ademola Adeleke had in the years in between 2018 and 2022 returned to school to get a Diploma in Criminal Justice from the Atlanta Metropolitan State College, Georgia, USA.