OLAWUNMI OGUNESAN: A WOMAN LIKE GOVERNOR

African society where women’s participatory role in democracy is minimal particularly, in Nigeria due to agelong socio-cultural and religion tendency of narratives of women are
meant to be under the shadow of their husbands or male counterparts in an industry or in politics but, over the year’s, we’ve had women that, changed this narratives with their landmarks in political evolution of Nigeria journey.

Such class of women’s are regarded as ” MAGRET THATCHER” IRON LADY.
MAGRET THATCHER was a British Prime minister in the 80’s regarded as iron lady with regards to her firm grip on the political scene at a period UK economic growth was on slow line which she revamped and navigated through. So, any woman that, appeard strong enough in any country or state’s in Nigeria are quick to be regarded as iron lady.

This informed higlights on the OYO STATE HEAD OF SERVICE, MRS. HANNAH OLAWUNMI OGUNESAN who incidentally is from my local government in Saki East of Ago Amodu while, I am from Balogun compound Sepeteri of OKEOGUN region of Oyo State where female child education is on minimal enrollment as at the time ,she went to school and now.

Apparently, civil servants are not meant to be actively involved in politics aside right to vote or be voted for if, he or she resigns from service but, since anything goes in Nigeria, such occurrence is not in Oyo State alone as my former boss in Lagos State civil service, who also later became head of service was deeply involved in Lagos politics while in active service and former Governor of Lagos State rewarded him with house of Representatives ticket in Lagos Island Federal constituency.

OGUNESAN, I knew her during my HSC in ANSARUDEEN SCHOOL, SAKI. I am marvel at her grip on the politics of the state with unfettered access to control of the instruments of the state particularly, in determining who gets what from the table.

She has absolute influence on who becomes OBA or elevated OBA as she held sway as permanent secretary in the ministry of local government and chieftaincy affairs. Because, royal lineage’s families must visits her ,lobbied her and she inturn penetrantes into families and uses her discretion for personal reasons to install an OBA or elevate an OBA in a given town’s. Any royal family that ignore her does that, at their own perils.

She had different times dictates political wave of appointments since, late Alhaja Ramota of ISEYIN death and since Babalaje of Saki, Chief Michael Koleosho parted ways with Oyo state Governor. She singlehandely selected, councillors, vice chairmen local governments chairmen from OKEOGUN region without recourse to any other political stakeholders, which fuelled internal political problem of APC in OKEOGUN, with the likes of Deputy Speaker OYSHA ,Abdul Wasi Musa from Saki felt denigrated and complained but, ignore of complain was what he got from Governor Abiola Ajimobi and he and others has since moved to another party.

When APC held her congresses , OGUNESAN at her comfort zone determines who gets what from kishi to igboho, to Iseyin to entire okeogun region and inroad underneath authority in Ibadan.

No doubt ,she coordinated those who became candidate’s of their party APC for 2019 election with the exception of GOVERNORSHIP Candidate of Bayo Adelabu as she settled for Joseph Tegbe until hour’s to the primary’s that, she yilded to the swing signal of Governor Ajimobi.

Reliable sources revealed that, she has right of first refusal on the Deputy governorship candidate of their party, APC for the 2019 election, till now , Bayo Adelabu deputy at the poll is yet unvieled as, the person brought forward by Mrs. Olawummi Ogunesan is said not be of political big weight to the APC gubernatorial candidate at the poll.

I have no doubt, her prefential deputy governoship candidate would be accepted at the end by Governor Abiola Ajimobi, to whom she has stakes with. Stakeholders, have reached to conclusions that, this woman would definitely has control on Adelabu through his Deputy nominated by her as, the Egunjobi is known to be a stooge of ” Magret Thatcher” the powerful woman from OKEOGUN who double as head of service of Oyo state.

Last week, i travelled to Chicago to see an Ogbomosho family friend, a dentist also that, we both schooled together at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-ife. We began to narrate political developments back home and discuss Oyo state politics and her development. We both agreed, Bayo Adelabu is better of to govern the state than Lanlehin, Seyi Makinde and other’s, because of mantra of continuity and his economic background experience much needed by Oyo State but, we were aversed by Political Hawks that, seems holding the Political space of the state and Nigeria at large.

I doubt, Ogunesan has become a phenomenon in Oyo State politics with her gate free access to authority of the state under Governor Abiola Ajimobi and by extension if Bayo wins election in 2019, she would definitely control Adelabu as well.

DR IPADEOLA OLUWASEYI MICHAEL, Houston Texas, USA.

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