Gov. Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State [Photo: The Guardian Nigeria]
When he emerged on the political scene first as senator and more notably as Ogun state governor in 2011, Ibikunle Amosun must have reminded many Yoruba film enthusiasts of the famed comedian, Gbolagade Adedeji, known popularly as ‘Aro Onifila gogoro’. Although now late, ‘Aro’ shook the comedy scene of his era with his trademark skyscrapper cap. Until recently, aside the similarity inherent in the intimidating structures of their caps, there was indeed no other basis for comparing both men: one was a comedian who died in the 2000s; the other is a politician who rose through the ranks to emerge senator, governor and now, again, gunning for the senate.
But beyond the stylistic tastes they both shared, Governor Amosun seems desperate to reinvent the Aro years with his comedic gymnastics in recent weeks. In all of his almost eight-year reign as Ogun helmsman, no time have his actions reminded many of comedian ‘Aro’ than the last few months, beginning with his cold war with virtually everyone who called the shots in the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC––from Bola ‘Cappo de tutti’ Tinubu to Adams Oshiomhole.
Last week, it was reported that the governor visited President Muhammadu Buhari shortly after the defection of his favorite governorship candidate, Adekunle Akinlade, from the APC to the Allied People’s Movement (APM). Mr Amosun himself is contesting the senatorial seat under the APC and he has openly threatened to work against his party’s guber candidate, Dapo Abiodun. Of course, he is supporting President Muhammadu Buhari, also of the APC.
So here is what a regular supporter of the governor would likely do on election day: vote an APM candidate in the local assembly election; vote the governor as senator under APC; vote APM governorship candidate and then vote Buhari of APC as president. Comic confusion!
No one except the governor exactly has an idea of the quality of thinking that goes into Mr Amosun’s many decisions, based on inferential knowledge of what dwells inside his skyscraping cap. To understand what dwells in his mind in relation to his politics and performance, one may need to study his cap (and maybe its content) carefully. Here is why.
We can say, authoritatively, that the governor is a man of h-u-u-u-g-e dreams and achievements. As the structure of his cap shows, he does not like little, small-looking accomplishments. That’s why he has abandoned all the dilapidated small-small roads across the state, from Akute through Otta-Ijokodo, to fix bogus projects even in places they are apparently not needed. And that’s why he abandoned local politicians in Ogun state and challenged Tinubu and Oshiomhole, his party’s acclaimed national leader and chairman, respectively.
There is a background, brethren.
When news flew in earlier in the year that the famed rice pyramid in Ogun was padded with wood and other materials, many folks wondered why the governor’s handlers would lie and deceive the public about the state’s accomplishment in rice production. But those who understand what dwells in the governor’s cap knew it was a reflection of Mr Amosun’s love for h-u-u-u-g-e accomplishments. At this juncture, however, a caveat may be necessary: this column has not suggested that the governor (and his handlers) padded his skyscraping cap nor the state budget.
Away from rice pyramid, the governor has again shown his skyscraping dexterity in the choice of infrastructural renaissance. Being a man of huge accomplishments, he has successfully ‘bridged’ the infrastructural gaps in his hometown, constructing flyover bridges on virtually every street in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital. It does not matter that on the Agbara-Atan lane, that part of the state from which arguably the biggest chunk of revenue is generated, there are numerous trucks and containers lying helplessly on the eyesore called road. And more annoyingly, on the same terrible lane, somewhere before Lusada market, lies a (now abandoned) flyover bridge. Talk about someone’s love for h-u-u-u-u-g-e achievements!
To further prove his love for huge ambitions, so convenient was the local political atmosphere that he left the Dapo Abioduns and Segun Osobas of this world and toyed with the idea of spreading his tentacles beyond Ogun, to other states of the South west––ostensibly to give Tinubu, the region’s famed political generalissimo, a good run for his money. Of course, he was banking on his perceived closeness to Buhari.
Sadly, all of those schemes have since crumbled, as recent events show––no thanks to Mr Buhari’s famed aloofness. And beyond bragadocio, if there is anything Mr Amosun’s gradual fall from grace shows, it is the emptiness of skyscraping ambitions and caps, if built without strong structures.
But again, on the flipside, to his eternal credit, even as everything seems to be crumbling right under his nose, both in politics and infrastructures, Mr Amosun’s skyscraping cap remains standing. Maybe it is not empty after all. Despite the turbulence and uncertainty of Ogun politics, he has maintained the structure of that skyscraping cap, rather commendably.
Expectedly, any discerning mind would ask: what dwells inside Amosun’s cap? Nobody knows. In any case, events of post-2019 would show us that.
For now, those awaiting Mr Amosun’s final fall in the political arena may have to hold their breadth. And SATIRE SATURDAY would not join in the crass illusion of thinking all is not well with the governor when that huge cap still remains standing. His traducers would know quite easily when the governor’s political life finally crumbles; the structure of the cap would show that. Maybe by then, he would have acquired that Mimiko-esque, small, phoney Awo cap—or better still, a much smaller one, otherwise called ‘pekutu’, like Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s. Or maybe he would simply go around cap-less. Who knows?
By Oladeinde Olawoyin
