Femi Ogbonnikan

The recent endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by the Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for a second term is a welcome development. For the first time in a long while, something refreshing is coming from the leading opposition party in the state. The endorsement highlights a dramatic change of disposition towards the Yoruba agenda. It is a well-thought out initiative, especially given the coalition’s gang-up against the administration as party of the strategic plan to scuttle his re-election bid.

As Yoruba proverb goes: “Omo eni kiise idi bebere ka fi si idi elomiran.” (Meaning, “One’s child is not a flat buttocks that we would put on another person’s waist”). This message carries a profound lesson about the importance of taking care of your own. It’s a powerful statement about personal responsibility, ownership, and priority. It admonishes us prioritise our primary responsibility to our own. It’s a call to action to take very seriously what belongs to us as a people rather than taking on the burdens of others.

As far as the 2027 election is concerned,  the re-election of President Tinubu is a collective concern of the Yoruba and we must all join hands together to make it happen. It is only by so doing that we can mitigate the reckless negative campaigns of the alliance forces  against the administration.

It is worth noting that Ogun State PDP is not the only opposition party that has endorsed President Tinubu for a second term. Leaders across party lines have publicly endorsed Tinubu, framing their support around his laudable policy initiatives and the need for continuity. This perspective is rooted in the belief that some of these policies are necessary and long overdue, and that responsible political leaders, regardless of party affiliation, should support them for the good of the country. In particular, opposition figures who are economically liberal-minded have shown support for subsidy removal, foreign exchange market liberalization and other fiscal policies aimed at increasing government revenue, reducing debt servicing costs, and improving the overall fiscal health of the nation as a positive development. These reforms, they argue, as a necessary evil for long-term economic health.

What is, however, curious about Ogun PDP’s purported support for the President is the reckless remark, linking the endorsement to the coming bye-election scheduled to hold on August 16.

In a statement titled: Ogun PDP’s Endorsement is for Tinubu not underperforming Dapo Abiodun-led APC in Ogun State, signed by its Publicity Secretary, Otunba Arc Kayode Adebayo, the PDP accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of concocting false story in the social media, claiming that its declaration of support for the President included an open endorsement of the candidates of the APC and effectively conceding defeat ahead of the August 16 bye-election.

It reads in part: “It is fundamentally germane to clarify that our endorsement of President Tinubu would not affect our party’s candidates for the 2027 National Assembly elections and other State elections.

“The coming bye-election is not in any way connected to the reelection bid of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“The APC should be reminded that the called rejection of APC on August 16 bye-election is to serve as a punishment for bad governance and Mr. Abiodun’s manifest cluelessness.

“Even if anyone endorsed anybody, that should never be a stumbling block for free, fair and credible elections. For the bye-election and beyond, the PDP is particular about credible polls. There is no way the APC can stand a chance of winning any electoral contest in Ogun State again, especially following the abysmally poor management of the State and its fortune under the irresponsible watch of Mr Abiodun.

“There is no any amount of twist, falsehood and deceit deployed against us by Mr Abiodun, his APC or his agents that would stop the people from  exercising their free choice come August 16th.”

This is an interesting twist. Queer and strange. Before crying blue murder, has the PDP leadership bordered to ask itself why the party is in this dismal state of confusion? You cannot build something on nothing. How will a serious minded person expect the electorate to vote for a party that cannot organize itself to lead? How will a party that is incapable of resolving its internal conflicts take on the challenge of governance in a complex society like Nigeria? These are realities Ogun PDP is running away from by concocting an imaginary story around open endorsement of APC candidates for the bye-election. By linking its purported endorsement of the President for a second term to the bye- election, the PDP has cast a shadow of doubt on its sincerity. Its delusional hope of achieving victory in the coming bye-election further highlights the confusion and a lack of focused leadership who has a clear understanding of complex issues of governance. As presently fractured,  the PDP cannot sincerely hope to win any election no matter how free, fair and credible. Its present state of disarray is the reason the APC has been receiving defections of its disaffected members. These defections are not necessarily based on policy, but on a desire to be on the winning side.

Some critics of this endorsement have even argued that many of the opposition figures who now support Tinubu are doing so to gain access to power than a genuine belief in the administration’s policies. Ogun State PDP falls into this category. It seeks to gain access to the legislative chamber by muddying the waters with political theatre and selective praise. But the electorates are now wiser. They will not take the risk of electing a candidate who will take them back to Egypt. They know what the state was before the APC took over the reign of power and what it is now under the administration of Prince Dapo Abiodun. They feel more secure entrusting their mandate to a competent daughter of the soil-Princess Adesola Elegbeji, a woman whose clean record and community focus reflect the very best of public service.

Victory is a sure bet for APC because the Governor has justified the mandate given him by the people. The policy of his administration aligns closely with Tinubu’s vision of progress and development. Over the last six years, his achievements have surpassed those of his predecessors. 

The most notable of them is infrastructure transformation that has turned Ogun State into an investment destination of choice, emerging as the leading industrial hub in Nigeria and beyond. As they say, the taste of the pudding is in the eating. Ogun State people know where they were before the coming of the present administration, they know where they are now and where they want to be in the next dispensation. And they would be guided accordingly.

*Ogbonnikan is a Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Media to Ogun State Governor

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