Bash92: For forty minutes this morning, Osun State
governorship Election took the front burner on
Channels' Television Sunrise Programme. It was a
debate between the PDP and the APC. The PDP was
represented by Chief Lere Oyewunmi (DG Omisore
Campaign) and Mr. Diran Odeyemi (Director Media &
Strategy) whilst the APC was represented by Mr.
Ajibola Bashiru ( Osun State Commisioner for Special
Duties) and Mr. Bola Ilori ( Special Adviser on
Environment)
It was all fire works. Each side tried to break the
backbone of the other. The APC folks appeared to be
more under pressure as its representatives, especially
Bola Ilori, fidgeted and I nterjected the PDP
representatives, almost to the point of disrupting the
Programme. The APC representatives could not define
who the 'State Boys' were and their roles in the polity.
Instead, they posited that the PDP had the control of
the DSS, Police and Army. The question is: Are
the'State Boys' the alternative to these government
security Agencies?
The moderators wanted to know what the Agenda of
Omisore was. And, Chief Lere Oyewunmi did justice to
it. He enumerated five programmes in the areas of
education, healthcare, employment, agriculture and
infrastructure. The same question was not put to the
APC.
To a large extent, the PDP was able to puncture the
educational reforms of the Aregbesola's administration;
from the school feeding system ( which they proved
started from the PDP era), to the merger of schools and
same school uniform policy. They added a clincher
promising that all schools merged will be de-merged
and returned to their former names with their old
school uniforms and beliefs.
The APC wanted to put Diran Odeyemi on the spot by
saying roads in almost every locality and LG area have
been touched. Mr. Odeyemi said this was not correct
even though there are some on going road projects
here and there. Unfortunately, the Commissioner could
not name a single road that has been tarred in Obokun
Local Government where Odeyemi comes from when
asked to do so. Mr. Odeyemi added that no
replacement has also been built for the Schools
demolished in his Local Government.
He was put to test further on his knowledge of his LG.
Bola Ilori asked him to name the Schools in his Local
Governement that were affected. Mr. Odeyemi named
three and said not a single block has been laid for their
replacement yet and that the students are cramped in
classes like sardines.
Irked by the effrontery of Bola Ilori to ask him which
Local Government he came from, Diran Odeyemi
reminded him that he was a Prince in Ibokun and asked
Ilori: Where are you from in Osun State. Ilori paused for
a while, obviously dazed, and then muttered I am from
Ondo. What an audacity? How politically expedient is it
for Aregbesola to send a non Osun indigene to such a
debate? What happens to all the Osun indigenes in his
cabinet?
On the issue of violence, Mr. Odeyemi said the Osun
State Governor has a record and pedigree in election
violence. He reminded the APC representatives about
the 183 "thugs" that the Governor sent to Anambra for
their governorship election but were arrested before
they could wreak havoc and are facing charges in
Court. He also recalled that the Governor recently
asked his members to go to the polling stations with
matchets and juju. Bola Ilori refuted this and said the
governor asked his supporters to go with "whatever
they believed in, including Quoran, Bible and
traditional implements to the polling stations".
An attempt to pose a stage-managed question from
Twitter on agriculture suggesting that over four
thousand farmers were benefitting from the school
feeding Programme of the APC back-fired big time. It
met its Waterloo in the response from Lere Oyewunmi
who reeled out his cognate experience and pedigree in
the field of agriculture and submitted that it was sheer
Aregbesola's propaganda on the newspapers and social
media networks that farmers were benefitting and
affirmed further that in his Irewole LG, he was bold to
say not a single farmer has benefitted from any such
agricultural scheme.
It was an interesting debate though a bit rowdy. It
could have been more interesting and informative if
the representatives of the APC have been as cool and
relaxed like the PDP counterparts who were definitely
more relaxed and composed often smiling and
marshaling their points much better than the APC
guys.
The APC's objective was to paint a picture that the
election was going to be rigged. Their representatives
mentioned some nebulous groups like Omo Ilu
Organisation going round in search of voters card. This
appeared a wild goose chase and extraneous to the
question of the achievements of Aregbesola and what
the people would benefit from his reelection. The APC
representatives appeared confused and poorly
coordinated to give a killer-punch or a juggernaut to
the PDP's face in this debate.

Bash92: Saw this on Facebook.

fijiano202: i thought debates was always between governorship aspirant not their handbags

Nctrice: The emergence of an APC has brought about a better and more profound PDP! Who said that a tangible opposition in a democratic setting is not good?

patrickmuf: Thank God you now see the reason i'm advocating for a strong opposition built on smooth ideologies... e must beta for Nigeria whether our politicians like am or not...

Nctrice: I have always agreed with you on that! Its just that APC is a party far from "A strong Opposition built on smooth ideologies" we need something more solid in form of ideology!

patrickmuf: Iron sharpenet iron, as the battle for control of the central government ensues, be sure to see a better represented APC and PDP...

patrickmuf: Thank God you now see the reason i'm advocating for a strong opposition built on smooth ideologies... e must beta for Nigeria whether our politicians like am or not...

Nctrice: I see APC being hijacked the umpteenth time before its get to the level of being a true National party like the PDP... The APC of today is built more on a religious, tribal and/or regional foundation!

Nctrice: I see APC being hijacked the umpteenth time before its get to the level of being a true National party like the PDP... The APC of today is built more on a religious, tribal and/or regional foundation!

Nctrice: I see APC being hijacked the umpteenth time before its get to the level of being a true National party like the PDP... The APC of today is built more on a religious, tribal and/or regional foundation!

patrickmuf: An honest individual should do a review of the debate, the OP's summation is obviously lopsided...Take a cue from his choice of words...

OtunbaJega:

Shut up!!... is it not Jonathan that is playing the religious and tribal card

Nctrice: I see APC being hijacked the umpteenth time before its get to the level of being a true National party like the PDP... The APC of today is built more on a religious, tribal and/or regional foundation!

thunderrider:

Hypocrisy rather

Nctrice:
Don't just criticise! That's very easy, try something more challenging! Give an alternative link to get a full text or video of the debate! One that gives a balanced account of what transpired in the studio!