A- These seasonal people are here again with their sugar-coated talk.
B- Who are those again? Somebody has riled you?
A- What do you mean? See, l am not like you and l know what l am saying o. I don't give a hoot about any politician no matter how humongous is his money.
B- Oh oo. You have started with this your bad belle again. Now tell me, what is your grouse this time around?
A- Is it not that Adelabu or what did he call himself. He kept jumping about different media houses talking nonsense all over the place.
B- Bros, come off it joor! What is wrong about a candidate using the media to propagate his programmes and the manifesto of his party to the electorate who would actually determine his success or failure in the election.
A- You may have a point there sha. But this Penkele own is too much. Everyday you hear him disturbing the airwaves building castle in the air and promising heaven on earth. All in a bid to deceive us! Ko le werk kankan!
B- Haba! Why would you say...
A- (Cuts in) See, forget that. Is he even the only candidate contesting as Governor of Oyo State? It's him and his boys that kept coming up on every media house; radio, television, newspapers, billboard, online and everywhere. He is just a money miss road, my brother.
B- If that is your view about his media tour and campaign, then you are wrong and off the mark there. Bayo Adelabu has not prevented other candidates and their parties from taking their campaigns to the media too. So, why is that your problem?
A- It was even the nonsense he was spewing on Splash FM last Tuesday that is pissing me off. Didn't you listen to YS Live on that day?
B- Of course. I listened to the two-hour interview he had with Yemi Sonde. The guy sounded impressive and very cerebral. If all what he said was anything to go by, l tell you, Oyo State would go places and the citizens would have so much to cheer about if he wins and execute even sixty percent of all that he is promising.
A- So you also believe all those things the man is saying on radio. See, all that one na saka manje!
B- Which one is saka manje again. Abeg come down to my level jare.
A- No wonder! Oo ja si. You don't understand saka manje? I mean the guy just dey deceive people with all his big big plans ni!
B- You are wrong my brother. It only shows that the guy has done his homework and will hit the ground running if he becomes the Governor.
A- Which Governor? He can't win kankan! Someone that is saying he is going to demolish people's ancestral home and chase them away. He should first go and demolish his own family compound at Oke Odo in Ibadan before he starts pulling down our forefathers houses joor! Family compounds that have spanned generations! All these book people sha!
B- Now l see that you are just being mischievous there. The man was talking about urban renewal and providing decent housing for the people. I heard him clearly. He was saying that he wanted to see the people moving away from living in squalor where five or six people live in a dingy, dirty room to a three bedroom apartment in a healthy environment largely at the expense of government. He even cited Lagos examples where people were moved from Oluwole and Ita faaji to better and spacious environments. If you will be sincere with yourself, that is a very sound Housing policy if properly implemented.
A- Okay. Let's leave that aside. How about the N25,000 Security level the man is endorsing? With the current economic situation, how can he subscribe to adding to people's economic burden with one yeye security tax?
B- My guy, l think you should be objective here. We are talking of security of lives and property here. The man was sayng...
A- (Cuts in) What is he talking about? Is the government not supposed to ensure the security of lives of all citizens? So, people have to pay through their nose because government wants to secure them?
B- I was making a point on that before you interrupted me. And my point is that the current government should be commended for ensuring peace throughout Oyo State in the last 7 and half years. So if citizens are now asked to pay some amount as part of their contribution to the safety of their lives and property, l don't think that is asking for too much.
A- And to you, N25,000 Security Levy per year is not too much? The man even calls the amount a "token" on radio. Olohun saa ma je k'awon APC yi fi tax pa wa l'Oyo State!
B- l am sure you heard Adelabu breaking it down on radio o. He said the amount was less than N2,500 per month. That was what he meant by describing it as a token and not the negative way you are painting it. And you must remember that as the Chairman of Oyo State Security Trust Fund, Adelabu must be talking from a vantage point of superior knowledge.
A- That's his own problem. And what about this one? Why can't he make a definite promise when Yemi Sonde asked him about the tuition fee and other issues relating to The Polytechnic, Ibadan?
A- How can he do that? Someone who is not yet the Governor and not yet in full grasp of government finances is not expected to be categorical about such key issue like tertiary education. I was impressed with his response when he said he will look into all the grey areas when he gets into office. However, he explained that there will be opportunities of tertiary education loans for undergraduates in his government. Or didn't you hear that one too? Or you would have preferred him play to the gallery to win votes? That would not be statesmanship if you ask me.
A- Well, well, l had him say that sha! Even with that, the Adelabu man is too proud for my liking. Always peddling the name of his grandfather. Penkele! Penkele! Penkele! everywhere and all the time. Don't other candidates have fathers too or we as citizens fall off from heaven without having fathers?
B- Don't be petty there! Are you saying when a man has a proud and enviable ancestral background he should not flaunt it? When you are selling a product, the right thing to do is to display and market it with all the unique selling points and attributes that such products has. Now, you accuse Omo Adegoke Adelabu of always mouthing the name of his grandfather. If his grandfather Adelabu had been a felon or a disgraced politician in the 50s when he reigned as the foremost politician in Ibadan and its environs, the opposition would be quick to go to town, shouting on the rooftop that the electorate should be wary of voting for the grandson of a felon! If l have such background like that of Adelabu, l will even do same and blow my trumpet for the whole world to here jare.
A- What about him saying he is the best amongst all the aspirants that contested for the ticket of his party, APC? Before you say Jack Robinson, the man would be shouting "I made first class, l made first class" all about town. I am telling you that the guy is too full of himself and you are here defending him.
B- Now, l get you. I think you personally don't like the man and would never recognise the fact that he is a good or sound product, party or no party affiliation. What l heard the man say on radio that Tuesday was that he is the combination of all the good sides of all the aspirants that vie for the APC Governorship ticket with him. And what is wrong with someone saying l am the best especially if that is the truth. Even though the man didn't pointedly say he is the best amongst all the candidates, what he is saying is that he combines all that is best in the APC and that all the other aspirants are collectively giving him maximum support.
A- But let's look at it this way o. Is it APC that will now win Oyo State again after the party has spent 8 years as government in power? Are they the only party in the state? Let other parties also come and enjoy government too. Enikan o laye joor. Their own don do!
B- Don't tell me your concept of politics, government and good governance is all about turn by turn! That your opinion is a great disservice to true spirit of governance and statesmanship. When a government is doing the right thing and meeting the needs of the citizens, the people would be right to continually vote them back into office. It is this "come and eat" or "turn by turn" style of political leadership that has stifled Nigerian political and economic development over the years. So, if the people of Oyo State feel that they are better off with the performance of APC in government in the last 8 years, they will vote the party and its candidates back to office again and again!
A- Well, it is not the fault of Adelabu and the APC people sha. Even the other parties self, one can hardly hear them presenting their manifestoes anywhere. And now, elections are barely two months from now. I don't know for them jare.
B- Now, you are getting to where we actually started this conversation from. And that is my point. When the electorate can hardly hear, see or feel what the other candidates and their parties have in stock for the people, wouldn't Penkelemesi's political profile and ratings continue to rise far beyond that of his opponents, especially with Adelabu's unrelenting engagements with the electorate on the media and all around town?
A- I agree with you there. But the guy get bastard money o. He is everywhere; radio, television; billboards, rallies, just everywhere! The man must be spending millions of naira to achieve such massive political mobilisation.
B- Truth be told, our current level of politics is highly skewed towards money, a lot of money at that. And if a candidate doesn't have the required capital to pursue his ambition, he may not reach anywhere. And if he managed to reach somewhere, his sponsors and godfathers would not allow him to be independent-minded and focused on good governance. For me, that is one baggage that Adelabu does not have. He is his own man, spending his money and being complimented by his party. The added advantage of a candidate like Adelabu is that he would not get into government and be looking for how to recoup his expenses. I have not seen that quality in most of the other candidates.
A- It appears you like this Adelabu Penkelemesi o. With the way you are rooting for him as if he is an angel. Mind you, that is how they all come promising heaven on earth. But when they manage to get into power, they turn their back on the people as if they no longer matter.
B- Not really. I am just being objective and factual in my assessment. To me, this Adelabu is a breath of fresh air. He is a young man of high attainments and no political baggage around him. It is very commendable too is that he had never moved from one party to the other, a fact that is very uncommon with politicians in this clime.
A- With the way you are going, you are making me to like this Bayo Adelabu man o. Let me give it to him sha, he has achieved so much with his relatively young age of 48 years.
B- By the way, do you even have a PVC? That will give you the power of voting in a candidate like Adelabu that brings enthusiasm, youthfulness and aggressive developmental political economics to the table.
A- Mo fe ni PVC pa ni! Now that you have thrown more light on this Adelabu and the Governorship campaign in Oyo State, I can't wait to go and vote for your Penkele. And don't think it is because of your grammar o. Even though you make sense, just that his credentials and political propositions are too irresistible ni o!
*The writer, Akinsola Ige is a public analyst who lives in Ibadan.*
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