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Osun 2018: Adeoti Rounds off Consultation Across State
As the battle over who succeeds Governor Rauf Aregbesola gathers momentum, not only within the ruling-All Progressives Congress (APC) but across all other political parties, one of the numerous aspirants stood out and and going by the mammoth crowd of supporters seen during his consultative trips across all the nooks and crannies of the state, the coast can be said to be clear for his eventual emergence as governor.
The song on every lip of the people of the state during the tour was “West Lokan” and “Sheu is the man”.
This however did not come to all objective political analysts in the state as a big surprise, in view of the current mood among residents on the need to ensure justice, fairplay and equity.
Neither does the rise and rise of Alhaji Moshood Olalekan Adeoti, the current Secretary to the Government of the State of Osun and a frontline governorship aspirant in the state come to the residents of the state as a surprise too.
Since he threw his hat into the ring to contest the governorship election on the platform of the APC, political permutations have changed drastically, creating space for both fake and genuine political analysts on the success or otherwise of his aspiration.
Alhaji Adeoti’s aspiration is not by any accident but a carefully crafted one that was arrived at after series of consultations and persuasions by prominent APC members who felt he was qualified to aspire to lead the state and build over the foundation laid by the incumbent Governor Aregbesola.
By all standards, Alhaji Adeoti can be said to have paid his dues in the political calculation of the state haven occupied several political positions from those of Secretary of parties in the progressive camp, Councillor, Supervisor, Local Government Chairman, State Party Chairman for more than seven years before his current appointment as the Secretary to the Government.
As an experienced politician of note, his aspiration has also sent jitters down the spines of some individuals who were feeling threatened by his political sagacity and grassroots connection.
Their fear is understandable in view of Alhaji Adeoti’s popularity among party members, most especially among those at the bottom of the party’s leadership ladder.
This became evident during his just-concluded consultative tour of party structures across the state where the welcome was simply amazing.
The consultative train, comprising of over two hundred vehicles with less than ten chartered buses, snaked into each of the council area headquarters visited with ecstatic crowd of jubilant supporters from within and outside the party fold with songs expressing their support for Alhaji Moshood Olalekan Adeoti’s governorship aspiration.
Individuals with genuine love for his aspiration had volunteered their vehicles for branding by the campaign organization and some without any monetary inducement, joined the train fueling their vehicles from their individual pockets.
The effects of the visits to all the areas visited were awesome as even petty traders, who had heard of what the benefits derivable, look forward to such visit with high expectations, as it would go a long way in boosting their sales.
Many of the traders took advantage of the visits to jerk up prices of their wares and thus making more profits.
Wherever the Adeoti’s consultative train visited, the messages were all the same.
To open floor for address was the Director General of Moshood Adeoti Campaign Organization (MACO), Dr Kunle Adeniji aka Kongo, who in respectable manner, would introduce prominent members of the consultative train and hand over the microphone to the man of the moment, Alhaji Adeoti.
His message was simple and straight to the point; the need to ensure continuity of Governor Aregbesola’s laudable programmes and policies.
The frontline governorship aspirant also used each of the opportunities afforded him during the visits to remind the party leadership at the local government council area level of his past relationship with them.
He then appealed to them to stand to be counted for his aspiration by voting for him during the fast-approaching party’s governorship primaries on July 7.
One unique and interesting part of the visit was the way Alhaji Adeoti recognised and was calling some of the party leaders by their first names and even mentioning the wards they came from.
Haven traversed the length and breadth of the state approaching and appealing to the delegates for their votes during the governorship primaries, his last point of call was Iwo Local Government Council Area, his home town, where had held several political positions.
On Wednesday, June 20, the consultative train was welcomed by an equally-jubilant crowd of party supporters and townsmen and women who felt elated that one of their worthy sons is aspiring to rule the state.
The joy was evident on their faces as some of them waved their brooms, the APC symbol, to show their support.
The long queue of vehicles was simply overwhelming, as the whole scenario changed from being a consultative train to that of a road show.
The long convoy of vehicles traversed through the major roads of the town to the admiration of the indigenes and residents of the ancient town.
The entourage later after over two hours, found its way to an open field at Obate Area of the town where Alhaji Adeoti held a meeting with the party leadership before a final one with the delegates and party supporters.
However, before he could finish his meeting with the party leaders, the sky opened its content and a heavy downpour resulted.
This nevertheless did not deter the jubilant supporters from dancing even in the rain.
The man of the moment later emerged from the meeting with the party leaders to join his supporters in the rain.
Not even persuasion from the party leaders could change his mind to join his supporters on the field where he eventually addressed the people on his aspiration and admonished them to continue to support him.
One unique thing however throughout the journey across the state was the objective way Alhaji Adeoti treated all issues without resorting to use of insults or condemning the aspirations of others.
All fingers then remain crossed while awaiting the outcome of the party primaries where the final winner would emerge to contest against others from the various political parties.