By Ayo Olusesan
There would be no leader, if there are no followers. It stands to reason that if leadership is important to performance, followership must have something to do with it too.
And this played out when the presidential rally of All Progressive Congress berthed at Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital recently.
The good people of Ogun State showed to the world, possibly the first time such as ever happened since legendary Lisabi, the love and respect they have for their leader. The people were angered when perceived outsiders decided to insult their governor right in their backyard!
For those who followed how the event unfolded objectively stated that it was pure followership love on display when the people of Ogun State revolted against attempts by the national chairman of All Progressive Congress, Adams Oshiomhole and former governor of Osun State, Raul Aregbesola, to malign and embarrass SIA as the governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, is popularly called, to score some cheap political points.
It was so clear that APC’s presidential candidate, President Mohammadu Buhari, was loved and respected because the people listen with rapt attention to what he had to say, while same was extended to his vice, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.
But at the same rally, the duo of Oshiomhole and Rauf were pelted with missiles as the two ensured that the rally, which was going smoothly, were disrupted by them.
The duo of party crashers had forgotten that the trust and love between the governor and the president weren’t something that could be easily wished away.
Neither can the actions of the good people of Ogun State be blamed on the governor because every professional politician knows the importance and the power the followers hold. A very good example was the Lagos State debacle where a governor was denied second term when the party resisted him and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has no choice but to dance to their dictate.
The source of acrimony for the Ogun State governor emanated from his choice of successor for the post of the executive governor in the forth coming election. Against APC’s party dictate and coup, Senator Ibikunle Amosun opted for Allied People Movement, APM, Abiodun Akinlade, because he was legally voted for during the APC’s primaries.
But for some funny reasons and high handedness, the national chairman of APC decided to recognise Dapo Abiodun as its candidate. The people of Ogun State revolted and demanded that their votes in the primary elections must count. And this made Abiodun Akinlade decamped to APM to actualise his dream of serving his people.
How dare Aregbesola, a man known for his party disloyalty based on his anti party activities when he held sway in Osun State as governor, called the Ogun State people and their leader hypocrites? Was is it not on record that the same Aregbe sponsored an Action Democratic candidate against the party wish during the Ondo State governorship election that made Rotimi Akeredolu governor?
His open abuse of the people earned him the first missiles and was even the one responsible for agitating the crowd.
If anything, Aregbesola and Oshiomhole should be held responsible for the pre-mediated disruption of the rally and general embarrassment of invited guests, especially Mr. President.
And Tinubu’s action of flinging the party flag shows how deep the conspiracy to make nonsense of the visit reached.
It’s on record that President Buhari was happy with the decision of the governor as he had at every opportunity endorsed and blessed his APM’s candidate. He even stated at the rally that the good people of Ogun State should vote for any candidate of their choice as it is their rights.
With such statement, how can anyone now believed Amosun could have nursed a negative thought against the president? Such thoughts only exist in the imagination of his distractors.
Amosun has mentioned it at every platform how deep his loyalty and respect runs for the person of Mohammadu Buhari, even before he became president.
If there is any need to beam a search light into anti-party activities, Aregbesola and Tinubu would be the first people to be caught in the web as their atrocities during the Ondo State gubernatorial election were well documented.
Ogun State people would never allow any stranger to harass or disgrace their leaders in their presence. Egba meji ki jera won niyan.
Ayo Olusesan wrote from Abeokuta, Ogun State
