Buffeted, stricken, attacked, maligned by political opponents and even trusted allies, he remains unmoved and at 69, Aare Abiola Adeyemi Akanji Ajimobi, the first man to win a second term as Governor of Oyo State stands firm like an unbreakable wall. Even implacable enemies agree that he is of a different breed. His next move is never one that can easily be guessed.
With an accomplished career in the corporate world, Senator Ajimobi entered the political arena with staggering knowledge of how things run. Not only does he know what he wants, he knows how to strive for it and obtain it. How he met and married Florence, his wife, how he became a Senator and later the first ever Governor to serve Oyo State twice bear testimonies to his good judgment and persistence. He attained an uncommon level of importance when he was elected for a second term in office as the Governor of Oyo State.
His first personal shot at politicking was the meeting with the then Governor Lam Adesina. “And what position would you be vying for?” the Governor asked him. With a toothy smile, he replied, “I want to be Governor Sir”. Lam, another great manager of men and resources who knew what he could be up against, and what that could mean for his second term plans, advised him to run for a senatorial seat instead.
In the course of his political journey, Senator Ajimobi became the darling of many, the headache of some and the man some have to worry about. Like Richard Branson, the CEO of the Virgin Group, who said “Although I listen carefully to everyone, there are times when I make up my mind and I’ll just go and do it. At times like those, the more people disagree with me, the more obstinate I become”, Governor Ajimobi sometimes makes some moves that look like swimming against the tide. But when the overall picture finally emerges, he usually gets lauded for his foresight. He was one of the very few Senators who rejected the inducement meant to make them endorse the Third Term agenda of a former President.
The fact that he could stand up to the then resident and openly tell the world that he rejected the funds meant to induce him, Ajimobi earned the respect of the President. That incidentally prepared and toughened him for challenges ahead. When he decided to contest the gubernatorial position, the then President did not hide his plans from him owing to the respect he earned as an upright and highly skilled politician. The decision to contest the 2007 governorship election on the All Nigerian Peoples Party’s platform stemmed from a meeting in which the then president advised him after confiding that he would“run the Alliance for Democracy down”.
In Oyo State, the political class is usually full of expectations; at every point in time, there is always a godfather to look up to. The likes of Alhaji Adegoke Adelabu ‘Penkelemeesi’, Aare Samuel Ladoke Akintola, Alhaji Busari Adelakun ‘Eru o b’odo’ and High Chief Lamidi Ariyibi Adedibu have held sway at different times. The demise of High Chief Adedibu and Aare Arisekola Alao left a terrible vacuum as Ibadan, and indeed Oyo State was left without a man people would rally round as leader. The man many assumed would fill the void ended up humiliating his in-house supporters with his aberrant disposition. Moving to three political parties in less than two years made his followers conclude that their leader had thrown shame and decency to the wind.
The onus thus fell on Senator Ajimobi to take the responsibility of leading the people politically and providing a firm piece of ground in the midst of what was fast becoming a political swampland. Like a Mafia Don, the Governor knows the strengths and weaknesses of members of his team. That has enabled him put together a team where each member plays his or her roles with textbook precision.
The team player in him never allows him take autocratic decisions, his position as Governor notwithstanding. Before the choice of his party’s gubernatorial candidate was eventually decided, the governor once gave the aspirants the responsibility of putting heads together to decide who should fly the party’s flag at the general election. It was after two meetings ended in stalemates that it became a matter of going to the field.
He doesn’t suffer fools gladly and when he believes in a cause, he goes the whole hog. Very many people disagree with him but he believes in what he does and he believes posterity will judge him right.
Understanding Governor Ajimobi may not be an easy task but those who do will tell you for free that he is hard, tough as nails but also very flexible. He could be obstinate but yields when there is superior argument. He is exceptionally lively and jovial to a fault. Those factors however do not prevent him from assessing people within minutes of meeting them, especially when it comes to deciding people’s motives.
One factor that helps him to stay focused on the political arena is the peace he enjoys on the home front. A family man par excellence, Senator Ajimobi once wondered how people cope with polygamy. “Marrying wives is not the problem but being able to fend for them – especially the health of the whole family”, he once said.
His achievements cut across all sectors and now that he is vying for the Oyo South Senatorial seat, those achievements will go a long way in speaking for him. They include the Health Insurance Scheme for Oyo State indigenes which came to be when the administration realized that the state alone could not fund the health sector. “We will do all within our capacity to promote and achieve healthy living in our state”, the Governor assured.
The First Technical University, Ibadan, which was established to bridge skill gaps existing in the industry is also another laudable achievement of the Ajimobi administration. Apart from being the first technical university in the country, Tech-U is poised to produce industry-ready graduates who will address specific deficiencies noticeable in the country. It is also a way of fostering a god relationship between the gown and town.
Those who had thought Governor Ajimobi would fall into disfavor with the people of OkeOgun because of what they termed “marginalization of the OkeOgun region” are already looking for other tales to tell. Apart from the dualization of roads in Iseyin, Kishi in Irepodun Local Government Area now has a High Court. Otu, in Itesiwaju Local Government Area is also set to host a cassava plantation which is in conjunction with the Allied Atlantic Distilleries Limited. 77 families whose lands were acquired for the project were adequately compensated by the state government. Kishi too plays host to the Oyo State College of Nursing and Midwifery, where the pioneer students started earlier in the year.
Though his tenure runs out in another five months, Governor Ajimobi is still the opponent many of those in opposition are bothered about. The governorship candidate of his party is his protégé while he is the man to beat in the Oyo South Senatorial election. Though none admits being scared; it is common knowledge that the election is more of an Ajimobi versus the others affair than anything else.
Packaged by Wole Adejumo
