₦airaland Forum

History has positioned Boroffice to emerge next Ondo Governor, by Kayode Adeniyi‎‎
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As the people of Ondo State eagerly anticipate the 26th day of November - the scheduled date for the governorship poll in the sunshine state, the nexus between community leadership and political leadership has emerged an issue for serious consideration and political discourse. 
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I must swiftly confess that ‎I share the view of many persons in the sunshine state that community leaders are better-informed, more-equipped and more-responsible political leaders. In making my contributions, I will seek to react to some concerns raised in an open letter addressed to a leading governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress and senator, representing Ondo North senatorial district, Professor Ajayi Boroffice. 
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The letter titled: A Call To Statesmanship and Honour, was written by an unidentified Ifeoluwa Olasogba, who claimed to be a native of the ancestral town of the senator, Oka - Akoko. Anyway, that claim is still battling a credibility tag.  

In the letter, the writer literally begged the senator to dump his governorship ambition because, according to him, the senator has many responsibilities to contend with as Asiwaju of Akoko Land and a serving high-ranking senator. 

In addressing the concerns raised, I plead to disregard the ‎unprovoked abuses, o‎ffensive submissions, ignorant rantings ‎and ‎needless insults ‎hurled at the senator while offering answers to the two questions the letter has brought to the fore; Why should a title holder of Asiwaju of Akoko Land join politics? Why should a serving senator contest governorship election? ‎‎

‎When the senator was officially bestowed community leadership responsibilities by the virtue of his installation as the Asiwaju of Akoko Land in May 2009, he was given 11-point agenda of which 5 of them are chiefly political. Infact, his installation about 7years was a widely-praised coronation of a man with record of unrivalled contributions to community development in the region. By implication, the people of Akoko Land had sent a son on a foray and sojourn to the political battlefield. 
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‎Meanwhile, what the Akoko people did has a revered place in political history of Nigeria. ‎The late Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello‎ was the first premier of Northern Nigeria between 1954 and 1966. Sardauna means warlord and in Yoruba adaptation, implied Asiwaju. ‎He was a prominent political leader of the Northern People's Congress, who was elected into the Northern House of Assembly and functioned as minister of works. ‎

‎The National leader of All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is the present title holder of Asiwaju of Lagos. He represented Lagos West as a senator in 1993 and later served as governor of Lagos State between 1999 and 2007. Also, late Chief Idowu Ajibola Ige, SAN, was the Asiwaju of Esa-Oke and Jagunmolu of Ijesha Land. Until his death, he was a National leader of Alliance for Democracy. He was a commissioner for Agriculture, served as governor of Oyo State, appointed as minister of many ministries; Minister of Power and Steel, and Minister of Justice ‎between 1999 and 2001. 
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‎In Ondo State, Senator Olabode Olajumoke is the Asiwaju of Imeri in Ose local government.  Olajumoke is a former presidential aspirant and served as member of the 5th and 6th Nigerian Senate. ‎Also, the former Deputy- Governor of Ondo State, Alhaji Ali Olanusi is the Asiwaju of Supare Akoko in Akoko South West local government area of Ondo State. 

The above references are pointer to the fact that it is not strange to have community leaders as politicians and political office holders. The incisiveness of the above should sufficiently address anyone's curiosity.  For instance, community leaders and Asiwajus like Senator Boroffice can never be accused of being stranger and alien to the people ‎by the people. They are better-informed, more-equipped and more-responsible political leaders. ‎They understand the people and have deep grasp of the challenges facing the people. Infact, conferment of community leadership roles via chieftaincy titles to prominent and accomplished personalities seems like a reliable way to attract development to communities.  ‎
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It should be noted that the albatross to the electoral success of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Ondo State started from the community of the candidate. In 2012, many indigenes of the community said they didn't  know the candidte of the party while some said he was an alien. ‎An Asiwaju of any community, no matter how small, would not have suffered such fate. Therefore, it was little surprise when the candidate eventually lost the guber contest at his community ward. ‎‎

Laying emphasis on the credentials of Senator Boroffice as a community leader is ‎not aimed at reducing him to a local champion but to allude to a patriot with fertile history of being responsible to his people. Like the adage goes, "charity begins at home". ‎ Afterall, he has represented Owo and Ose local government areas remarkably well as a senator. ‎He was declared Ondo State Man of the Year for 2008 for his outstanding service to the people of Ondo State by Society Watch International, Dublin Ireland and Owena Press Limited, Akure.  Also, the Federal Government of Nigeria couldn't have conferred on him the honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) for only his local contributions. That honour was in recognition and appreciation of the global honour, patriot Boroffice had allured to his father's land, Nigeria. 
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‎On the second question, in analysing whether a serving senator can present himself for governorship election or not, the writer should have allowed himself to be guided by the constitutional requirements for anyone to contest governornorship election rather than by puerile emotions. It is not about greed, it is about Law. Section 177 of the Nigerian Constitution (as amended) says ‎(a) he is a citizen of Nigeria by birth; (b) he has attained the age of thirty-five ‎years; (c) he is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that political party; and (d) he has been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent. Therefore, since the senator has meant constitutional requirements, why should he not exercise his right? 
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It is on record that the Governors Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, ‎Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, Patrick Okowa of Delta State, Benedict Ayade of Cross River State and many others had served as senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria before they emerged governors. Having served in the highest legislative level in the country, it will serve the interest of Ondo people for Senator Boroffice to join the list of the identified prominent leaders.

The public should be wary of sponsored and uninformed writers as November 26 gets nearer. Senator Boroffice was never made a Minister of Science and Technology and he has never claimed such title. The chairman, Senate Committee on Science and Technology is not same as Minister of Science and Technology. The writer either expressed ignorance or deliberately told lies to arrive at senseless submissions. If the identity of the writer is not fictitious, he should bring forth his real father's name and address in Oka-Akoko so that he can be properly identified, engaged and enlightened. 

‎Senator Boroffice will not respectfully withdraw from the 2016 gubernatorial race because he has not only secured the nod of majority of party delegates and the confidence of party leadership but history has also positioned him to emerge as the next governor of Ondo State. 

Kayode Adeniyi, the author of this article, lives from Akure, Ondo State.

People are dying of hunger in Ondo state .
I pray they vote wisely.

Boro fix ẹ

I believe history has a voters card.

shyling:
I believe history has a voters card.

History may not have voter's card but can guide thousands of APC delegates to make informed choice and help a million of voter's card owners in Ondo State to arrive at logical and sound choice on November 26

opeeddy:
History may not have voter's card but can guide thousands of APC delegates to make informed choice and help a million of voter's card owners in Ondo State to arrive at logical and sound choice on November 26

Gibberish. Politics is local. Go and campaign.

shyling:
Gibberish. Politics is local. Go and campaign.

None of the aspirants is reaching out to people more than Boroffice

opeeddy:
None of the aspirants is reaching out to people more than Boroffice

Hell fire will freeze over before I believe any politician's tales by moonlight.