By OLA AJAYI

Dr. Dejo Raimi is not your run-of-the-mill politician. He has traversed the length and breadth of politics in Ibadanland. In fact, it would not be an overstatement to describe him a Metusellah as regards his role in Ibadan politics. An indigene of Ibadan,  in spite of all odds, he supported ex-Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala of Oyo State on his re-election bid. But, the dream has been shattered for now, no thanks to the ‘Broom Revolution’ of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) that swept PDP away from the South-West.  Raimi talks about the unseen hands that led to the sudden death of ‘Akala’s good works’ in the state.

How do you feel that PDP, your party, failed to win the gubernatorial election in Oyo State?
We thank God that the elections have come and gone. The polls have  been adjudged by the international community as  not only being peaceful, but also fair, just and acceptable. In other words, there was substantial compliance with the rules and regulations as stipulated by the Constitution and INEC. Therefore, to the international community, we have done well. This is the best elections  we have ever held in the country, at least minus the problem in the North. We should thank God and congratulate ourselves.
You have not yet explained why  PDP in the South-West lost the elections.

PDP didn’t lose really. In Ekiti and Osun, we lost judicially, and there is a question mark there. A lot of things is happening in the judiciary now.

So, we lost Osun and Ekiti states to judicial pronouncements and not an election. In Ogun State, there was a problem there. Gbenga Daniel was fighting with Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and it is always better to go into an election in  unity and not a divided house.

In Oyo State, the problem associated with our loss was two-fold. The first is that we defeated ourselves. Internal wrangling and rancour. Look at the three senators in Oyo State. Chief Olufemi Lanlehin was in PDP before he left, Hon. Ayo Adeseun is still serving as a member of PDP, and Hosea Agboola is the third one. From there, you could see that general rancour and the fact that those who lost during the party primaries did not know what is called party loyalty, and so decided to work against the party.

So, internal wrangling is the major problem. Another factor that was responsible for the loss is the unseen hands of God. I always ask if there is no truth in the rumour going on that some unseen hands played some role. Definitely, something must be wrong. Since we have been voting in Oyo State, it is the votes in Ogbomoso, Sepeteri, Oke-Ogun, Kisi, Igboho that we always wait for.

Why should the votes in Ibadan North not be announced until after 24 hours? Those two reasons are very cogent. Some people said there was this unseen hand from above. Well, as things are, the results announced by INEC have been accepted as the results of the election. No election ever ends in Nigeria until you return from the tribunal. When you get to the tribunal, you can argue to reclaim your rights or even help Nigeria to correct wrong law. So, until you return from the tribunal, we cannot say an election has ended. Look at the number of years it took Governors Rauf Aregbesola and Kayode Fayemi to take over.

What actually do you mean by these unseen hands of God? Are you insinuating rigging by the winning party?
No, no. What I mean is, I am an elderly person  and I have been witnessing  elections. We have never, at any given time, waited for results to come from any local government area in Ibadan. This is the first time, because the collation centre is in Ibadan. Why is it that it was the result from a local government area in Ibadan that would delay us for more than 24 hours?