Since 2018 when the Governorship election was held and Alhaji Isaq Adegboyega Oyetola was declared the winner, countless features and news items have been written, while many are still writing about him.
In this piece, I want people to see this enigma of a man as a book put together by many authors with each writing from either personal encounter or hearsay.
As a politician of several years standing, coupled with personal experiences in political positions and the corporate world, I can boldly say that the immediate-past Governor of Osun State, Alhaji Isiaq Adegboyega Oyetola remains a classical example of a leader with midas touch.
Ever before his exposure to the nation’s political landscape, he had already made his mark in the corporate world where he was a guru in the Insurance industry, criss-crossing from one company’s boardroom to the other.
To those of us who were close enough to him during those days, his eventual appointment as the Chief of Staff to the Osun State Governor in 2011 didn’t come as a big surprise.
As a business mogul of repute, he caused his experience to bear in the financial engineering of Osun with countless developmental projects evenly scattered throughout all the nooks and crannies of the state.
Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola’s appointment as the Chief of Staff to the Governor brought stability and credibility to the Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s administration.
His eventual emergence as the All Progressives Congress, APC flagbearer in 2018 Governorship election was already accomplished even before the party primaries, as he had already become a candidate to beat weeks before the party’s governorship primary election.
This became evident in view of visible testimonials of his contributions to the success of the administration in which he served as Chief of Staff.
His victory at the governorship poll and his eventual inauguration marked the beginning of a new dawn in the political history of the state.
With an almost-empty treasury inherited from the previous administration, coupled with dwindling allocations from the Federation Accounts, Governor Oyetola, through his ingenuity as a seasoned businessman and administrator, was able to breathe life into the state economy making use of his wide connections in the corporate world.
His tenure as Osun State helmsman was one filled numerous achievements cutting across every sphere of governance.
Hardly is there a ward across all local government council areas across the state that did not benefit from the Alhaji Oyetola-led administration in Osun State.
With numerous awards by reputable groups and corporate organisations in his kitty, Alhaji Oyetola can conveniently raise his head high as haven done his best for the state and leaving the rest for posterity.
At whatever stage anything is written about the various administrations in Osun State since its creation, the Gboyega Oyetola’s administration stands out as one with zero-tolerance for frivolous spending of government resources, which was the norm during some administrations before his.
The recent Supreme Court judgement that have victory to the incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke should be seen as part of the ways to test the nation’s democratic strength.
All politicians of the progressive fold should see the current challenges as a way to come together to strengthen the APC and make it a formidable opposition party in the state.
Prince Felix Adeyemi Awofisayo is an elder statesman, chieftain and Member of Igbimo Agba Caucus of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Osun State.
