Lack of Justice, Equity, Due Process, and Fairness by Factional Ogbomosho North LGA Stakeholders Led by Dr. Saka Balogun

During the stakeholder’s meetings for Ogbomosho North, some of the people who laboured hard for the election of Governor Seyi Makinde throughout Ogbomosho zone, not only Ogbomosho North, have been marginalised and excluded.

Before announcing to the public that they would be holding meeting to discuss the task assigned to them by the Governor, these factional leaders held a number of private meetings among themselves in hidden locations.

The genuine stakeholders who were excluded toiled assiduously to secure Governor Makinde’s reelection and invested their own money and time to defend his mandate. These few individuals have donated money to the party and still do so now, both before and after elections. Two of them participated in primaries in 2019 and have since spent money.

Why should we reward the stupidity, egotism, and greed of those individuals who lost their own election because they were unwilling to cooperate and now think they deserve a portfolio? They feel entitled in some way. If we support such behaviour, our party will keep losing. The top priority for any appointment should not be you if you lose your election. The National Assembly candidates snatched another person’s seat without running for it, and now they are willing to steal the opportunity that was meant for others who worked with their sweat, blood and money without contesting.

Where in all of this is the justice? The two claimed to be from the same ward and were nominated yesterday by some ineffective and self-centered leaders who never contributed a penny to the party or participated in the election. The chairperson, who was also from the same ward, Osupa, was nominated by the factional leaders yesterday.

Where is the Fairness? Ogbomosho North LGA would have nominated 4 Christians and 1 Muslim if they had their own way of doing it, with what they intend to present to the Governor. This includes the member of the State House of Assembly and their preferred vice chairman, who will be in charge of the LCDA. There were no Muslims qualified to be nominated for the position, according to the factional and desperate leaders. The other stakeholders who were excluded were not given the opportunity to choose the councillors who would represent their wards, nor were the ward Excos given the opportunity to weigh in on the matter.

Permit me to restate that some of the decision-makers in Ogbomosho North LGA were absent during the election and have not been making contributions in the same manner as those that were left. However, they now believe they have a right to make decisions on behalf of the people they represent.

His Excellency, Seyi Makinde battled against the lack of justice, equity, and fairness in the process. The nominations for the two appointment seats as well as the main council chairman come from the same Osupa ward that received tickets for the Senate and House of Assemble in the most recent election. It’s incredibly unjust to those who contributed to the party and the Governor’s reelection yet were excluded from the process.

Those of the other stakeholders that were left out were not given the opportunity to nominate councilors from their wards nor did they give the ward Excos the opportunity to have a say in the nomination of their ward councillors.

Some of the defrauded side, which is also the majority, has been participating in their constituency for the past couple of years, but the factional stakeholders, led by Dr. Saka Balogun, continue to treat the other majority as though they are not one of them except when they come to them to demand money.

Written by Akeem Bashiru
Ogbomosho North LGA