Hon. Debo Badru, a Special Adviser to Governor AdegboyegaOyetola on Political Matters, a strong politician of APC extraction in Iwo, and the Mayegun Musulumi of Iwo land. In this interview, he highlights so many political issues in Osun, especially factors that will aid Oyetola’s re-election for a second term in office on July 16. Excerpts:
Osunnewsroom:
You were known to be a strong member of the opposition, PDP, until you pitched your political tent with the ruling APC in Osun state. What informed this political action?
Badru:
Well, let me answer your question by taking you down memory lane a bit. If you look at the background of my late political ally and boss, Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke, his own late father was also a former Senator of the Federal Republic of the defunct UPN. Therefore, as somebody who hails from and cut his political teeth in Iwo, we are known to be progressives. We had and still have strong political tieswith Awoism in the field of politics. As somebody deeply rooted in Awoism School of thoughts and ideologies dating back to several years, my switching over to APC shouldn’t therefore be a surprise to anybody. I am a progressive from birth.
Osunnewsroom:
Let’s cast our mind back to the successive administrations in Osun state since 1999. Which of the governors, past or present, will you say made a mark in such a manner that the present and future generations of Osun people will not forget in a hurry?
Badru:
In fairness, we have been very fortunate with the kind of governors Osun had and still has. My boss, late governor Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke didn’t perform badly. He laid a solid foundation that the succeeding governors built and still building on. As the first civilian governor, he started the entire affairs of the whole state from the scratch. The next administration, though military, did its best too but to some extent dragged us a bit backward. The state again bounced back to another political and administrative reckonings when Chief Akande Adebisi held sway as another Civilian governor. I don’t need to go to details but we had a swell time too under “Baba Omo kekeke’ as he was fondly known and called then. The records are there. One of them is the multi-billion naira state Secretariat. Kudos to Baba Akande. Thereafter, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola also took over as governor of the state and also played well his part. OgbeniRauf Aregbesola who also governed the state did the best he could do too. He was at a point in time constrained by so many factors. However, where we have been having it good, better, smoother and greater so far, is under the present administration of governor Adegboyega Oyetola. When he took the mantle of leadership, Osun bounced back to national and international reckonings. Osun started having a human face under Omo Abulesowo of Iragbiji land. We have been enjoying the much expected dividends of democracy like no other under him. Just name any of the sectors and you will be glad you did with Oyetola as the driver of its success story in Osun today.
Osunnewsroom:
Can you then situate who the best of all these governors is?
Badru:
Of course, no other person than a technocrat turned politician, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola. He is the best of them all. Just name all the myriads of achievements he has so far put on ground and then make a bias free comparison, definitely you will come to the conclusion that Oyetola is a numero uno. I am not God to say what will happen after him but for now we should be grateful to have a man like Oyetola on the saddle of Osunleadership. We have never had it so great and beautiful.
Osunnewsroom:
To God be the glory.
Badru:
Yes, praises and adorations be unto God for making this a reality for us under Oyetola-led leadership.
Osunnewsroom:
Election is around the corner. Campaigns have commenced. All the political parties are doing one thing or the other to woo voters. To what extent has APC gone in this regard?
Badru:
As the party of the progressives, our political sagacity is second to none. We are not garrulous but jingoistic in our political journeys so far. In the progressive, we don’t get apprehensive unnecessarily when it comes to campaigning. And let me quickly draw your attention to the fact that election is not won on the day of election. An election is won right from the first day in office of the present occupant. So concerning our campaigns and strategies being put on ground for the 16th of July, we are not sleeping. We have started showing the political stuff we are made of with the overwhelming reception and support extended to our party when we flagged off our campaign few days ago in Ile- Ife. What we are only after and seriously concerned about is the issue of security in order to achieve a free, fair and crisis-free election. Osun is known to be a haven of peace and we can’t afford to let our guards down. We will continue to retain this fame before, during and after the election of July 16.
Osunnewsroom:
You are from Iwo. Some political analysts are of the contention that there are some political gladiators of APC extraction in Iwo who are presently not on good terms with the present administration; to be specific, Alhaji MoshoodAdeoti and Hon. Rasak Salinsile.
Badru:
I always tell people whenever this question is asked, especially journalists like you, that as far as our present political structure in Iwo and Osun at large is concerned, all is well. No friction of any kind. There could have been a bit of political misgivings here and there but it is a temporal thing which will soon fizzle out. What is happening in Iwo is not new in politics and it is not limited to APC. But specifically let me tell you that Alh Moshood Adeoti and Hon .RasakSanlinsile are still in APC notwithstanding their being identified with The Osun Progressives (TOP). Before July 16, they will come back to where they belong to. The national headquarters of our party under the Chairmanship of SenatorAbdullahi Adamu is not leaving any stone unturned to wade in with a view to making the necessary amends to pave way for amicable reconciliation.
Osunnewsroom;
In that case ,the fears being entertained in certain political quarters are unfoundedt?
Badru:
The fears are over-exaggerated. They are baseless and imaginary. APC is solid and intact in Iwo. I make bold to say that the Iwos will vote overwhelmingly for Oyetola in such a manner that it will send political shocks into the spines of our opponents. We are just waiting for the day of the election. The humongous nature of votes that will come from Iwo federal constituency will not only shock the people of the state but even Mr Adegboyega Oyetola himself will be amazed. The coming election is a political tonic to reenergize the people of Iwo to show their gratitude and appreciation to the people’s governor; Mr Adegboyega Oyetola.
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Late Senator Adeleke was a true progressive throughout his life time. He was a progressive to the core and died as one strong progressive element in 2017. If he were to be alive, I have no iota of doubt in me that he would have been with governor Adegboyega in all schemes. It, however, saddens me politically to see how the Adeleke family of Ede deviated completely from the late Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke’s progressive ideologies thereby pitching their political tents with PDP now.
Osunnewsroom:
If your late political mentor and benefactor, Senator IsiakaAdetunji Adeleke were to be alive ,would you have taken the present political decision of porting to the APC from PDP ?
Badru:
You are very funny. It’s like you wanted to box me to a corner. Is that not so?
Osunnewsroom:
Not really but just to know how your mind is working, politically, because you were known to be his strong political ally dating back to several years until he died in 2017.
Badru:
Let me be frank with you, if Adeleke, my friend and political mentor were to be alive, I would have been in the same progressive fold with him. Late Senator Adeleke was a true progressive throughout his life time. He was a progressive to the core and died as one strong progressive element in 2017. If he were to be alive, I have no iota of doubt in me that he would have been with governor Adegboyega in all schemes. It, however, saddens me politically to see how the Adelekefamily of Ede deviated completely from the late Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke’s progressive ideologies thereby pitching their political tents with PDP now. It was as a result of my belief and conviction in the late Adeleke’s progressive ideology that I decided not to leave APC when the larger Adeleke family decided to pull out. Even in death, I still stand with the late Serubawon’s concept of “politics without bitterness”. I was more or less his second-in-command while alive. When we negotiated our joining the progressives fold from the PDP where we were, I was the one that took the lead.
Osunnewsroom:
Really?
Badru:
Honestly, I am not happy with the entire Adeleke family for deviating from the late Adeleke’s progressive ideologies after his death.
Osunnewsroom:
It means you don’t have anything in common with the Adelekes now?
Badru:
Of course, I do not have any relationship with the family again since they have chosen to go the other way different from the late Serubawon. Politically, I am no longer together with the Adeleke family.
