Ajimobi and the burden of tomorrow

Much as Oyo State governor, Senator Isiaka Abiola Ajimobi, tried to strike a new consciousness in the ancient Kingdom of Oyo or the city of Ibadan, he came short of glory. His efforts to change the people, who seemed so used to impunity, to the old ways of doing things, did not work.

Perhaps the amiable governor forgot that Ibadan is a city of disparate warlords, which is at the heart of its origin, where the norm is impunity. With such background, they would resist any attempt that smacks of change from the old, comfortable order.

And so the people simply refused to shift from the parametres that defined them. Coming from the private sector, Ajimobi was full of big ideas about reforms. He got encouraged by a successful mandate renewal which had not been the case in Oyo State. And so in a way, he went on overdrive without due consideration of the bumpy road ahead.

This became the foundation of his koleseri governorship philosophy that achieved anything he set his mind to do in terms of governance. Having won a second term in office, which had eluded many a predecessor, Ajimobi felt it was time to properly fix the state. His urban renewal policy which witnessed the pulling down of structures that encroached on the right of way met with bitter politics. The people were not used to such single-mindedness. Or perhaps, the governor failed to build requisite consensus with the people and they saw his policy as anti-people and thus the resistance.

Put differently, Ajimobi journeyed so well in terms of the key indices of good governance but somehow forgot to bring the people to speed. Thus they see less of the road infrastructure, peace and order that are prevalent in the state, but see instead more of his bare-truth approach that kept a mass of the people alienated. There were manifestations even in the way he spoke, as he struggled to balance professionalism with politics.

The people might have punished him for his tongue; that is, for saying it as it is. The people agree that his deeds were good, but they wanted a reinforcer of the age-old rut and anomaly that confine Ibadan to a provincial city and not an enforcer of a new thinking and way of being that are in alignment with modern realities that his policies sought to engender.

In the end, he gave everything to getting nothing; not even a senate seat!

So the big question to ask is, was he a poor performer or was it a case of being out of tune with the socio-cultural milieu even as an Ibadan man?

The politics in this clime is a nuanced endeavour where the man in power walks a delicate tightrope, where the visible and invisible layers of power manifestations conspire to deliver judgments, for better or for worse.

Here in this part of the world, where politics drives development and not the other way round, a leader who fails to project politics above professionalism, especially in localised intrigues soon finds himself or herself being shoved aside. Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, is enough living testament to this deviousness where value is the least on the indices of performances.
 
So, it is not so much Ajimobi’s ability to govern properly, but a certain element of arrogance that he is accused of and his seeming inability to communicate clearly that he meant well became his political nemesis. And it would work to dwarf whatever his achievements have been in redefining governance and the running of governmental affairs.

As it happened in many states, parallel congresses were also held in Oyo and APC became polarised. Ajimobi rose to power through the political structures of the former governor of the state, Alhaji Lam Adeshina. But he had his own ideas and to give vent, he began in earnest to build his own political structure. He ended up with SENACO. But rather than help his cause, his quest for political independence and hygiene unwittingly set the stage for his own political decline.
 
SENACO obviously didn’t help matters, as the forum was accused of further impunity and caused a large majority of party faithful to leave. Of course, needless to say that the LAMISTS (party members faithful to Lam Adesina) bided their time and it rightly came during the primaries last year.

The factions deepened, and they eventually delivered a fatal blow to Ajimobi. He did not only fail to install his preferred political godson, Tunde Adedibu, he also failed in his bid to secure a senatorial seat.
 
Also as ‘Constituted Authority,’ Ajimobi felt he needed to reform the traditional institution in sync with modern temper, but it was perceived differently. The holders of the tradition felt affronted that he had come to ruffle the ancient feathers of Ibadan revered monarchy.

The outrage his action unleashed was unprecedented. His own brother Wasiu is believed to be a beneficiary of his ‘innovation’ efforts. What becomes of him after Ajimobi steps down on May 29? Needless to say that Ibadan people resisted Ajimobi to the bitter end.

For them, it was taking political power too far. The people waited for his next big political move. And they showed him where power truly resides – the people!
 
Resetting town-planning policy for a better city brought him in collision with popular musician and radio owner, Ayefele. The station at Challenge part of the city, which infringed on such laws, was pulled down. Like the Olubadan stool imbroglio, the move also sparked outrage. Part of the building was brought down before effective explanations could be offered to the public. But the damage had been done. A truce was called and Ajimobi would reverse himself and rebuild the station. But by then the damage had already been done.

Over all, it seems Ajimobi berthed far ahead of his time in the ancient city of Ibadan. The people and the place need time to transit but definitely not at the pace ‘Constituted Authority’ wanted it. For now he seems down but not out until history and posterity say so. It is likely that when tomorrow comes and the people reconcile with the disruptive advantages of the moment, Ajimobi may return as a true hero of Ibadan politics.