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The Trumpet Newspaper Issue 639 (December 25 2024 - January 7 2025)

Ghana's President John Mahama makes a comeback

Ghana's President John Mahama makes a comeback

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TheTrumpet

Africans now have a voice... Founded in 1995

V O L 30 N O 639 D E C E M B E R 25 2024 - JANUARY 7 2025

President-elect John Mahama

Ghana’s

President

John Mahama

makes a

comeback –

what lies

ahead

By Lloyd G. Adu Amoah

University of Ghana

Continued on Page 3>

Ofokutu

and Ajimoko-

Haastrup

dynasties

clash over

Owa Obokun

stool

By Abiodun Komolafe

An appeal has gone to the Agba Ijesa

of Ijesaland to ensure that the

principles of equity, fairness and

tradition come into play in the selection

process of the next Owa Obokun Adimula of

Ijesaland.

This is contained in an appeal letter

drafted by the Ofokutu Royal Family of the

Bilaro Oluodo Ruling House to the Agba

Ijesa of Ijesaland.

They posited that, in fairness to the other

Royal Families in the Bilaro Oludo Ruling

House, and in the interest of the entire

Ijesaland, the Ajimoko-Haastrup Royal

Family that has dominated the throne for

more than 125 years should not participate

in the present selection process, and if they

refuse to do the right thing, they should not

be considered by the Afobajes (Kingmakers).

The appeal letter, signed by its Secretary,

Prince Adetoyese Adegbohungbe, reads in

part: “We wish to bring the following points

to your kind attention: You will recall that the

last two Owa Obokun of Ijesaland to have

emerged from the Bilaro Oluodo Ruling

House were both from the Ajimoko-Haastrup

Royal Family. Fredrick Kumokun Adedeji

Haastrup took the throne name of Owa

Ajimoko I, and reigned from April 1896 to

September 1901.

“At the next opportunity for Bilaro

Oluodo Ruling House to produce the Owa

Obokun, after the demise of Kabiyesi Owa

Oduyomade Aromolaran I (who reigned

from June 1920 - July 31, 1942), the

Haastrup Royal Family once again seized

the opportunity, with Adejumola Alexander

Haastrup ascending and taking the throne

name Owa Ajimoko II “Fidipote”. He

subsequently reigned from 10 September

1942 to 18 October 1956”.

They averred that the Bilaro Oludo

Ruling House has held consistent monthly

meetings for over 40 years, attended

exclusively by members of the Ofokutu and

Ajimoko-Haastrup Royal Families, until

recently.

They stressed that, despite appeals to the

Ajimoko-Haastrup Royal Family to allow

equity and fairness within the 3 Ruling

Houses by refraining from presenting any

candidate for the throne, it still wants to go

ahead.

The Ofokutu Royal Family therefore

appealed to the Agba-ljesa not to consider or

nominate a candidate from the Ajimoko-

Haastrup Dynasty as the next Owa Obokun,

explaining that such a decision would

effectively obliterate the Ofokutu Royal

Family which comprises numerous families,

including Adeyemi, Adebusuyi,

Adegbohungbe, Obembe, and Osundaunsi-

Adeyokunnu, among others.


Page2 TheTrumpet DECEMBER 25 2024 - JANUARY 7 2025

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GAB Awards

DECEMBER 25 2024 - JANUARY 7 2025

President-elect John Mahama

TheTrumpet

Page3

Continued from Page 1<

John Dramani Mahama, Ghana’s

incoming President, has won a chance

to rewrite his legacy. He was voted out

of office in 2016 by what was then the

highest margin in the post-independence

history of the West African nation amid

corruption scandals and an energy crisis

that had crippled the country.

But he has made a comeback, winning

56.55% of the total valid votes cast

according to the country’s Electoral

Commission. It is the largest margin of

victory in a Ghanaian election since 1996.

Voter turnout was 60.9%.

Mahama had already been accepted as

the winner after a concession speech from

his opponent in the election, sitting Vice-

President Mahamudu Bawumia before the

Electoral Commission officially declared

the results.

The concession was possible because

both parties agreed, on the basis of their

own counts, that Mahama had taken an

insurmountable lead. Ghana runs a first

past the post system in conducting its

elections. That means a candidate must

garner 50% + 1 votes to be declared a

winner by the country’s Electoral

Commission.

From my perspective as a scholar who

researches Ghana’s politics, Mahama’s

2024 victory gives him a chance to repair

his legacy as the only President to have

been voted out after one term. His victory

reflects the general sentiment that a change

in government and governance was

needed.

The independent research network

Afrobarometer’s most recent research

indicates that 82% of those surveyed said

the country was on the wrong track.

Mahama’s campaign message was to run a

lean government and stimulate Ghana’s

economy.

Ghanaians headed to the polls amid

rising poverty and a high cost of living.

The country is currently receiving US$3

billion in support from the International

Monetary Fund (IMF). Inflation,

allegations of corruption, the high cost of

living and rampant illegal mining all led to

protests over the past two years.

If Mahama seemed aloof and indeed

disconnected from the hardships and

strains of his fellow compatriots in his first

term, he needs a far more hands-on,

engaged problem-solving approach this

time around to even fancy any success.

A career in politics

Mahama is described by close watchers

of Ghana’s politics as a convincing orator

with brilliant people skills. He is also

respected for serving in every branch of

Ghana’s domestic politics. He was a Local

Assembly Representative, a Member of

Pparliament and a Cabinet Minister before

being elevated to Vice-President and

President.

Born in 1956, he is the son of a

prominent politician. His father,

Emmanuel Adama Mahama, served as a

Member of Parliament in the government

of Ghana’s first President, Kwame

Nkrumah.

John Mahama holds a Bachelor’s

degree in History from the University of

Ghana. He also completed Postgraduate

studies in Communication in 1986 from the

same university. Mahama taught High-

School History for a few years before

pursuing a Postgraduate degree in Social

Psychology from the Institute of Social

Sciences in Moscow.

His early career included a stint at the

Embassy of Japan in Ghana until 1995, and

at the office of Plan International, a

humanitarian and development

organisation.

Mahama is also a former Chairperson

of the Economic Community of West

African States (ECOWAS). He has written

for several newspapers and authored a

number of publications, including a book

titled: My First Coup D’État and Other

True Stories from the Lost Decades of

Africa.

His liberal education equips him with

the sensitivity to history and the awareness

critical for managing and positioning a

country of diverse and often competing

groups. His formal communication

training and his experience at both low and

high policy levels in the Executive and

Legislature should help him handle the

challenges of initiating and implementing

policies and programmes contemporary

Ghana yearns for.

For inexplicable reasons all this

training and experience was not evident in

his first term. He struggled to fill the shoes

of his immediate boss, John Atta Mills

whom he replaced as President upon his

death in 2012. He also seemed to cower

and in the full glare and shadow of the then

most influential personality in his party,

former Ppresident Jerry John Rawlings.

What is new in his agenda?

Mahama’s vision, outlined in his

manifesto ahead of the election, is both

pragmatic and expansive.

The manifesto outlines policies aimed

at addressing the nation’s pressing

challenges, including worrying youth

unemployment and unlocking its economic

potential.

A major highlight is his proposed 24-

hour economy. This policy seeks to boost

economic activity by supporting

businesses to operate continuously over 24

hours in key economic hubs. Mahama

hopes it will create jobs and make Ghana a

true contender in the global economy.

In addition, he’s promised to create job

opportunities in emerging fields such as

agri-business, digital technology and

renewable energy.

The 24-hour economy also

encapsulates Mahama’s youth employment

and training agenda.

Then there is the Agriculture for

Economic Transformation Agenda. This

focuses on building a modern agricultural

sector powered by technology and

innovation.

However, the question is how his

agenda will be funded, considering the

country’s well documented dire financial

situation.

A chance to rewrite history

Mahama inherits an economy

hamstrung by debt and low investment.

The post COVID global economic climate

is investment shy and the population is

impatient for a high standard and low cost

of living.

Mahama may be able to meet these

challenges if he is able to put together a

focused, competent team. This team can be

drawn from his party and the wider

Ghanaian society. He must also rein in

political apparatchiks who may want to

exploit the return to power for their selfish

material ends. In essence he must avoid

many if not all the slippages of his first

term. These included incidents over the

purchase of aircraft and a bus branding

contract.

If this second shot at the Presidency is

also squandered, Mahama will surely have

no one to blame but himself.

* Lloyd G. Adu Amoah is a Scholar of

Political Science at University of Ghana.

* This article is republished from The

Conversation under a Creative Commons

license. Read the original article at:

https://theconversation.com/ghanaspresident-john-mahama-makes-acomeback-what-lies-ahead-245548.


Page4

TheTrumpet

TheTrumpet Group

DECEMBER 25 2024 - JANUARY 7 2025

GAB Awards

Meet the GAB Awards

Recipients

Field: 07956 385 604

E-mail:

info@the-trumpet.com

TheTrumpetTeam

RUTH AGBOLADE

Photography

PROF. WILLIAMS

AZUMA IJOMA

Responsible Migration

MS OLUYEMISI

IRANLOYE

Agro Allied Processing

PUBLISHER / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:

’Femi Okutubo

CONTRIBUTORS:

Moji Idowu, Ayo Odumade,

Steve Mulindwa

SPECIAL PROJECTS:

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John-Brown Adegunsoye (Abuja)

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3695 F Cascade Road #2140 Atlanta,

GA 30331 USA

Tel: +1 404 889 3613

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BOARD OF CONSULTANTS

CHAIRMAN:

Pastor Kolade Adebayo-Oke

MEMBERS:

Tunde Ajasa-Alashe

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Ruth Agbolade is a multi-disciplinary

visionary artist whose work

embodies a deep connection to

spirituality, biblical narratives, and the

transformative power of faith. With an

artistic style that blends vibrant, mosaiclike

patterns and abstract forms, she

creates compelling pieces that are rich in

symbolism and storytelling. Her work

often draws from biblical themes,

reimagining well-known stories with a

modern, abstract twist. Her use of bold

colors and intricate designs conveys a

sense of hope, redemption, and divine

purpose.

She recently won the Startup of the

Year Awards at the Yorkshire Black

Business Awards 2024, and is the

Director of RAPSTUDIOS LTD - a

personal branding photography company

that specialises in creating fine art images

for small and medium-sized business

owners, with a focus on personal

branding.

She also owns a social enterprise

called Upcycle Art CIC where she creates

and teaches individuals, asylum seekers

and refugees on how to create art pieces

and sculptures from discarded materials.

The 30-year old who holds a Master’s

degree in Marketing runs her own

business full time because she is deeply

passionate about entrepreneurship

and believes it’s her true calling.

In addition to her painting, Ruth

integrates sustainability into her creative

practice by transforming discarded

materials into thought-provoking

sculptures. These works reflect her

commitment to reimagining waste and

celebrating redemption, both materially

and spiritually.

Prof. Williams Azuma Ijoma is a

Nigerian that has lived outside his

country for three decades.

He is the Publisher of Naijainfo News

and the founding President/CEO of

Global Migration Research Institute,

USA.

In 2010, as a passionate Pan

Africanist, he sponsored and organised a

3-day Caravan for Peace and Non-

Violence in Mauritania that ended a civil

war that was about to break out.

The ill-treatment he saw people go

through in different countries compelled

him to start migration advocacy in 2006.

He was one of the eminent Africans

who bagged the ‘2022 Migration

Advocacy Legendary Award’ in New

York.

He’s also the President of

l’Oganisation Pour l’Integration

Africaine, Togo, an organisation that

seeks to promote peace, unity and African

integration.

Prof. Ijoma was appointed by Yahweh

Hills University in 2021 as the Director

of their online courses.

In 2020, the Journalist International

Forum For Migration ‘JIFORM’

appointed Prof. Williams

Azuma Ijoma as their Global

Francophone Director.

Since his return to Nigeria in

2021, he has organised 18 self sponsored

seminars and workshops both at the

national and state levels with the aim of

seeking collective efforts in tackling

irregular migration.

He was appointed as the African

Chairman of the United Nations

Economic and Social Council in 2021.

She obtained her undergraduate degree

in Food Biochemistry from the

Federal University of Technology Minna

in 1997 and later completed her

postgraduate studies in biochemistry and

nutrition at the University of Ibadan in

2000. Afterwards, she ventured into

entrepreneurship, developing food

products for diabetic individuals using

wheat and creating natural beverages.

In 2001, she started working at Ekha

Agro-Processing Ltd in Lagos, a

company that specializes in using cassava

to manufacture glucose syrup. During her

time at Ekha, she took on various projects

that allowed her to gain valuable

experience working with cassava and

discovering the untapped potentials of

this crop. She played a leading role in this

project and developed a strong affinity

for the crop.

While working at Ekha, she managed

to acquire her own plot of land where she

eventually built her own farm and

factory. Following a decade of service

with Ekha Agro, she made the decision to

move from Lagos to the farm in Ado-

Awaye, in Oyo State in 2015. There, she

constructed a modest dwelling farmland

and resided therein with a team of

approximately six employees. Together,

they diligently cultivated the land and

collaborated with local smallholder

farmers. Their objective was to

encourage a shift in mindset, encouraging

farmers to diversify from solely growing

cassava for fufu or garri, and instead

focus on cultivating for industrial

purposes. This was the genesis of Psaltry

International Limited.

The company produces food-grade

starch and high-quality cassava flour,

purchasing from local smallholder

farmers. Her company prioritises

delivering high-quality products,

Continued on Page 6<


DECEMBER 25 2024 - JANUARY 7 2025 TheTrumpet

Page5


Page6 TheTrumpet DECEMBER 25 2024 - JANUARY 7 2025

GAB

Awards

Continued from Page 4<

attracting customers like Nestle,

Unilever, and Nigerian Breweries among

others.

Recently, they have opened the first

cassava-based sorbitol factory in Nigeria,

attracting the distinguished presence of

the Oyo State Governor - Seyi Makinde.

This sorbitol factory is also produces

healthier sweeteners.

She did not underestimate the

difficulties involved in starting an agroprocessing

company in a rural location.

Despite the lack of electricity in the area,

she managed to establish and operate her

factory using generators. She also chose

Ado-Awaye for its ample land and

friendly community. Although there was

a scarcity of water, this problem was

solved by constructing boreholes for both

the local community and the factory.

Despite the unfavourable road conditions,

the factory managed to overcome

transportation obstacles and effectively

hire employees.

She is the Chairman of Psaltry

International UK Limited and the CEO of

Psaltry International Limited (Nigeria).

VIN CLUB

Philanthropy

Meet the GAB Awards Recipients

over £100,000 for UK-based charities

which has enabled these charities to

embark on various projects and poverty

alleviation programmes.

In 2017, the club raised £8,800 for

Sickle Cell Society.

In 2018, £8,722 was raised for Autism

Initiatives UK.

In 2019, £15,500 was raised for

RACET, a UK registered charity that

sponsors and supports children’s

education in rural Nigeria.

In 2021, over £27,000 was raised for

Heritage Outreach, a UK based charity,

with an orphanage in Nigeria.

In 2022, £28,000 was raised for

Precious Sight Foundation, a charity that

supports the visually impaired and blind

in Africa.

In 2023, over £23,000 was raised for

Damilola Taytor Trust.

VIN Club has also sponsored two

children up to university level.

Although VIN Club is not a charity

organisation, they have placed charity at

the core of their club, changing lives in

the process

MS RUGIATU KANU

Women Empowerment

in Adult Health Nursing; and the

University of East London where she

bagged a Bachelors degree in

Pharmacology in 2016 and a Masters

degree in Public Health in 2017.

She is the Chair of United Kingdom

registered charity organisation - “Women

4 Women Empowerment.”

Women 4 Women Empowerment

advocates against hygiene poverty in

London – affirming that access to

fundamental hygiene products is a basic

human right, not a luxury. The

organisation believes that no one should

be isolated because of poor hygiene. The

organisation also distributes free

toiletries, cosmetics and female hygiene

products to women who live in

Southwark. They focus on women who

are struggling to maintain good hygiene.

Ms Rugiatu Kanu is also a

motivational speaker, and uses her social

media platform called “Women Empower

Women” to empower women from time

to time.

MR. JULIUS IMABEH

Philanthropy

40-bed supported accommodation unit

for males and females aged 16 – 21.

Every Christmas season, he not only

puts smiles on the faces of the young

adults with gift packages personally

handed to these recipients; but he also

visits them with other youths who have

made it out of The Salvation Army shelter

and gone on to excel in their different

endeavours and career paths - as a way of

encouraging and challenging them to

believe in their future.

At his first stint as President of

Buckingham Aviary Club, in 2014, the

club adopted Prostate Cancer UK as a

beneficiary of its charitable giving. The

club has over the last ten years, continued

to raise funds and awareness for Prostate

Cancer UK.

His entrepreneurial endeavours span

Real Estate, Beverages, Media and

Entertainment.

AMB. JOSEPH

EHIGIAMUSOE

Culture

Vires In Numeris (VIN) Club is a

social club formed by 11 likeminded

individuals. The club is

renowned for its outstanding charitable

activities. They set aside every year to

adopt and raise money for charity

organisations.

In the last 7 years, the club has raised

Ms Rugiatu Kanu attended the

University of Surrey where she

bagged a Diploma of Higher Education

He is an entrepreneur, humanitarian

and a philanthropist who for several

years, has dedicated himself and his

resources to encouraging, transforming,

and making dreams of so many people

come true - especially young ones who

have had diverse challenges in their lives

to points of almost giving up.

He is an active supporter of the

Salvation Army Springfield Lodge – a

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He wears many hats as a Cultural &

Peace Ambassador, Media Czar,

Consultant, a Veteran Radio and

Television Broadcaster, Content

Developer, Entrepreneur, Entertainer,

Event Host & Master of Ceremonies

Extraordinaire. He’s also a Motivational

Speaker, Social Commentator, Political

Analyst, Brand Ambassador, Influencer,

Actor, On-Air-Personality, Humanitarian

and a Philanthropist.

The humble Edo man from Benin

City, was appointed Edo State Cultural

Ambassador to the UK in 2017.

An alumnus of University of East

London, he is the convener of Diaspora

Edo State Indigenes UK.

He co-founded Diaspora Africa

Konnect DAK - a body working with the

African Union to create soft landing

investment opportunities and ease of

doing business devoid of ambiguity.

The certified UK Security & Anti

Terrorism Officer is the CEO of J4ward

Global Ltd; Founder of Edoworld online

TV; and a Joint Partner @J2konsults &

Entertainment.


DECEMBER 25 2024 - JANUARY 7 2025 TheTrumpet

Page7


Page8 TheTrumpet DECEMBER 25 2024 - JANUARY 7 2025

Opinion

Tinubu’s Tax Reform bills

and other stories

“Bros, I dey hail oh”

“I dey greet. What’s up?”

“We couldn’t finish our gist last

week. But since then, so much has

happened. That is why I am calling.

Just to pick your brains, bro.”

“You will have to let me finish

this bowl of hot piping amala and

orisirisi before it gets cold, and then

we can talk.”

“You and food. Apparently, there

is no food inflation on your side.

With the serious food inflation in the

country and the cancer of hunger

messing up many families under

Tinubu, you still get a chance to

swallow dollops and draw soup.”

“It is God. Even though I walk in

the valley of the shadow of

death…Psalm 23 is sufficient for

every child of God. In the midst of

darkness, and enemies, the good

Lord provides for His own. Let me

enjoy my amala and ewedu soup.

When I worship my stomach, I am

also invariably worshipping God

and preparing for heaven. Not to

deceive you, this amala is going to

the very right parts of my stomach”

“Glutton. Wackie and quench”

“Hmm. Ha..Uh. Hu. Ech hen.

Hen Hen. Who did you say killed

the mother of Jesus Christ? Ha. Ha

aaa”

“Food will not kill you one day.

You better drink some water.”

“Hen. Hen Jesus is Lord.”

“I am actually trying to tell you

that the Lord has done it. Port

Harcourt Refinery is now working

at 70 to 90 percent. The Old refinery

is back on stream. The new refinery

will join shortly and Warri refinery

too. We should be joyous. The

Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has

been put to shame. And it is a bigger

shame that they have not deemed it

necessary to congratulate President

Tinubu and NNPC Limited who

have both fulfilled an important

pledge.”

“The Labour Congress is not a

chorus group. Not an alleluia group

like the National Assembly. They

are a pressure group, an advocacy

movement. You are asking for too

much”

“When government does

something that is good, we should

be able to say so. It is not every time

that we condemn and dismiss. We

should be fair.”

“There is nothing to be fair

about. There are questions that have

not been answered. What exactly

have they completed? The old

refinery or the new. A refinery or a

blending plant, relying on Crack 5

from Eleme Petrochemicals now

known as Indorama? Who has lifted

what? I hear marketers are not yet

loading trucks”

“I hear trucks are being loaded”

“Has anybody talked to the

elders and youths for whom petrol

production is the mainstay of their

community?”

“Which community? This is not

about community youths and elders

looking for hand-outs or royalties or

whatever they call it. Oil refining is

a sophisticated business. It has no

room for street urchins, claiming

Nigeria’s oil belongs to their

forefathers. This is technical

business, not a project for village

thugs”

“Be careful. In everything you

must carry the people along.”

“Look. Look, the people are

oftentimes the problem. Everything

that government tries to do for the

common good, some people just

think it is their lifetime ambition to

sabotage everything.”

“More like some people in

government suffering from

executive arrogance, and we see it

all the time. If the people ask

questions, you explain to them. Is

the refinery already loading

products or not? Simple answer.”

“We live in a country where

some people don’t want to see

anything good in government.

Negative people. I listened to one

Mr. Tony Ogbuigwe on Arise News

discussing this same subject. He is

President, Society of Chemical

Engineers. He explained everything.

He was formerly in charge of the

Port Harcourt Refinery. He spoke

like an expert, but Nigerians refused

to listen. Some people still came on

the same TV station the following

day to just talk.”

“Mr. Engr. Ogbuigwe spoke for

himself. I am not duty-bound to

accept his thoughts.”

“You are an Obidient, what else

do I expect from you? Is that not the

same attitude you people have

brought to the issue of tax reform?

Four brilliant bills sent to the

National Assembly by the Federal

Government to reform the tax

BY REUBEN ABATI

regime in the country, look at all the

confusion you naysayers have

generated. Senators from the North

are kicking. Northern Governors

Forum and the National Governors

Forum think the bills are against

them. Even Northern Youths are

fighting any Northern Leader like

the Deputy Senate President, Barau

Jibrin who asks for tax reform.”

“Are the Northern youths also

Obidients?”

“They are behaving like that.

People are all speaking out of

mischief and ignorance. I suspect

foul play over a subject that should

not generate any problem. Mr.

Taiwo Oyedele, Chair of the

Presidential Committee on Tax and

Fiscal Policy and FIRS Chairman,

Dr. Zacch Adedeji and others went

to the National Assembly to make a

presentation on the four bills,

Senator Ali Ndume, Senator Abdul

Ningi and others staged a walk-out

claiming that the presentation was

not on the Order Paper for the day.”

“Yes. They were right.

Government must learn to do things

the proper way.”

“So why did they come back?”

“Because they are more

interested in the common good.”

“Leave that matter. Ningi and

Ndume have an axe to grind. Ningi

was suspended from the Senate for a

while. Ndume was removed as

Chief Whip. You think they will be

happy? The one that surprised me is

Professor Baba Gana Zulum going

on television to protest. A Professor.

Somebody that we all like.”

“Because you all like him, he

should not have an opinion?”

“I expected that someone like

him would have read the Bills. How

would he say openly that if the bills

are passed, there would be

consequences for the people?

Oyedele and Adedeji in their

presentations have made it clear that

the four tax bills will promote

Continued on Page 10<


DECEMBER 25 2024 - JANUARY 7 2025 TheTrumpet

Page9


Page10 TheTrumpet DECEMBER 25 2024 - JANUARY 7 2025

Opinion

Tinubu’s Tax Reform bills and

other stories

Continued from Page 8<

inclusion, equity, fairness and

justice. It will defend the interest of

the poor. It will task the rich to pay

more. It will promote Small and

Medium Scale Enterprises. It will

change the formula for tax

administration. Every State will get

50%, the Federal Government 10%,

local councils 35%. Distribution to

the States and local governments

will be on the basis of derivation.

And every State will collect what its

people consume through sales tax.

No State will collect taxes on

imports and exports and

international services. Fair enough. I

believe the tax reform will

encourage competition. Why should

Sokoto State or Zamfara collect

VAT on beer that is consumed in

Lagos, when people in Sokoto and

Zamfara are not allowed to drink

beer?”

“Very good. Executive arrogance

minus political intelligence. This is

what we are dealing with here. Not

so?”

“There will be public hearings.

The Bills have not been passed into

law yet. Did you see Oyedele on TV

yesterday? He gave brilliant

explanations.”

“We have seen kangaroo public

hearings in this country. The Federal

Government should have carried

stakeholders along. Organize a

robust debate. The Oyedele

committee should also have spoken

to the public.”

“It did”

“To APC members?”

“There was consultation with

Governors”

“We know about such

consultations. But the Governors are

saying not all of them were

consulted and they needed more

time to understand the bills.

Professor Zulum asked the right

question: why the rush? Let nobody

give the impression that once

Tinubu decides, then it is done. This

is a democracy. We, the people,

have the right to ask questions.

Nobody should blackmail us into

anything.”

“Nobody is blackmailing

anybody. Lazy Nigerian Governors

must learn to be productive.

President Tinubu wants to teach

them to compete and be productive

in their States.”

“Okay. The headmaster knows it

all. He should just be careful,

especially now that members of his

own party are beginning to criticize

him openly. He has not spent two

years in office, his party members

are questioning his judgement.”

“Who are those ones?”

“Jesutega Onokpasa for

example”

“Who is he to criticize Tinubu?”

“He is Chairman of the Tinubu

Media Support Group”

“Who knows him? Let him go

and sit down”

“This is the arrogance that I am

talking about. By the way, is the

President back from France? They

told us he would be away for two

days on a State visit. I hope he has

not gone missing again for a few

more days after a fashion?”

“Are you alright? Show some

respect please.”

“I asked a simple question. If he

is back, yes. If he is not back, No.”

“Google it. He is in South Africa

for a bilateral meeting”

“From France straight to South

Africa. I know he is the country’s

Chief Foreign Policy Officer. I

know that economic diplomacy is

important. But he cannot travel

every market day looking for

investors. He must stay at the

market and man the stall too. Over

30 trips in less than two years.

Haba.”

“Investments and diplomacy are

critical parts of his assignment.”

“Accountability is also part of his

responsibility. And how would the

four tax bills help to attract foreign

investments too?”

“Stop beating yourself over

nothing. Presidential powers can

make anything happen. Look at

President Joe Biden of the United

States. He has just pardoned his son,

Hunter Biden and he hopes all

Americans will understand where he

is coming from. The fellow was

convicted in two cases of federal

felony: a gun charge in Delaware

and tax convictions in California.

His sentencing was scheduled for

December 12 and 16. Ahead of that,

his father has granted him full and

unconditional pardon, not just for

the two criminal offences, but also

for any offence that he may have

committed, or may be suspected to

have committed between January 1,

2014 through December 1, 2024.”

“The man simply transferred his

immunity to his own son, and saved

him from going to jail. This is the

same man who in June categorically

ruled out a pardon or a commutation

for his son. He said he would abide

by the jury’s decision”

“That is what it means to be a

President. And Biden is not the first

American President to use

presidential powers to protect a

relative. In 2001, President Bill

Clinton pardoned his half-brother,

Roger Clinton who was in jail for a

cocaine-related offence.”

“I stand with Donald Trump in

this matter. It is an abuse of

Presidential powers. It is a

miscarriage of justice.”

“Which Donald Trump? Kettle

calling pot black. In 2020, Trump as

President pardoned Charles

Kushner, the father-in-law of his

daughter Ivanka. He has just named

Continued on Page 11<


Opinion

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Tinubu’s Tax Reform bills and

other stories

TheTrumpet

Page11

Continued from Page 10<

the same Charles Kushner as his

Ambassador-designate to France. If

you were President Joe Biden, you

will open your eyes and allow a

judge to send your son to jail

because you want to be seen to be

upright? If you were in his shoes,

you will leave office and allow your

son to be in jail under a President

Trump? He was very clear. He said

his son was singled out and that

there had been a miscarriage of

justice”

“Pardoning his son casts a pall

over his legacy.”

“So be it. When you become

President, don’t use the powers God

has given you. Allow your

opponents to ride roughshod over

you. The problem with governance

is actually the people, particularly

journalists who will not mind their

business.”

“Journalists are not supposed to

mind their business. Any journalist

that minds his or her business is not

a journalist.”

“And that is why journalists get

knocked on the head. I am a

journalist. I am a journalist. That

was how Fisayo Soyombo found

himself in army detention in Port

Harcourt. He was lucky the social

media cried out. He could have

disappeared for a whole year before

anybody will trace his

whereabouts.”

“Soyombo, founder of the

Foundation for Investigative

Journalism (FIJ) is not just a

journalist. He is one of the finest in

the trade. He is a courageous

investigative journalist who exposes

the underbelly of corruption in our

society. A man of courage who has

exposed the criminal practices in

prisons, the mistreatment of soldiers

at the warfront, vehicle smuggling

across the border and the

inefficiency of the police. He was on

duty in Port Harcourt to investigate

the menace of illegal oil bunkering

and crude oil theft. Rather than

arrest the oil bunkerers, Nigerian

soldiers arrested him and allowed

the oil thieves to go scot-free. Is that

what you recommend?”

“If you make yourself a suspect,

you can be arrested and

interrogated. What is wrong in

that?”

“What is wrong is that in this

country the good guys get punished,

the bad guys get a pat on the back.

The army interrogated Soyombo

and before they released him, they

had reported everything he said to

the oil thieves, thus placing him in

harm’s way.”

“You have no proof. There is

always another side to any story.”

“He was very specific. He

mentioned names.”

“Who?”

“You should know. I think you

always hear and see things.”

“I hear President Biden is

visiting Angola, keeping his

promise to visit sub-Saharan Africa

before he leaves office. I am

surprised he is not visiting Nigeria

on his first visit to Africa.”

“What does it matter? He is

leaving anyway. He has less than

two months in office before he

leaves the White House. And you

can be sure when that visit is over,

he will go straight back home…

Maybe Trump will visit Nigeria.”

“He will come and visit you at

home”

“Yes. Why not? He is after all,

our in-law”

“I also hear the Federal Inland

Revenue Service (FIRS) has

directed the money deposit banks

and the Fintech firms to start

charging Electronic Money Transfer

Levy of N50 on any electronic

inflow of N10,000 and above.”

“For what? Why?”

“To generate revenue for

government distribution”

“No. To further tax the people

and punish them and to create

another avenue for corruption.

Distribute our money to which

government? What do they ever do

with all the taxes? I am willing to

pay tax but I want to be sure that

what is taken from me is used to

build roads, fund education and

healthcare and promote the common

good, not the greed of government

officials.”

“Nobody has ever liked the tax

man. This is the real issue.”

“The real issue is President

Tinubu saying Nigerians lived a

fake life before he became

President. He has forgotten he was

part of that fake world too.”


Page12 TheTrumpet DECEMBER 25 2024 - JANUARY 7 2025


Opinion

DECEMBER 25 2024 - JANUARY 7 2025

TheTrumpet

Page13

Osun 2026: Crossroads and

consequences (1)

Continued from Page 16<

chaotic primary election. If not managed

carefully, this could lead to severe

electoral consequences. With the PDP

likely to present a unified front,

leveraging incumbency power, APC will

be at a disadvantage. For his own good,

the candidate must be a unifier and must

be experienced. This time, the party must

also be expansive and avoid premature

triumphalism. After all, it’s precisely the

absence of expansiveness and the

shedding of the spirit of accommodation

that led to PDP’s victory in 2022.

Tajudeen Lawal is the State APC

chairman. He is optimistic about the

party‘s chances in the 2026 election. He

believes the current administration’s poor

performance has created an opportunity

for APC to succeed. The prince from Ile-

Ife, Osun State, is confident that Osun

APC, on his watch, is resilient and wellequipped

to withstand any antidemocratic

forces that may try to

undermine it, just as it did during the

2022 governorship election.

According to Bola Oyebamiji, former

Osun State Commissioner for Finance

and current Managing Director of the

Federal Inland Waterways Authority

(NIWA), Osun APC must “deploy

strategies and synergize” to win the 2026

election. He advises the party to “conduct

a SWOT analysis of its strengths and

weaknesses in the 2018 and 2022

elections.”

Oyebamiji expresses confidence in

the party’s solidity and leadership, stating

that, if the party continues to improve, it

will win in 2026. He also assures that

APC is ready to contest and win the

forthcoming local government elections,

despite the State’s election umpire being

perceived as biased towards the

government.

Babajide Omoworare, a former

Senator, believes that APC should be

more of “ko ara re s’ihin”, not “ko ara re

s’ohun” - that, “beyond punishing errant

party members, it must oil its mediatory

and conciliatory machinery and work as a

team.” He also notes that the party’s

current reward system, which is flawed

and unfair, must be reviewed to

accommodate clarity, transparency and

justice. “Monkeys should not be working

while baboons are eating.” Omoworare

emphasizes that politics and

electioneering require strategic planning

and attention to detail. He also urges the

party “to decide whether to focus on

zoning positions or winning elections.”

Dotun Babayemi is confident that

Osun APC is on the right track, citing the

party’s current unity of purpose and

concerted effort as a significant strength.

He cites the outcomes of the recently

concluded governorship elections in Edo

and Ondo States as evidence of the

party’s influence and leadership efforts at

all levels. He notes that the party is

strongly represented in all local

governments across the State, and areas

of concern are being addressed. With the

2026 election on the horizon, Babayemi

is confident that APC will emerge

victorious.

Olalekan Badmus, the former Osun

State Commissioner for Regional

Integration and Special Duties, and

current Executive Director, Marine and

Operations at the Nigerian Ports

Authority (NPA), is confident about the

party‘s chances in 2026. According to

him, APC is actively working to return to

power, with regular weekly meetings

across wards, local governments and the

State Executive Committee. Badmus

notes that the party’s Apex Leader’s

mentees are giving back to society and

benefiting party members. “The party is

also consulting widely to regain its

winning momentum, and attracting

political heavyweights to boost its

chances, and the Elders’ Council is ready

to intervene when needed.

Great party, good promises! However,

it’s worth noting that winning elections

demands a profound understanding of the

complexities of power, the nuances of

human nature and the unpredictable

dynamics of the political landscape. In

the game of politics, promises are merely

the currency of persuasion, but it’s the

ability to deliver, to adapt, and to evolve

that ultimately determines success.

In the spirit of unvarnished candor,

which is the oxygen that sustains the

flame of true democracy, it’s time for

Osun APC to strip away the politics and

confront the realities! It’s time to tap into

new opportunities, refresh its vision, reenergize

its grassroots connections, and

regain its relevance among the electorate.

By doing so, the party will turn its current

challenges into opportunities for growth,

emerging stronger, more united, and

more focused.

To be concluded.

Komolafe wrote from Ijebu-Jesa,

Osun State, Nigeria

(ijebujesa@yahoo.co.uk)


Page14 TheTrumpet DECEMBER 25 2024 - JANUARY 7 2025

Opinion

Ghana: John Mahama’s return

By Reuben Abati

There seems to be an emerging

pattern in some of the major

elections conducted in Africa

so far, hinting at an emergent

character of democracy in the

continent, and this would seem to be

the people’s seeming determination to

change incumbent ruling parties or

whittle down their influence or

remove them altogether, and at the

base of this is a certain streak of

nostalgia for the past. In May, South

Africa held its general elections and

for the first time since the end of

apartheid in 1994, the ruling African

National Congress (ANC) lost its

parliamentary majority, receiving less

than 50% of the votes. It therefore

found itself in the uncomfortable

situation of having to negotiate with

the centrist Democratic Alliance, the

Jacob Zuma-led uMkhonto Sizwe

(MK), the Inkatha Freedom Party and

the Patriotic Alliance (PA) to be able

to form a national unity government.

Former President Jacob Zuma said he

and the MK would not be part of any

alliance. Zuma was indeed the

nemesis of the ANC.

He is the overlord of politics in

KwaZulu Natal, having left the ANC

in December 2023. Ramaphosa

survived the anti-ANC onslaught but

it remains to be seen for how long the

government of national unity would

last, a similar arrangement having

failed in the past. There was yet

another upheaval in Botswana in

October 2024 when the Botswana

Democratic Party (BDP) which had

ruled the country since independence

in 1966, lost woefully to the Umbrella

for Democratic Change Coalition,

producing Duma Boko (54) as

President, with a majority 36 seats in

the 61-seat parliament. The BDP was

reduced to four seats! Former

President Ian Khama (2008 – 2018)

was, as in South Africa with Zuma, a

major factor in the Botswana election.

He had appointed Mokgweetsi Masisi

as Vice President in 2014, and when

his tenure expired in 2018, Khama

supported Matsisi to succeed him.

When Matsisi assumed office,

however, he simply went after Ian

Khama, and ended up reversing his

policies, and drove him into exile in

2021. In October 2024, Khama

returned with a determination to

unseat Matsisi. It was not his

candidate that won in the end, but he

achieved his aim all the same and the

Umbrella for Democratic Change was

not unknown to him, having worked

with that same party in 2019 to secure

John Mahama (Photo - United Nations, Cia Pak)

victory for Matsisi. And now in

Ghana, over the weekend, former

President John Dramani Mahama has

been overwhelmingly re-elected as

President for another term of four

years. The people of Ghana looked

back and looked into the future and

concluded that Mahama is best suited

to take them into the future.

Beyond the conflict of political

interest and power blocs in the three

countries isolated for illustration is the

resolve of the people to defend their

votes and make a choice, by trying

possible alternatives. In Botswana, the

economy was in the doldrums, the

government’s treasury was almost

empty. Government hospitals had run

out of funds and facilities. Corruption

was on stilts, institutions were

prostrate. In other words, the state of

the economy was a major issue in

Botswana as it was also in South

Africa. Over 80% of the registered

voters in Botswana turned up on

polling day. In June, in South Africa,

voter’s behaviour was dictated not

strictly by the in-fighting within the

original ANC but by a number of

complex and related factors, top of

which is the fact that the people’s

expectations had not really been met

by the ruling ANC. The people

wanted jobs and a better life. The

ANC had offered them a high

unemployment rate with many of the

youths jobless. Trust in the ruling

party is also important to the

electorate, and the people were no

longer as trustful of Ramaphosa and

the ANC to create jobs, get them the

social grants that they need and

address corruption in official

corridors. On election day, voter

turnout was 58.6%, the lowest ever in

30 years, a reflection of the people’s

discontent. The ANC got 40.18% of

the votes, and Ramaphosa returned

but the people had made a statement

about their discontent. Last Saturday

in Ghana, voter turn-out was

estimated at 61%, and that is

considered the lowest in that country

in the last three elections. Outgoing

President Nana Akuffo-Addo

presided over such a bad economy in

a generation with high inflation,

unemployment and huge, almost

unpayable debts that the people

angrily voted out his party, the New

Patriotic Party (NPP).

The only exceptions to the pattern

described so far would seem to be the

general elections in Mozambique on

October 9, 2024, and in Namibia, 27

– 30 November 2024. Turn out in

Mozambique was put at 43%, with

many outrightly boycotting the

election in the North and in Namibia,

turnout was 76.48%. In Mozambique,

FRELIMO retained its 58 years of

authoritarian hold on the country, and

in Namibia, SWAPO remained

immovable even if it produced its first

female President, incumbent Vice

President, SWAPO veteran, Netumbo

Nandi-Ndaitwah. Analysts have noted

that the elections in both countries

cannot be considered free and fair, but

where the voters were allowed to

choose and defend their votes, the

people spoke loudly through the

Continued on Page 15>


Opinion

DECEMBER 25 2024 - JANUARY 7 2025 TheTrumpet

Ghana: John Mahama’s return

Page15

Continued from Page 14<

ballot to the key point that the people

are the mainstay of the democratic

process. The challenge for African

leaders is to provide an enabling

environment for democracy to thrive,

for good governance, and for building

trust with the people. And when it is

election time, to allow the people to

make their choice.

There have been many comments

on the just concluded elections in

neighbouring Ghana, focusing on the

lessons that Nigerians can possibly

learn from Ghana. I think there are

lessons both ways, starting with the

Nigerian example. It is refreshing to

see that even long before the Electoral

Commission of Ghana announced the

final results and declared the winner,

the candidate of the ruling party, NPP,

and incumbent Vice President,

Mahamudu Bawumia conceded

defeat and congratulated President

John Mahama, his main opponent of

the National Democratic Congress

(NDC). “The people have voted for

change”, Bawumia said. This display

of sportsmanship reminds us of the

example of President Goodluck

Jonathan in the 2015 general elections

in Nigeria. President Jonathan not

only congratulated General

Muhammadu Buhari of the All

Progressives Congress (APC), he also

said famously that his political

ambition was not worth the shedding

of anyone’s blood. In 2016, a year

later, when President John Mahama

lost Ghana’s Presidential election of

that year, he also quietly relinquished

power and handed over to President

Nana Akufo-Addo. Between the two

countries, there seems to be an

emerging realization that the people’s

will, whatever may be the

circumstances, must be respected.

President Jonathan has since gone

ahead to build a stronger reputation as

a democrat and elder statesman in the

West African sub-region and beyond.

In an election cycle when we have

seen a former President, Donald

Trump returning to power in the

United States, and President Mahama

in Ghana, it is not impossible that

there would be some Nigerians out

there saying that President Jonathan is

entitled to an out-standing possible

second term and should also make a

bid to return to office as Nigeria’s

President. This would however

depend on an interplay of factors. The

onus is on President Tinubu and the

APC not to unwittingly invoke a

nostalgia for either President Jonathan

and/or the Peoples Democratic Party

(PDP) among Nigerians.

The second lesson that Ghana had

supposedly learnt from Nigeria was

pointed out by the Chairman of

Nigeria’s Independent National

Electoral Commission (INEC),

Professor Mahmood Yakubu who was

in Ghana as a guest and observer. In a

widely circulated video, he said

Ghana has learnt from Nigeria how to

manage constituency election results.

Results are announced in the

constituencies. Only Presidential

election results are sent to Accra for

announcement. This comment has

drawn a backlash, with many of

Professor Yakubu’s critics telling him

that on the contrary, he is the one who

needs to learn lessons from Ghana’s

management of the electoral process.

For example, voting materials arrived

early and the voting process was

smooth. In Nigeria, voting is always

a tug of war. In Ghana, even if there

were scuffles in some constituencies,

this was nothing compared to the

Nigerian situation where persons

resort to raw violence. Election in

Nigeria is often a security operation,

heavily militarized. In Ghana, the

people drove soldiers away from

polling stations. They insisted that an

election should be a civilian

operation. In places where the soldiers

were confronted and scuffles ensued,

we saw the Ghanaian soldiers not

shooting anyone, even when they

carried weapons. If any Nigerian

voter displayed such boldness to

challenge Nigerian soldiers at a

polling unit, there would have been

bloodshed! The Electoral

Commission of Ghana also deployed

technology, but this did not become

an excuse for abuse as has been the

case repeatedly in Nigeria. Those

voters whose names were missing in

the register on polling day, were still

accredited through a back-end

database, and allowed to vote. In

Nigeria, it is either the notorious

BVAS would fail or the INEC server

would malfunction due to “technical

glitches”. There have been no

deafening reports of vote buying

indicating that the Ghanaian voter is

far more sophisticated, and that

democracy in Ghana is more stable. A

total of 18. 6 million registered voters,

13 candidates representing nine

political parties, 4 independent

candidates, with the NPP and NDC

emerging as the dominant two parties

– the option of independent candidacy

is an area in which Nigeria can learn

from Ghana to make our political

process more inclusive.

Despite the push-back that

Professor Mahmood Yakubu may

have received, he identified a lesson

for Nigeria that seems noteworthy:

which is his comment that politicians

in Ghana are faithful to their political

parties. They do not move from one

political party to the other every

election season. The reverse is the

case in Nigeria because here, our

political parties are Special Purpose

Vehicles, organized to win by any

means. Nigerian politics is not

ideology-based. Politicians would

rather use any political platform that

would get them into power. Nigeria’s

political parties are united by this

singular aim, and that is why after

every general election, it doesn’t take

long before our politicians migrate

into the ruling party. In Ghana there is

a more enduring tradition of political

identity. Prof. Yakubu obviously

knows what he is talking about in this

regard: names are constantly moving

around on the INEC register.

President John Mahama lost election

in 2016 on the platform of the NDC,

he lost again in 2020 on the platform

of the same party, and now in 2024, at

third attempt, he has emerged

victorious. If he were a Nigerian

politician, he would have been all

over the political space, gambling for

opportunity. But he stayed within the

NDC, and helped to build it into a

winning machinery.

We join others in congratulating

him. His victory has resulted in much

singing and dancing across Ghana.

There are no politicians threatening to

contest the outcome in the courts. The

people of Ghana, however, should be

cautiously optimistic. When President

Mahama lost his bid for a second term

in the 2016 general election, the key

reason was the poor state of the

Ghanaian economy, high

unemployment rate and the failure of

the country’s electricity system. Those

problems have not disappeared, they

only became worse under President

Nana Akuffo-Addo who got so

distracted he even commissioned a

statue in his own honour in Sekondi

in the Western Region. That statue

must fall. It must be pulled down, to

purge Akuffo-Addo of his own

delusions. President Mahama also has

to manage the people’s expectations.

Ghanaians are looking for a miracleworking

President who will offer

them a better life. But there are no

miracles anywhere. It is a good thing

that Mahama has significant

experience on the job having been

President (2012 - 2017), Vice

President (2009 – 2012), Minister for

Communications (1998 -2001),

Deputy Minister for Communications

(1997 – 1998), and Member of

Parliament for Bole (1997 - 2009). He

knows the system. He knows Ghana.

He has proven ability. Still, he must

act carefully. He must resist the

temptation to over-promise and seek

to over-impress. He must take his

time to study the same system that he

is familiar with all over again. He

knows Nigeria, being a High Chief of

Offa Kingdom in Kwara State -Aare

Atolase of Offa - and given his close

relationships with the country, for a

start, he should reflect on the

experience so far of President Bola

Ahmed Tinubu. Tinubu was in so

much of a hurry, he started

introducing reforms from his very

first day in office, reforms which have

now thrown the people into the deep

end. The best reform that a leader can

embark upon is in the minds of the

people: to build trust and deliver the

fruits of good governance. President

Mahama should run an inclusive

government, and accommodate the

finest shades of opinions.

Students of Ghana’s politics and

history would be better placed to give

a more definitive history of President

Nana Akufo-Addo’s legacy, a verdict

which should be kinder in good time

- his commitment to democracy, his

Pan-Africanism, his Ghana beyond

aid rhetoric, his management of the

COVID-19 challenge, his

establishment of six additional

regions and his robust presence in

international affairs. With Mahama, as

President, Nigerians can have their

own expectations too: better relations

with a country with which we share

so much in common. Our brother

from Offa, has won 6.3 million polls,

a historic 56.55% of the votes, an

emphatic victory. President Mahama

has been given an opportunity to

rewrite his own legacy: at home and

abroad. He should not squander it.


Page16 TheTrumpet DECEMBER 25 2024 - JANUARY 7 2025

Opinion

Osun 2026: Crossroads

and consequences (1)

My experience as a Branch

Internal Auditor in a nowconsolidated

commercial bank

during the 2000s taught me the

importance of accountability and

oversight in institutions. In this role, I

identified exceptions, assessed their

impact, and recommended corrective

actions. This skillset has since informed

my understanding of the need for

transparency and accountability in

governance and political institutions.

Alhaji Tajudeen Lawal -

Osun State APC Chairman

Akinwumi Olojo, my former Line

Boss and the bank’s Chief Internal

Auditor, would often remind us that a

Governor paying salaries is merely

fulfilling his contractual obligation to the

electorate. “Thanking him for doing his

job,” he’d say, “is akin to praising a

student for attending school.”

At a time like this, Olojo’s aphorism,

“Delayed or defaulted salaries are

symptoms of institutional distress”,

readily comes to mind. This adage

underscores the critical role Internal

Auditors play in ensuring organizational

accountability, efficiency and good

governance. In the context of democratic

governance, this principle is equally

applicable – and perhaps even more

crucial. Well, I will come back to that

later!

That said, it is no longer news that,

after a clutch of off-cycle gubernatorial

elections, the 2026 contest in Osun State

looms large. Anambra State, of course,

BY ABIODUN

KOMOLAFE

looms in-between. The issues in Osun,

coming so close to the 2027 general

elections, will test the waters as to the

wind and the political current on the road

to the presidential election a year later.

Obviously, Osun is currently in a state

of political flux! It is at the moment with

no defining or dominant political

headwind and all eyes can see it! The All

Progressives Congress (APC), the main

opposition party, is still reeling from its

unexpected loss in the governorship

election two years ago. Indeed, it is

difficult to define the party since it is

hardly portraying itself as a cohesive,

effective opposition. It’s a classic case of

‘when the going gets tough, the tough get

going’ - but in this case, Osun APC seems

to be stuck in neutral. It’s also a case of

‘better the devil you know’ – but in this

case, the devil is reveling in the trappings

of power and further tightening its grip

on the State.

Unless Osun APC can offer a

compelling alternative to the current

arrangement that has become

conveniently mired in the miasma of

‘Owambe’, the State’s anomie will likely

worsen. This could lead to a low voter

turnout in 2026, which might not be

surprising because, even Ondo State with

heightened political activities had a voter

turnout of an unacceptable 27%. This

scenario goes against the grain of the

typical Yoruba values of enlightened selfinterest

and the use of politics as an

avenue to push the progressive agenda

associated with the quest to make ‘life

more abundant.’

The trouble with July 16, 2022 was

that those who were gifted with testing

the temperature of the turmoil and the

tumult of the issues plaguing the then

ruling party chose not to wake up from

their slumber while those who claimed to

have been surrounded by the vibrant

green of nature and the singing of birds

simply went back to sleep. Somewhere,

somehow, Osun APC lost the plot and it

was as if the gods were angry!

With 2026 fast approaching, Osun

APC needs to decide on zoning for its

2026 governorship candidate to avoid a

Continued on Page 13>

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