There is this assumption that the politics of Osun State appears to be dictated by the national leader of the APC in Lagos, do you share this opinion?
In politics, you are bound to have a lot of conjectures and speculations. The national leader, everybody acknowledges, is very respected as far as South-west politics of the APC is concerned. People know how close our governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is to the national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I think that is as far as it can go and how far it should go, anything beyond that falls into the realm of conjecture and speculation. That they have a very cordial mentor-mentee relationship is not a secret. The fact that the governor had been in Lagos for several years, and had cut all his political teeth, so to speak, in Lagos is a fact that is generally known. It is a fact also that he was even a commissioner in Lagos State before coming to his home state to work and to live as governor. I believe that is why some people are saying that. Naturally, one would expect that there would be some, at the height of it, ‘influence’; and at the bottom, ‘respect’ for Asiwaju. Beyond that, it is in the realm of conjecture and speculation. Certainly not control. The governor is an independent minded person who operates within the guidelines or the programmes outlined by the party, the APC.
What is your background in politics?
That would be linked to my late father, Chief (Hon.) Saka Layonu, a prominent politician in the First Republic. Not out of false pride, but out of what I call history and verifiable facts, I would say that my town, Ede, by God’s grace, was put on the political map by my father. He was a Minister until the collapse of the First Republic. He also played a bit of politics in the Second Republic before Osun was created out of Oyo State. As late as 1983, he was the gubernatorial candidate of the Great Nigeria Peoples Party, GNPP, that was promoted by the late Waziri Ibrahim, who was famous for ‘politics without bitterness’. That was his last outing. After that, he retired from active politics. I have that antecedent. The state hospital that is in Ede today, by the grace of God, was facilitated by my father. For myself, I have, not until recently, been in active political involvement. I have been quietly involved in the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, not in an overtly active capacity. Of course, I have always been politically aware. Since I started voting in 1979, I have participated in all elections, in terms of being politically aware and being a voter. Now, I am a progressive and member of the APC. I am a gubernatorial aspirant. This is the first time I am throwing my hat in the ring for for election.
Don’t you think you should have started your aspiration from trying to become a legislator at state or federal level?
People have their flair for things. In everything you do, you know yourself. For instance, in the legal field where I am really situated, my flair has always been for advocacy. I have been a courtroom lawyer all my life. In politics, I do not see myself operating in any other capacity than in an executive position where I can have the privilege to carry out some of the things I have envisioned for humanity, beginning from my state.
Are you aware of a zoning arrangement within the party that may have put this aspiration beyond your reach?
Some people say that within the party there is some kind of zoning arrangement. Others say it is not provided for in the constitution. I have read it myself. It could actually be interpreted to say that there must be some understanding geographical spread. The party has actually taken a section of the Nigerian constitution and modified it at the state level. I would say that there is some recognition that what applies at the federal level, where the constitution says that the government will be arranged in such a way as to give effect to federal character and to give everybody a sense of belonging. It could be said that there is an article in the APC constitution that could be a basis for saying that some principle of zoning or slotting arrangement is recognized in the constitution. Whatever the case, what Osun West is saying is that we should uphold the principle of justice and fair play. If you go back to the history of the state; the first executive governor was the late Senator Isiaka Adeleke from Ede. He spent 22 months before the collapse of the Third Republic. If you take it from 1999, you had Chief Bisi Akande as Governor. He spent four years, he did not have the opportunity for a second term. He is of the Central Senatorial zone. Then Oyinlola (Olagunsoye) came (even though of a different political party-PDP). Oyinlola is from Okuku also from the Central Senatorial zone and he spent almost 12 years before the court nullified his election and Aregbesola came in. Between Baba Akande and Oyinlola, you can account for almost 16 years. Both of them are from the Central Senatorial zone. The current governor is an Ijesha man from the East Senatorial zone of Osun State. He is completing, by the grace of God, two terms of eight years. The West Senatorial zone is saying that fair is fair; even if you go as far back as 1991/92, the West Senatorial zone only had 22 months through Isiaka Adelelke; since 1999, Osun West has not had the opportunity of being governor. If you say, you want to take it to any other senatorial zone, are you now saying that the current governor who is from the east, will say it should go to the east again? If that happens, there is the possibility of having the east rule for another eight of 16 years. My own concern is that the government of the State of Osun will always continue to be by my party, which is the APC. If you say somebody from the Central Senatorial zone should emerge again, there is the possibility that the Central Senatorial zone is going on for another eight years, which will add up to 24 years. Before you now have the opportunity of the West Senatorial zone producing the governor, if we don’t get it now, it will come in another eight years.
and then