HALTING THE UNCOUTH POLITICAL VOYAGE OF SENATOR OLAMILEKAN ADEOLA (YAYI)

The media office of Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka (GNI) has been inundated with statements credited to a Lagos Senator, Olamilekan Adeola also known as YAYI; while venturing on voyage of self-adulation. Adeola in recent days, threw decorum to the wind and just like an impaired sailor, he steered the ship of his inordinate ambition in Ogun West towards the direction of icebergs and cataracts  and obviously destined for a shipwreck.

Notwithstanding the series of documented provocation, lies and covert assassination of our Principal's character by exuberant and misguided sympathizers of the Senator, we have remained calm and focused on the pursuit of our noble agenda. We were however shocked at the recent outbursts of Adeola during recent interviews he granted journalists in both Lagos and Ilaro and reported by the media; but more vividly by Awikonko, a Yoruba online tabloid, where he made uncomplimentary remarks about our leader. Adeola again took the stage at a political event in Imeko few days ago (which has now been repeated around), and while boasting and flaunting his oversized ego, he disparaged the name of GNI. 

We now wish to react as follows:

It is unfortunate that Senator Olamilekan Adeola, who referred to our principal as a betrayer, either suffers amnesia or just blatantly mischievous; the latter being the case actually. Contrary to his faulty claims, YAYI has been the one who  out of his self-seeking political pursuits in Ogun State  has continually betrayed and worked to deprive Yewa-Awori the opportunity to realize its ultimate political goal since 2014; all in the chase of personal glory. Without going into the details just yet, one of the questions to immediately ask Adeola is, where did he pitch his tent at both 2015 and 2019 elections; when indeed, Ogun West candidates were on the ballot. Did he work for Ogun West interest or against it? 

He also alluded that GNI had rebuffed all options of working together in the interest of our district. Well, let it be stated that our group have always chosen not to make Adeola's claim of being a Yewa indigene an issue of campaign or discussion, since a certain 'Baba Ogundimu' has come out to claim him as a family member and that arrangement has also received "royal ratification". This explains why Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka out of selflessness and prompting from respected Yewa elders at the time,  opted to have communications and working relationship with him in the past; apparently in the interest of Yewa-Awori. 

This effort culminated in the May 1st 2018 'Ogun West Public Dialogue'; the aftermath that was designed to produce a unified Ogun West cross-party candidate. But immediately YAYI failed in the bid to contest in Ogun State, GNI put up much effort to reach him so that he can honour the spirit of that dialogue; but he evaded for several weeks! For an example, on one of such days that he eventually agreed to a meeting, GNI left Abeokuta and was on the way to honour the date when YAYI suddenly called in that he was already headed to Abuja for a meeting. Further efforts proved abortive; and at the end of that process, he put up his support elsewhere (definitely not to Ogun West); and the rest is history as they say. Therefore, how can such a man, with all good conscience, call anyone in Yewa-Awori land a betrayer? Could it be that he has always been working to stall the governorship realization of all other Yewa-Awori candidates; while bidding his time to claim the glory? The reason being that, he sounded hard at a private meeting with his lackeys few weeks back when he said, and we quote, "I will not back down this time around and will give it all it takes because this is a project I have been working on and spending millions since 2011".

  

Senator Olamilekan Adeola appears to have become swollen-headed by his fortuitous journey in the national assembly; and coupled with the subservient capitulation and praise-singing of his name by a section of the party in Ogun West who see him as their liberator (after all, it takes those in bondage to desperately seek a liberator). Otherwise, he would not have the audacity to malign the name of GNI while doing a needless and jaundiced comparative analysis of a 'fresh senator versus returning senator'. We consider the context of that statement as insulting to the personality and integrity of our principal; and thereby condemnable in its entirety.

Being a returning senator is a benevolence anyone can enjoy and it is not a validation of performance in all cases. Every returning senator was once a first timer including YAYI himself; except he is telling us that he was ineffective  during his first term. By records of the national assembly, there are enough evidences, which supports that some first timers performed creditably while there are returning members who have remained docile. What more, many ranking senators have been replaced by first timers and they did well. For instance, a first timer, late Senator Adebayo Osinowo replaced Senator Gbenga Ashafa, a two-term Senator. Senator Tokunbo Abiru is currently a first timer presumably doing well also. The Lagos West seat which Adeola currently occupies will become vacant in 2023 because he has been told that there is no third term for him (Chiefly the reason for his frantic effort to invade Ogun West). His would-be replacement is also going to be a first timer; except Senator Musiliu Obanikoro is allocated the ticket.

  

Unlike many years ago, the workings and maneuverings in the national assembly are now more understood and any member (new or old) that bothers to put up an effort, will thrive, both in terms of contribution to debates/sponsoring of bills and of course, facilitation of federal government initiatives to his constituency from different MDAs via the budgeting process. Therefore, YAYI should stop boasting and making a big deal of his 'ranking senator' status all around the place. Our people in Ogun West are knowledgeable and not illiterates or vulnerables (as he likes to insinuate). Even in Ogun State, the likes of Distinguished Senators Akin Odunsi, Gbenga Obadara, Lanre Tejuosho and Kola Bajomo are few examples of first time/one term senators that have records of sterling performance.

 

We implore Adeola to acquaint himself with the art of public communication and decorous conduct on political podiums. It will be assumed that his considerable stay at the national assembly would have built such capacities in him, but apparently it is not so; otherwise he would not have made an unpardonable blunder of running down the likes of Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka, Senator Tolu Odebiyi and Hon Biodun Akinlade; in just one outing of attempting to campaign in Ogun State.

 

We also understand that he is not used to rigorous political engagements and campaigns as it were, hence the verbal carelessness. The nature of his Lagos West politics is such that heavy monies are given to the Alimosho kingmakers who do the soft work of getting him the endorsement. Once the ticket is secured, he only does some days of drive-round of the environment few days to elections, share money to critical sectors and victory is secured.

 

Adeola is attempting to run the above model in the Ogun West senatorial district with the extravagant financial/material inducement and compromise of party structures, social structures, educational institutions, traditional institutions and very recently, religious institutions - all in Yewaland. You can fool some people some of the time but you cannot fool all the people all of the time. For the umpteenth time, the immoderate ambition of Adeola to annex Ogun West senate (as a first step in his repugnant gubernatorial pursuit) is an ABBERATION and insult to the collective sensibilities of Yewa-Awori people. For a serving Lagos senator to be desperately pursuing to hold an Ogun State senatorial ticket concurrently is not only the height of greed but an action that affronts legality, assaults constitutionality and morally reprehensible.

 

It is also laughable, the erroneous thinking and ranting of his misguided social media sycophants, which have been peddling around that we are afraid of a legitimate contest. GNI for instance, have in the last 12 years, engaged in valiant electoral battles with formidable opponents for the top prize in Ogun State politics. Why will such a man with organic state-wide grassroots structures be afraid of a sectional contest with anyone? Never! On the contrary, it is GNI's credibility, pedigree, voter-recall and genuine structures that is instilling fear in the minds of these elements who see him as an obstacle to their unreasonable agenda; hence the "Operation decimate GNI" they have been meticulously implementing since GNI moved his 'Believe Movement' Structure into the the All Progressives Congress (APC) on January 14th 2020. However, what we are not tolerating, by our current actions and protestations, is the process and subterfuge that attempts to tie the hand of Ogun West sons and subvert the process in favour of a band of external political raiders.

Finally, Senator Adeola until recently, only saunters in an out of Ilaro, but now that he has chosen to move around the district, we hereby urge him to exercise restraint in his use of words against illustrious patriots who have sacrificed immensely in pursuit of emancipation for Ogun West. We implore well-meaning indigenes of Ogun West to tame the uncouth and vainglorious voyage of YAYI; so that he does not degrade any further, the integrity of the senatorial district that is currently being shredded.

It is a sad phase in the history of Yewa-Awori that the activity of one man has turned the district into a theater of absurdity and mockery. We pray that the deities and ancestors of Yewa-Awori land will quickly intervene to halt this deterioration.

GNI Media Office

03.05.2022