The big question on the lips of every genuine Progressive in Ifelodun LCDA has been whether Merit and Experience have been stand-down or abdicated to caucus or ‘who you know syndrome’. It obviously looks as if once you know someone up or you belong to a caucus, especially a caucus that nears someone up, you will have a position of influence above others, but has this helped the Progressives?
In politics, unarguably patronage is permissible and there is nothing wrong with that but there is everything wrong once you begin to fill positions of influence or leadership with less qualified, the process begins to have problems and it will all be a matter of time for results to begin to dwindle. It is the same universal law that operates, put round pegs in round holes, and it fits.
On G10 which subsequently expanded to G17, several inclusions in the group call for questioning ranging from the criteria used. One of the provisos is automatic membership which is inclusive of former Council Chairmen or Serving Chairman, Former House of Assembly members or Serving members, the old G11 members have automatic qualifiers except Hon Lamina who was smuggled through the backdoor as Secretary to the group by the erstwhile Council Chairman Hon Taiwo Adenekan.
Among the other Names that made this old list are: Hon Kolawole Taiwo, a former House of Assembly and House of Reps member, Hon Taiwo Adenekan, Former Council Chairman and House of Reps member, Hon Olufemi Akanbi Okeowo, current Council Chairman, Hon Fatai Ajidagba, a former Council Chairman, Hon Wahab Adigun, a former Council Chairman, Baba Leke former Badagry Divisional deputy leader to Prince Rabiu and also former Deputy ES at Amuwo Odofin, Dr. Ajijola, the foremost Ajeromi Ifelodun Council Chairman.
Others are Hon Lukman Saad Olumoh, a serving Assemblyman, Hon Jamiu Alli-Balogun, a serving Commissioner, Babalola Owegbe, a serving LGA Party Chairman and Lamina
Following the death of some members of the group, the inclusions in the expanded group became complicated and amenable to query because it was no longer clear what criteria explained the list other than a caucus, inconsideration of political experience, utter disregard to political age and command of membership which are likely things that help a political group that truly reflects progressiveness and in this regard, the new entrants include – Alhaji Yekinni Igwe, Dr. Kehinde MD All Souls Hospitals who had represented Ojo local Government at House of Reps, MRS Elizabeth Adewoye aka Iya Bukky, Alhaja Toyin Ojora, Rasheed Adedayo and Alhaji Saadu Adekoya{ Sherubanwo}.
Whereas equity and fairness would have insisted inclusion of Hon Famakinwa a former House of Assembly member but political heaven can explain his omission from the list despite his automatic qualification criteria, again, we have Baba Shiitu, a former State officer who couldn’t make the list of the G17, we have the likes of Ezekiel. O Taiwo and Alhaji M.O. Balogun, Baba Wizkid who are quite old politicians, and Bro Olaleye who is in the category of Baba Leke and such other older politicians, quite knowledgeably politically whose names are excluded owing to some other preferred names…hmm
One would raise eye brawls on why Omololu’s name is not even in the Ifelodun G10 and couldn’t even make the expanded G17, Omololu’s political profile is as intimidating as an old horse and his political antecedents are older than most members in the Ifelodun political shots callers.
Omololu’s political influence could be traced back to 1980 when he was in the youth wing of the UPN and later became the Secretary of SDP the question here is who among the present neophyte political leadership of the ruling APC was in politics then or what unique political marks have they made that suggests they should overtake the likes of Baba Shiitu, Bro Olaleye, warranting even new ‘decampees’ taking turns.
During the SDP dispensation, Omololu was the secretary of the party in the largest ward in Lagos state, Ward D1. In the SDP era too, he contested for the House of Assembly but was persuaded to abdicate the Candidacy to a man who never contested for that position.
In 1996, Omololu won the election to the House of Assembly under DPN though short-lived but in 1999 during the PDP, AD emerging dispensation, the political scene witnessed the fight between Indigenous Rabiu Oluwa and the political influence sweeping Omololu and Omololu was generally acclaimed to have won the election but was rigged out and realizing Omololu’s sweeping grassroots influence, Bola Ahmed Tinubu sent for Omololu but the people that took him to Jagaban betrayed him and then after, it has been political games of exclusion.
The progressive party pilots in Ajeromi Ifelodun don’t seem to really like equity, fairness, loyalists, and experienced persons and that is why Alhaja Ilorin is still on the waiting list for the expanded G17
Is it not unfortunate that the present crop of Progressives are not complementing the Asiwaju sweats and love for Progressive tendencies in Lagos, can these be intentional on the part of leadership, can this be suggestive of the reasons why merit, experience, and political age are being sidelined for political booties than progressiveness.
