THE public embarrassment and assault meted out to the Governor of Ogun State; Otunba Gbenga Daniel (OGD) and the Federal Minister of Works; Senator Sanusi Daggash by the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole on Thursday, July 29,  20 I 0 has continued to elicit outrage and condemnation. Indeed, the ugly incident has made answers to the following questions pertinent:

*Why has the situation in Ogun State become so bad? *What actually went wrong? *Was the advance team of the Speaker on ground to keep track with the event and inform the Minister about his Guest of Honour’s possible time of arrival? *How, when and why did Speaker get into the vehicle convening the Governor and the Ministers?

*Did the Ministers, Governor and all the commissioners in the bus extend the normal courtesy or protocol to the Speaker on entering the bus? *Why should the Speaker of the House of Representatives not feel restrained from raining verbal and open abuses on the Ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Governor of his state? *Did the Ministers and the Governor utter any words as rebuttal while the Speaker’s assault lasted?

*Why would the Speaker of the Federal Republic of Nigeria jump over the bus engine compartment and attempted to seize the ignition keys from driver; who is a public officer of lower cadre? Yet, those with genuine love for the Gateway state tend to wonder and worry about the malicious politicking that threatens to eclipse issue-based electioneering ahead of 20 I I elections.

Genuine concerns and fears for Ogun State are not misplaced after all. Both OGD and Bankole belong to the same ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). However, what many who are not conversant with recent happenings in Ogun State may not appreciate is that Bankole’s ignoble act at the commissioning of Ota bridge has its origin in the malice that has become a festering sore of the anti-OGD camp and understandably one of the rehearsed episodes of a dubious script by political opponents who have swore to undo their perceived enemy.

In the determination to enforce believability in wicked machination of lies, fabrications and open confrontations against one man who is the victim of orchestrated conspiracy, the anti-OGD camp would certainly be more desperate with dirtier antics in the weeks to come.

The ingenuous approach of prosecuting inordinate ambition rooted in desire to force itself down the throats of the people of Ogun State come 2011 would remain a herculean task for the anti-OGD forces whose principal actor/financier would literarily dance on Ota bridge; in a most indecorum breach of the sanctity of public office.

If things had not gone just too bad in Nigeria and not just in Ogun State, as some would happily conclude, the naked ‘Masquerade’ would have shamefully quit the stage or forced to do so, having laid our collective psyche (the country and her people) bare of sanity, dignity and modicum sense of probity.

Alas, here we are; begging the issue and making curious excuses! It may be interesting to know that Bankole’s emergence as a candidate of the PDP ahead of the 2003 election into the House of  Representatives was not without the support of the much-vilified OGD.

His return to the House in 2007 was enhanced by Mr. Speaker’s puppeteering  and fake loyalty to the Governor he openly insulted and assaulted in the presence of the Minister of Works and his deputy who were in Ogun State to inspect federal roads and to commission the Ota bridge.

It is no longer secret that Hon. Speaker is rightfully interested in and neck-deep with scheming for Ogun governorship race in 2011.

But must the Governor be coerced into  drumming support or championing the ambition of a man to earn the respect and courtesies of his office as the Chief Executive Officer of Ogun State or be pol itically correct in the estimation of desperate opposition?

Absolutely no! OGD has vehemently refused to surrender the commission of his office only to remain akimbo while a tiny clique dictate to him. This is precisely the issue and bone of contention in Ogun politics today.

It is on record that the Governor has refused to endorse any of the numerous candidates who have openly declared interest or clandestinely plotting to succeed him come May, 29, 20 11 by God’s grace.

However, the Governor has maintained one point regarding the forthcoming governorship race: Equity and justice in favour of a successor from the Yewal Awori axis (Ogun West Senatorial District); for the first time in 35 years after it was carved out of the defunct Western Region in 1976.

While the position of the Governor onpower shift in Ogun State is not sacrosanct and a fait accompli by any stretch of imagination giving the level of sophistication and variety of political interests across the state, OGD has since been the target of smear campaigns in the media; sponsored political assault and back-stabbing, denigration of character and willful derogation from the authority of his office as Governor, including a sinister ploy to undermine the security of the state, all in the nebulous desire to render Ogun State ungovernable and to pave way for a situation where ‘power’ is dumped in the gutters  for the benefit of all comers, indeed just anyone amongst the tardy gladiators, to literally pick up.

Giving this background, it is longer news to those conversant with politics in Ogun State that Bankole has since joined forces with a tiny caucus opposed to power shift and whose objective is to whittle down OGD’s influence and popularity as well as counter his much dreaded crusade for fairness, justice and equity.

However, faced with moral resistance from their constituencies across Ogun State, these so- called OGD’s opponents have become so unrestrained and virulent in the selfish agenda to cripple governance, stultify developmental activities and make the gateway state prostate.

Mr Raheem Ajayi is SA Youth and Sports  to Governor Daniel of Ogun State.