Fighting Corruption: Lessons From Kano and Ibadan

By Wole Arisekola

Ibadan and Kano are not just the largest cities in Nigeria, they are the most politically advanced cities in Africa’s most populous nation.

You may call them any name that pleases you but the truth is that they are more advanced in politics than any city in Nigeria.

When it is time to retire their political leaders, they don’t play ethnic or tribal cards. See how they permanently retired two in-laws in politics.

When Governor Umar Ganduje and his in-law, Abiola Ajimobi lost their states, it was not because they performed poorly compared to Udom Emmanuel, the so called “Governor do Nothing” of Akwa Ibom State, Ben Ayade of Cross River or Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia who have been re-elected for a second term in their respective states.

Ajimobi and Ganduje didn’t lose because the people of Ibadan and their brothers in Kano love the Peoples Democratic Party more than they love the All Progressives Congress; their electoral woes went beyond love for parties.

The dollar saga and lack of respect for elders played major roles in what befell them at the polls.

Ajimobi’s ‘Consituted Authority’ video and the viral video in which Governor Ganduje was seen collecting bribe from a certain contractor generated unfavourable responses before the election.

Neither of them was able to explain exactly what led to the actions that were caught on tape to the people of their states.

The good people of Oyo and Kano States took offence at the obbsessive tendencies of their governors.

Though the governors seemed to have become immune to criticisms, the people made up their minds that they would not allow either of them to continue to serve them as their leaders .

While you’re celebrating in Uyo, Calabar and Umuahia over the re-election of governors who have done worse things in their states than taking bribes from contractors, the people of Ibadan and Kano have demonstrated in this election how we can stop corruption in Nigeria.

Ibadan and Kano have shown us all how to hold our leaders accountable. They have shown that power truly belongs to the people.

Those who call Ibadan people illitrates and Kano voters almajiris are senseless. Underestimate the voters at your peril.

Illitrate and almajiri voters who voted out Ajimobi and Ganduje because of corruption are 200 times better than the so called educated illitrates in the South South and South East who vote for and celebrate corrupt politicians regardless of their level of education.

We need to copy Ibadan and Kano voters if we are serious about moving Nigeria forward.

I am an Ibadan man and very proud to be.

OMPAN Lauds INEC, Security Agencies On Successful Election..Charges Makinde To Run A People-oriented Government

Association of Online Media Practitioners of Nigeria, Oyo state chapter, OMPAN has commended the Indepensent National Electoral Commissiom (INEC), security agencies and other stakeholders for the sucessful conduct of 2019 election.

The Association also congratulates the Governor-elect in the state, Engineer Oluseyi Makinde; Deputy Governor-elect, Engr. Femi Olaniyan; Federal and state lawmakers for their respective electoral victory.

This was conveyed through a Press Statement signed by the state Chairman of the Association, Mr. Remi Oladoye and made available to journalists by its PRO, Dare Adeniran. In the statement, the group appealed to politicians not to encourage any form of violence that  may disturb relative peace in the state.

"There have been rumours of violence in Ibadan and other part of the state, we are imploring the  police and other concerned agencies not to spare any one influencing the unholy act no matter how highly placed."

The Association went further by imploring Engr. Seyi Makinde to learn from the mistakes of his predecessor and make necessary amendments in order to make his tenure a remarkable one, with good governance and balanced appointments and distribution of projects across rural and urban parts of the state.

Your consistency and advocacy for a better society through your philanthropic gestures and support for the less-privileged in your immediate environment gave you an edge over others in the just concluded guber election. We therefore implore you to use your new position to do more, by developing the people and the state. And at the same time be conscious of the need to make people the central focus of your administration, in order not to betray the confidence reposed in you by the electorates, who has chosen you as a preferred candidate for the job," the statement reads.