Once upon an administration inthe State ofOsun,apeople groaned in the rough of aches andmoaned in the tumble of pains. Then, hunger begat hunger, poverty took the place of affluence and it was as if the gods were angry! Underthe criminal grip of thePeople’s Democratic Party(PDP), governance became a satanic blend of“dumb horse-traders”and“perpetual complainants who do nothing about their complaints apart from moaning and moping.”

Eight years ago, Osunreclaimed itsdestiny froma rapacious, visionless and pretentious clique.Thanks toRaufAregbesolaforrescuingthe statefromthePDP’ssingularity of purpose and complete insensitivity to thepeople’splight.AsOsunprepares to electAregbesola’ssuccessor, hopes are high thatthe state’s democratic destiny would never again be left in the hands of misfits and pretenders whose previous outingswasan eloquent reflection of how deep we had sunk as a country and a people.

I have long argued thatSeptember 22, 2018 wouldbe a battle between the“Oligarchy of Intellect”and the“Oligarchies of the Purse”; betweenthe‘power of performance’andthe‘forces of politics.’At a timegood governanceis being misconstrued for a Dead Virtueby enemies of progress, this date in the life of Osun will be afine specimen ofpolitical liberty overcommercial prosperity; between national integrity and national cake.Against this backdrop,those who wish Osun wellshould pick themselves up more so astheexercise shouldn’t be about dwelling in the past which inmy considered opinionhas become a bucket of ashes.Pretensions aside,we must all“cometogether”, “think together”, “speak together” and “acttogether”in order to prevent a relapse into the political violence, ethnic competitions and economic barrenness that once defined dear state.Let all men of goodwillgo out there with a view to replacing those lies being peddled by “desperate political parties”,“dullards” andmen of scant consolationacting the sycophancy scriptwiththetrue position of things.At a crucial time like this, lovers of democracymust endeavour to understand and work in agreement with the changing dynamics of the electorate.After all, individual success is a combination of individual efforts.

Butwhat then does Osun want? Where is the state headed and who fits the bill?Fact remains thatAregbesola’sgovernmenthas set the pace for a knowledge-driven economy. Ithas helped a great deal inshaping values through morals.Its 'O' Series and Social Protection initiatives, amongother laudable programmes and policies,havepositively impacted lives. Without doubt,its interventions in the Agriculture sector have notonly repositionedthe state as the food hub of the Southwest, they have also gone a long way in cushioning the bitter, biting effects of the economic recession that wasrecently unleashed on Nigeria.

With a loyal and competent successor like Gboyega Oyetola therefore, Osun has no reason to fear!Unlikecandidates who either paint the pictures of men of fancy speculations and unstable whims or politic for individualistic innuendos, Oyetolaas anadvocateof Due Processwilldeploy his vast experience in finance management, business and public administration as the needed balm to permanently heal the state's economic wounds.Fiercely loyal to his principles, theAll Progressives Congress(APC) flag-beareris a pious technocrat and an astute politician whosepolitical vivacity hascontinued toupliftmany Nigerians in all facets of their endeavours. His character, his courage, and, above all, his desire to serve acause greater than himself are a demonstration of hisresolutecommitment to greater good above personalinterests.

The APC standard bearer is the best among the candidates, the best for the job; and the best pill for Osun’s ailments. Following in the footsteps of Aregbesola, thewitty, disciplined, teachable,dependable,responsiveand skilfully-artfulOyetola will continue in the tradition ofchanging the face of Osun into a state looking ahead to the future.Hisunblemished accomplishments,passion for functional education, accessible healthcare andradicalapproach to urban renewal projectsisawesomely thorough.The interesting part of his life is that he is unshaken in courage and undimmed in vision.

Oscar Wilde captured the mood of the moment when he defined democracy as“the bludgeoning of the people, by the people, for the people.”For many years, civilized Romans left politics in the hands of their kings and Chiefs. Greeks once destroyed its own democracy. InPrussia, it was the people who willingly subscribed to autocracy. Ditto for Louis Napoleon’sFrance! Even,America, world’s acclaimed symbol of democracy never had it smooth. But since they value popular participation, they have since learnt relevant lessons from their past. Again,how come Rwandasuddenly became theepicenterfor everything chaotic, tribalistic and genocidal? How did shegravitate into a metaphor for the sad, the bad, the uglyand a habour for hatred? Expanding the horizon, how did the “substantial” violence which characterized the fall of the House of Hohenzollern come to be and what was responsible for the rise of the Weimar Republic through the German Revolution of 1918–1919? Coming back to Osun, what could have prompted a major opposition party intorelishing inasilly,recklesstheatricalcharadeof insulting our collective intelligencein an election as important as governorship, unless some extraterrestrial forces have so counseled? If they ever did, what are the presumed intentions and likely implications?

Evil prevails when good people do nothing! Basically, it is the unrepentant rebelliousness and the fanatical gluttony on the part ofNigeria’s leaders that has led us into thispetty,pitiable pass. Greed makes a man think only of himself without thinking of what becomes the lot of others. It is greed which makesNigeria’s leaders work against the interest of Nigerians that has absurdly malformedNigeria’s elite into a blend of opportunists looking for ways to further impoverish the populace. Threateningly, greed has even turned our traditional rulers into traditional riggers and our religious leaders into prayer contractors.Isn’t it laughable that a political party which claims to be working in the interest of the people will be working towards turningBola Ige Houseinto a‘Dance Hall’?

The streets are surely watching!

May principalities and powers, assigned to rubbish our leaders’ efforts, backfire!

•abiodun KOMOLAFEwrites in from Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State, Nigeria (ijebujesa@yahoo.co.uk)