Man is just a pen in Divine hands and no matter the struggles of man, he cannot avoid his destiny. Chief Adebayo Alao Akala was destined to rule Oyo state and the circumstance as it were was destiny at play just as GSM contributed less to the coalition that brought him in. All is now part of history for future reference.
I started my political ventures almost at the same time with Chief Akala during the zero party election in 1995/96. His name came to political limelight in Oyo state when he won the Chairmanship position of Ogbomoso Local Council. In 1998, I went with Chief Adeojo to PDP while Chief Akala went with Baba Adedibu to APP. It was in the year 2002 when Baba Adedibu and his team came to PDP through President Obasanjo that we had the first contact at one of the meetings at Molete home of Baba Adedibu. Though we had contact but we belonged to different caucus more so that we are operating from different zones until God gave him the grace to become deputy governor of the state in 2003. We started the government on good note until 2004/05 impeachment crisis which eventually put us on different caucus again, he being in Baba’s camp with my political godson in Oyo house of Assembly while I belonged to Governor Ladoja camp, so we are still operating from different caucus which prevented me from seeing his good side until 2018 when interests brought us together under ADP.
It was then I realized that until you are closer to someone politically you may not have known anything about his personality.
My experience over the years have thought me a great lessons to evaluate political leaders on the basis of their relationship with their subordinates and by extension the general people under them in governance. I have had cause to interact with most of the political leaders in the state, starting with Chief Oyelese at GDM to Chief Adeojo in UNCP and PDP, to Baba Adedibu in PDP, Chief Ladoja in PDP, Labour and Accord and Chief Ajimobi in AC/APC, I sincerely make bold to say that Chief Akala personality stands distinct as a good leader on this note.
Unfortunately, Chief Akala due to circumstance of his emergence as governor of the state received the worst personality attack ( political guns or eba ) in the history of the state. My close association with him lately put me in vantage position for this tribute and I see it as an opportunity to clarify some misgivings.
That Chief Akala was fetish, encouraged thuggery and had no idea about good governance could only be confirmed in all honesty as political gun or things of the past. He is humane in approach to issues, kind at heart and hands, and showed high sense of egalitarianism from 2018 till date that I had closer relationship with him.
May God preserve him in good health and prosperity till the end.
Prof Abideen Olaiya was Otunba (Dr.) Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala’s deputy governorship candidate on the platform of ADP in 2019 elections
