Adeleke, Akande, Oyinlola, Lasun Yusuf Shun @Osun 25 Celebration

By Abdulrafiu Agboola

Former civilian governors of Osun state shunned the ceremony organized by the government to mark the 25^th anniversary of the state, on Saturday.

CityMirrorNews noted that the former governors did not also send representative to the programme held at Osogbo township stadium.

Senator Isiaka Adeleke from Ede governed the state from January 1992 to November 1993. Chief Bisi Akande from Ila ruled the state from May 29, 1999 to May 29, 2003. Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola from Okuku administered the state from May 29, 2003 to November 26, 2010.

Adeleke won his governorship election under the Social Democratic Party, Akande contested and won under the Alliance for Democracy and Oyinlola won his election under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

All the civilian former governors are now in All Progressives Congress (APC) with incumbent Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

Also, Deputy Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Lasun Yusuf did not attend the ceremony and nobody represented him either.

Yusuf has not been attending state functions since he became the Deputy speaker.

The Ilobu born politician contested and won the Deputy speaker against the directive of his party, APC.

Since he became the deputy speaker, the relationship between Yusuf, Aregbesola and some party leaders in the state has gone sour.

CityMirrorNews gathered that Yusuf and all the former administrators and civilians were invited, but only two former Military Administrators, Col. Theophilus Bamigboye and Anthony Udofia, were present.

The reason for the absence of the former civilian governors could not be ascertained as member of the committee said many of them have traveled out of the state.

Speaking, former military  Bamigboye and Udofia, expressed their happiness on the development trend of the state.

Bamigboye said: “When I left here 17 years ago, I left with joy and I am happy to be here with joy. I never witnessed a colourful ceremony like this in my 26 years I spent in the military.

“I am very proud to see this state the way it is. I commend the Governor for sustaining the school named after me.”

Bamigboye who acknowledged the development of the state with series of infrastructural development by Aregbesola, said the calisthenics display by the public school children was awesome.

He said: “I was in the military for 26 years and I have never witnessed any colorful event like this. I really appreciate the present Governor of the state, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola for bringing this notion of developing our children intelligently.”

In his own speech, Udofia, commended the Aregbesola for infrastructure development of the state, and in particular, the building of a school named after him.

Udofia noted that it was obvious that Aregbesola is so much interested in the infrastructural development of the state especially in the area of education.