Dapo Abiodun and his 1,200 political assistants

Let me start by asking: Do you know why Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun state, the Eleyi Okanlomon, appointed 1,200 political assistants? In a state that — though witnessing a rapid influx of new factories that should guarantee future industrial fortunes — suffers acute infrastructural deficit, citizens are bound to demand for the correctness of such appointments.

Of course, the most preferred interpretation for such action is to conclude that Abiodun sought to, in the popular language, find “jobs for the boys” and keep them tightly under his armpit.

But wait a bit! Is it really strange in this part of our world to see politicians dash out jobs in order to expand their political base and solidify their hold on the system?

In the same Ogun and under the watch of Governor Abiodun, Hon Oluwasegun Ayebusiwa, a councillor in Ogun Waterside LGA, has, apart from his chief of staff, gone ahead to name seven others in the categories of personal assistants, senior special assistants, special assistants, and head of security, among others.

The appointees are: Enakadia Solomon (chief of staff), Akinrotohun Femi (personal assistant), Gbajimi Ezekiah (special assistant on media and publicity), Ige Monday (special assistant on youth & mobilisation), Orenuga Oluwasegun (head of security). Others are: Adesusi Bayo (special assistant on logistics), Fasonu Nurat (special assistant on women affairs) and Okunude Iwayemi as special assistant on political matters.

They are learning fast! And are all these “jobs for the boys” supposed to be based on Ayebusola’s monthly salary or to be driven into the payroll system of the local government area?

Meanwhile, my findings reveal that in Ogun, the monthly salary of a councilor is between N215,000 and N220,000.

If you think this is only in Ogun state, a councillor representing Kinkiba Ward in Soba LGA of Kaduna state, Sunusi Hashim, also appointed 18 special advisers, according to him “to strengthen his grassroots administration”.

Those who made the list are Shafiu Nuhu (Works), Shafiu Alhassan (Social Development), Shitu Ahmad (Principal Private Secretary), Alh. Isiya Yusuf Danju (Finance), Danlarai Habibu (Stakeholders Engagement), Ibrahim Sufiyan (Inter-Party Relations), Abbas Jafar (Problem Matters), Jibrin Lawal (Agricultural Development), Aina’u Kabir (Women Affairs), Sale Abdurrahman (Public Affairs), Umar Shitu (Political Matters), Tasiu Umar (Media and Publicity), Salisu D. Tela (Health), Yusuf Abdulkareem (Elders), Buhari Abubakar (Education), Hamisu Salisu (Team Secretary), Dahiru Yau (Team PRO) and Yahaya Kinkiba (Youth).

It is spreading fast! Yahaya Bajoga, the councillor representing Bajoga East in Funakaye LGA of Gombe, also named 18 personal aides including a principal private secretary, 12 special assistants, and five personal assistants.

Don’t forget that last year, even if his figure was not as alarmingly bogus as that of the Ogun state governor, his Oyo state counterpart, Seyi Makinde, had also appointed over 160 supervisory councillors in the 33 local government areas of the state. His reason was also to accelerate the pace of development in the state.

Coming back to Abiodun, what would the Remo Prince do in the face of the gargantuan political onslaught he appears to be facing from the hands of the senator who transferred his legislative service from Lagos West senatorial district to Ogun West senatorial district and now has his eyes riveted on the Oke-Mosan Government House come May 29, 2027?

How many of the people throwing darts at Abiodun understand the silent ‘war’ the governor is waging to be able to stand in control of who succeeds him and even remain politically relevant after his exit from his current seat in 2027?

When a senator is practically pulling the rugs off the feet of a sitting governor, dolling out electricity transformers to every nooks and crannies of the state; sending hundreds to pilgrimages in Mecca and Jerusalem, facilitating construction of roads, you can expect such a governor to be upset and in search of how to tame a ‘rampaging’ aspirant whose supporters now say only God can stop.

In order words, the 1,200 assistants (forget about whatever they call their job descriptions if at all there is any in their appointment letters) are to now help DA turn the table against his tormentor-in-chief.

If you are in doubt how much pressure Senator Adeola Solomon Olamilekan, popularly called Yayi, has brought on Prince Abiodun, this writer listened to a radio presenter two weeks ago where he questioned the governor over the glaring infrastructure headaches in many parts of Ogun such as Ifo, Ijebu Ode, Ibafo, Mowe, Ota, Agbara, Ado-Odo and others in the face of many roads and electrification projects that are carrying the names of Yayi as its sponsor.

Yayi, from whatever sources he has brought about his heavy investments in Ogun politics, has further exposed why Nigerians need to question this brand of democracy where those elected to make laws have gradually assumed executive duties and now give those elected for executive positions runs for their money.

I have interacted with a good number of stakeholders in Ogun. It does look like Yayi is the only name on their lips. But he doesn’t appear to be the candidate Abiodun prefers.

There is a good population of those who believe that the Yewa axis of the state should produce the next governor. That is where Yayi claims to be his root. But while Abiodun is said to be predisposed to a Yewa governor after him, it is not Yayi that he wants. As a matter of fact, I have been reliably told that Abiodun would rather allow another part of the state to produce his successor if the people of Yewa insist Yayi is the only candidate they have.

Of course, the journey to 2027 in Ogun promises to be tense, suspenseful and brutal.

But Yayi, as formidable a headache as he is to the Ogun governor, is not the only political nightmare he suffers. Former Governor Gbenga Daniel also poses another danger to whatever post-office ambition Abiodun is nursing. And there is no other ambition other than to proceed to the senate from the Ogun East senatorial district which OGD currently represents.

It is said that there is no other factor behind the entire fuss about OGD’s properties and other matters for which both Abiodun and Daniel have been at each other’s throats for more than a year.

Put together, the governor seems to now face the same battle his predecessor, Ibikunle Amosun, faced at the twilight of his administration when he sought, in vain, to install a successor but failed woefully with the inevitable emergence of Abiodun. It now appears that just as Abiodun was the nemesis of Amosun, Yayi, at least for now, seems to be the nemesis confronting Abiodun.

Abiodun’s 1,200 assistants, without mincing words, are part of the tools required to fight the battle ahead. But then, some pertinent questions come up. How do you accommodate these new political appointees into the payroll of the state without creating a shock?

With Nigeria’s acute shortage in medical personnel and teachers in public schools and Ogun having its fair share of that, 1,200 political advisers appear way off the mark of decency if the governor were to be sensitive to the real needs of his people. Imagine what difference the recruitment of just 500 medical personnel would make in the health sector Ogun?

By the last count, the Nigerian Medical Association had said that the doctor-patient ratio in the state stood at one doctor to 6,400 patients, a far cry from the recommendation by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

In the same vein, the Ogun State Teaching Service Commission had to recruit 1,200 intern teachers to bridge the teaching personnel gaps in the state with a promise to recruit 2,000 teachers in this year.

At a time when the state battles with such human capital requirements in critical sectors such as health and education, employing 1,200 assistants for the purpose of politics appears misplaced.

This is not to speak of other areas of the state’s needs where personnel might be lacking.

But then, politics takes precedence over every other thing. The survival of political warlords is more of a priority than the wellbeing of the man on the street.

Okanlawon, media and communication professional, is the publisher of NPO Reports. He can be reached on [email protected] and on X @sokanlawon