Having held sway as the youngest Speaker in the history of Nigeria, Dimeji Bankole has indeed witnessed immense favour and grace from his creator, attaining a feat that was uncommon for his age at that time.
Dimeji, at just 37, became Speaker House of Representatives against all odds after the first female speaker, Patricia Etteh was ousted from office due to an alleged series of corruption.
During his tenure, he was indeed powerful. His baritone voice shrouded the house in excitement, his charisma carried a stamp of authority in the house, as he enjoyed massive support from his colleagues.
However, his political misfortune started in 2011 when he failed to secure a return into the Green Chambers. He was defeated with a landslide victory by the opposition. Ever since the shocking defeat, Bankole had remained stagnant politically. His once large political influence was cut off like a cable.
According to sources, Dimeji was hit hard to the bones. He was shocked by the unexpected defeat. “He felt he deserved to be re-elected but his constituents spoke through the ballot. They openly told him he will not return as their representative. They claimed as a speaker of the house, his emergence did not develop his constituency, his impact was not felt in project and representation. They claimed he neglected them, only to resurface during the period of election,” a source informed.
However, years after his unceremonious exit from the National Assembly, he is still eager for political relevance. He suffered another defeat when he contested for the number one job in Ogun State under the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).
His ambition never saw the light of day as Gboyega Nasir Isiaka was handed the party’s ticket as the gubernatorial candidate.
Like the proverbial ram that moves back to bring more fire power, typical of an unrepentant optimist, in 2018, he threw his hat into the ring again for the number one job in Ogun state under the Action Democratic Party (ADP), trying to slug it out with other political gladiators in the state.
During the cause of the elections, political pundits stated he should be aware that he was no longer a force to be reckoned with in the political circle of Ogun State. We gathered that some close friends advised him to sit and watch from the sidelines but he opted to go into the ring to contest.
“He was advised by his close friends and some top political influencers in the state but his ego has taken over him. He failed to realise that he is no longer a force to be reckoned with politically,” a source further added.
At the just concluded elections, we learnt that he opened his financial vault generously with a single aim of realising his long term ambition to govern the rocky state. But to his chagrin, he spent millions only to get less than 10,000 votes in the entire state with 3.7million residents, according to the 2006 population census.
Sadly, the soft-spoken politician’s inability to clinch the number one job in the state is like adding salt in his wound. He has since been a subject of ridicule in the state.
Few of his followers are still skeptical of his move politically. Some are of the opinion that he might still contest in 2023. Only time will tell if he can weather the political typhoon directed at him or if he would retire into his cocoon and bid politics farewell.
