Osun Central In The Eye Of The Storm Special Report Report

Ismaeel Uthman

THE Na onal Assembly elec on is scheduled to hold next Saturday, February 25. In the State of Osun, a total of 12 na onal assembly seats of three Senatorial Districts and nine Federal Cons tuencies are being contested. The contest is largely between the Peoples Democra c Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC).

Currently, APC has two Senators (Osun Central and Osun West) while PDP has just one, Senator Francis Fadahunsi from Osun East. The APC also has six House of Representa ves members while PDP has three (Ife Federal Cons tuency, Ede/Egbedore/ Ejigbo Federal Cons tuency and Ijesa South Federal Cons tuency).

However, there are possibili es that the PDP might have more seats at the naonal assembly going by the result of the July 16, 2022 governorship elec on and the lingering controversies surrounding the selec on of candidates of the APC.

OSUN DEFENDER noted that of the three senatorial district, Osun Central appeared to be a hopeful ground for the APC. Though the party won just two local governments of Ifedayo and Boripe, Senator Ajibola Basiru has put up a spirited effort to ensure that he returns to the red chamber for second term.

Basiru, the Spokesperson of the Senate, hails from Osogbo which has the highest number of voters in the state. He defeated the PDP candidate in the 2019 general elecon, Alhaji Gani Olaoluwa with 26,042 vote margin. Basiru polled 132,821 (54.33%) votes while Olaoluwa got 106,779 (43.67%) votes. Olaoluwa is also an indigene of Osogbo, Olorunda local government.

The PDP candidate for the forthcoming elec on, Olubiyi Fadeyi is from Ila, Ila local government. In 2019, APC had 11,197 votes against PDP’s 8,766 votes.

According to poli cal analysts, APC might not have a smooth running in the senatorial district, but the party may manage to win eventually if its candidate, Basiru, con nues to work on the factors responsible for the poor show of the party in the 2022 governorship elec on.

However, OSUN DEFENDER noted that Osogbo might not produce the same amount of votes given to Basiru in 2019 in the forthcoming elec on. The two local governments in Osogbo (Osogbo and Olorunda) produced 50,680 votes for Basiru in 2019. The votes, according to poli cal analysts might reduced for some reasons, among which is the ‘palace’s opposi on’ to his return.

The Ataoja of Osogbo,

Oba Jimoh Olanipekun Oyetunji, has openly canvassed votes for the PDP senatorial candidate, Fadeyi, declaring that ‘Ajagunla is coming to reward me and Osogboland’. Oba Olanipekun had before the 2022 governorship elecon been suppor ng the PDP.

Findings by OSUN DEFENDER revealed that some prominent indigenes of Osogbo are making fran c effort to ‘humble Basiru’ at the poll. Some other indigenes of Osogbo were also reportedly angry with Basiru for allegedly suppor ng former governor Adegboyega Oyetola on the posi oning of Airforce base to Iragbiji instead of Osogbo.

Besides, some members of the APC who have axe to grind with Basiru since he was the man of the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola when the la er was the governor of the state, were also working against the senator’s return to the senate.

However, Basiru’s electoral fortune might increase in Olorunda local government in the coming elec on. Findings by this medium revealed that the PDP does not have a strong campaign presence in the local government for the senatorial elec on. According to some members of the party, the 2019 Osun central senatorial candidate of the party, Alhaji Gani Olaoluwa, was not commi ed to the party’s campaign. It was learnt that Olaoluwa was s ll holding grudge against the PDP leadership for allegedly manipula ng the senatorial primary to favour Fadeyi.

The medium also noted that Basiru has closed ranks with some members of defunct The Osun Progressives and other aggrieved members of the party in both Osogbo and Olorunda local government, a development that may increase his winning chance.

It would be recalled that APC lost both Osogbo and Olorunda local governments to the PDP in the July 16, 2022 governorship elec on.

APC, according to findings, was facing serious challenge in mobilizing majority of voters to vote for its candidates in Irepodun and Orolu local governments. Though the House of Representa ves candidate of the APC for Osogbo/Olorunda/Irepodun/Orolu, Mrs Abosede Ogo-Oluwakiitan is from Ifon, PDP was posing serious threat to the electoral fortune of the party. PDP won the local governments in the 2022 governorship elec on in spite of having a prominent Ilobu indigene, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representa ves, Hon. Lasun Yusuf, in the race. Yusuf has decamped to the PDP and indicated that the chances of PDP have been brightened. Also, a former commissioner for Local Government and

Chie aincy Affairs, Mr. Kolapo Alimi, has been mobilizing massively for the PDP. The medium noted that Hon. Bukola Oyewo, the current federal lawmaker from the cons tuency, has not been ac ve in the campaign programmes the APC’s candidates.

Oyan, Asi, Asaba, Faji and Ila Odo. Some electorates who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER said Basiru was the only candidate that made himself available to them. They complained that the PDP candidate, Fadeyi, was not accessible. Okuku and Inisa was s ll daisy for both party as of the me of filing this report.

APC will win Boripe local government massively. Both the APC and PDP did not have any candidate from the local government. However, the sen ment of Iragbiji being the ancestral home of the Presiden al candidate of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has swayed electorate in the town to vo ng the APC in the presiden al elec on. This will no doubt affect the senatorial elec on result posi vely.

OSUN DEFENDER also noted that APC may lose Ifelodun local government in Ifelodun/Boripe/Odo-O n Federal Cons tuency. The party, as of the me of filing this report, lacked leadership and coordina on and direc on. In the July 16, 2022 governorship elec on, PDP defeated APC with 1039 votes. The medium noted that the House of Representa ves candidate of the party in the federal cons tuency, Chief Moshood Oluawo, has been mee ng and pleading with aggrieved members of the party. However, some of the APC members who are loyal to the current lawmaker represen ng the federal cons tuency at the green chamber, Hon Rasheed Afolabi, were s ll holding grudge against the party for allegedly robbing him of his second term cket. A strong factor that might likely work against the APC in the local government is the alleged imposi on of a new Akinrun of Ikirun on the town. Majority of Ikirun elite and other indigenes have not forgiven former governor Adegboyega Oyetola for allegedly imposing Oba Olalekan Akadiri on them. A sizeable number of Ikirun indigenes believes that the APC House of Reps candidate, Oluawo, was responsible for the manipula on of the selec on process that produced Akadiri.

In Odo-O n local government, it was observed that some members of the party are already working with the PDP. The aggrieved members of the party, it was gathered, were protes ng their alleged marginalisa on and vic misa on by some APC stalwarts during the Oyetola’s administra on. However, the APC Senatorial candidate, Basiru, has a brighter chance at

Boluwaduro local government may be won by the PDP. Members of the APC in the local government are aggrieved, it was observed. Aside being a stronghold of the PDP, the local government was allegedly robbed of House of Reps cket by the APC, a development that dampen the morale of the party members.

Ila local government will be won by the PDP. The senatorial and House of Reps candidates of the PDP are from Ila, the hometown of former Na onal Chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande. PDP won the local government in the 2022 governorship elecon with 13,036 votes against APC’s 11,163 votes. Besides, some APC leaders in the town have reportedly embarked on “siddon look” a er the House of Reps primary which was allegedly manipulated in favour of the current candidate of the party, Dr Adebisi Obawale.

Ifedayo local government is a ba le ground for both APC and PDP. Though APC won Ifedayo with 286 votes in the last governorship elecon, PDP has aggressively been mobilizing electorate to vote for its candidates in the forthcoming elec on.

However, a former Commissioner for Regional Integra on and Special Du es, Hon. Lekan Badmus expressed op mism that Basiru, the APC’s senatorial candidate will win the elec on.

Badmus hinted that Basiru and his campaign team have been working assiduously on iden fied lacunas that may cost him victory in the elec on.

The Chairman, Campaign Council, Ajagunla for Senate, Hon. Akin Ti loye, said PDP will defeat APC in the senatorial elec on.

According to Ti loye, the PDP will win nothing less than eight local governments, nothing that the last governorship elec on was a pointer to what should be expected at the general elec on.

The turnout of votes in Osogbo and Ila is a deciding factor for the senatorial elecon.

ALL praise is due to Allah, and may His peace and blessings be upon the final Messenger, His pure family, noble companions, and all those who follow them with righteousness un l the Day of Judgment.

Brothers and sisters in Islam, we shall be talking to one another on Tawheed, the Islamic monotheism, which is the firm belief in the oneness of Allah. Tawheed is the pillar of Islam, the founda on of its ethics and philosophy of life and the basis of its systems and ins tu ons.

Allah’s Book (the Qurann), but Allah’s Messenger, may the peace and blessing of Allah Almighty be upon him”. Allah says: “And whatsoever the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatsoever He forbids you, abstain (from it). Quran 59:7.

By Sheik Muhammad Abubakr Makanjuola

By Sheik Muhammad Abubakr

Tawheed simply means believing in Allah alone as God and Lord and a ribu ng to Him alone all the a ributes of Lordship and divinity. It is explained as believing that Allah is One with no partner or associate in His Lordship (ruboobiyyah), divinity (uloohiyyah) or names and a ributes (al-asma’ wa’l-sifaat).

Tawheed begins by saying the word of confession, that is, “Laa Ilaaha Illallah, Muhammad-urRasuul-Allaah” (None has the right to be worshipped truly but Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger). Allah says: “And your Ilaah (God) is One Ilaah (ilaahun waahidun) (God — Allah), Laa Ilaaha illa Huwa (there is none who has the right to be worshipped but He), the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful” Quran 2:163.

“Surely, disbelievers are those who said: ‘Allah is the third of the three (in a Trinity).’ But there is no Ilaah (god) (none who has the right to be worshipped) but One Ilaah [ilaahun waahidun] (God —Allah). And if they cease not from what they say, verily, a painful torment will befall on the disbelievers among them”. Quran 5:73.

It has been no ced that most mankind, who embrace Islam, do not understand the reality of the meaning of the first fundamental principle of Islam which is Tawheed. So, I consider it essen al to explain its meanings and types of Tawheed.

Tawheed (Islamic monotheism) has three aspects:

(A) Tawheed-ar-Rubuubiyyah – Maintaining The Oneness of Allaah -: This is to believe that there is