By Abiodun Komolafe

IT is a matter of days before the electorate in Osun goes to the polls to elect a successor to Rauf Aregbesola, the outgoing state governor.

Nature, they say, abhors vacuum. As Aregbesola’s administration  gradually but furiously winds down, it is incumbent on the people to assess where they are coming from, with  a view to envisioning what the future holds for them.

A flip back to the last eight years with the benefit of hindsight, Aregbesola met a state at its developmental nadir. The governor met a rudderless state, where every facet of government was comatose. Worse hit were social infrastructure, education, health and commerce. The preceding government, overseen by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was profligate with state resources owing to its misplaced priorities and astounding banality. Then enter Aregbesola who worked assiduously to change the state’s narrative. With a landscape littered with infrastructural edifices, ranging from landmark road networks to social amenities, the economy and commercial activities of the state jump started from their dying ambers. This story of success may be a harrowing one, but the fact remains that Aregbesola has done what ought to be done to rescue an ailing state.

With few days to Aregbesola’s handing over the flag to his successor therefore, where is the state headed in a way to avoid a reversal of the gains of the last eight years and who does the cap fit? Well, a peep into the profile of some of the contenders to the exalted office will suffice.

First is Adegboyega Isiaka Oyetola, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC.  Born on September 29, 1954, Oyetola holds a Bachelor’s degree (B.Sc.) in Insurance and Masters degree in Business Administration (MBA) in Finance. He has served as Area Manager at Leadway Assurance Company Limited; Underwriting Manager at Crusader Insurance and Technical Controller at Alliance and General Insurance.

In 1991, Oyetola founded Silvertrust Insurance Brokers Limited, a firm he has successfully managed until he was appointed as Chief of Staff in 2011. He was also Chairman, Ebony Properties Limited; Executive Vice-Chairman, Paragon Group of Companies; and Director, Pyramid Securities Limited.

Oyetola served as Aregbesola’s Chief of Staff until his election as APC governorship candidate. A certified Insurance Broker by training, the quiet, modest and witty APC flag-bearer is said to be among the founders of the now-rested Alliance for Democracy, AD,  in 1998 and has since then remained a notable figure in Osun’s political scene such that when the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, birthed, he was one of the party’s notable chieftains.

He is a loyal, pronounced technocrat, result-oriented progressive and philanthropist par excellence whose capacity for generosity remains endless. As a matter of fact, no fewer than 400 students have benefitted from his scholarship grants in the last 25 years. He is married with children who are doing very well in their chosen fields of endeavour.

As fate would have it, his deputy, Benedict Olugboyega Alabi, also holds a Masters degree in Economics which makes the team a perfect combination.

Next is Ademola Adeleke of the PDP. Reports have it that he is a secondary school dropout, whose candidacy has been dogged by controversies.  These  have made the coast unclear for his candidature.

With the benefit of hindsight, Adeleke is an accidental politician who was shot into limelight following the sudden death of Isiaka, his elder brother. The concern in some quarters is how the son of a former senator missed the golden opportunity of acquiring the best education that money could provide. Many see him more as a spoilt brat who is being propelled by his immediate brother’s humongous wealth. In any case, it is yet to be seen if he will survive the allegations against him in a court of competent jurisdiction.

Moshood Adeoti is the governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Party, ADP.  Adeoti is the immediate past Secretary to the Government of the State of Osun, SSG. Born on February 27, 1953, Adeoti defected from the ruling party and resigned his appointment as SSG to protest the choice of Oyetola as the candidate of the party in an election that was adjudged free, fair and credible.

A Bachelor’s degree (B.Sc) holder in Business Administration, the ADP candidate was at various times the Councillor, Secretary and Chairman of Iwo Local Government before becoming the Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, which eventually metamorphosed into APC. Aside from his appointment as SSG, the only known place the Iwo-born politician seemed to have had a ‘cognate’ experience was in the Sawmill industry where he served as Manager.

Last but not the least is Iyiola Omisore, the veteran governorship candidate has at one time or another served the state as Deputy Governor and Senator representing Osun East Senatorial District. However, despite Omisore’s claim to sound academic acquisition, it is believed that his desperation to be governor may not be for the best interest of the masses after all.

May the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, grant residents and indigenes of the state of Osun the wisdom to vote wisely!