•He Is SUNDAY DARE, From Oyo State
The issue of qualification or competence doesn’t arise in his case; in fact, he is more than qualified to perform brilliantly well in whatever task may come his way at the end of the day, he has a BSc in International Studies from Ahmadu Bello University, Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from University of Jos, and above all, a product of the prestigious Harvard University. He studied Media and Public Policy from the University.
But when Sunday Dare’s name came up in President Muhammadu Buhari’s Ministerial nominees’ list last week, as a Minister designate from Oyo State, the entire polity of the State, especially the All Progressives Congress, APC faithfuls were shocked.
The development caught many unaware, in fact not many, except for those in the inner caucus, saw it coming. It was difficult for many people to believe because Sunday Dare’s name has never been in the picture. He has never being mentioned as part of the likely ministerial nominees from the pace setter State.
Senator Abiola Ajimobi, the immediate past Governor of the Statei; APC’s gubernatorial candidate in the last election, Chief Bayo Adelabu; Mr. Joseph Tegbe, also a gubernatorial aspirant and another guber aspirant, Dr. Olusola Ayandele (Eruobodo) were constantly featured as the likely nominees to be considered by President Buhari. While the former Minister for Communication, Barr. Adebayo Shiittu on the other hand continued assuring his loyalists of returning to the cabinet.
Surprisingly, however, Sunday Dare’s name appeared on the list of the nominees forwarded to the Senate for screening by Mr. President. And since then it has remained a big subject of discussion within the political circle in Oyo State as to how Sunday Dare came into the picture.
Some political pundits in the State want to believe that Sunday Dare’s name shouldn’t have come up in the first place, talkless of been the representative of Oyo State in President Buhari’s cabinet. They believe he doesn’t belong to the in-house caucus of APC in the state neither has he been visible or active in Oyo politics before now. Truly, Sunday Dare came to the scene shortly before the last gubernatorial election; not many even took him serious, they felt he is one those who only set out to creating a kind of political awareness. But with his emergence as a minister now, such assumption has been definitely thrown into the bin.
As it is now, the major qeustion on the lips of many in the state is, what is the role of former Governor Ajimobi in all these, as the defacto leader of Oyo APC? Judging from the fact that he is been severally rumoured to be interested in the ministerial slot, having failed in his bid to represent Oyo South Senatorial District for second time.
He represented the zone between 2003-2007. Though Ajimobi has disputed the notion that he wanted to be minister. He has stated in an interview earlier that he would prefer to be senator rather than been a minister under President Buhari. Saying that though he holds Mr. President in a high esteem but prefer a younger person to be given the opportunity, since he is pursuing his senatorial bid at the Tribunal.
It has also remained a big surprise to many to see Sunday Dare’s name come up and not Bayo Adelabu or Joseph Tegbe, who have both expected to be, at least, compensated for their losses during the electioneering period. Tegbe was one of the leading aspirants who stepped down for Chief Bayo Adelabu during APC’s shadow-primaries of December 2018.
However, while some want to believe that Sunday Dare’s emergence must have been influenced by the National Leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Mr. Sunday Dare is his former Media aide and Chief of Staff before now. Some are of the opinion that the whole arrangement may be part of the deal Ajimobi striked with the National leadership of APC, for them to throw their support behind him at the Tribunal, where he (Ajimobi) is challenging Senator Kola Balogun’s victory. Kola Balogun was declared the winner of Oyo South Senatorial district by INEC in the last election.
Not only that, those who know the antecedent and political prowess of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu are also of the strong opinion that Sunday Dare’s nomination may be his joker against 2023 Governoship race in the state. Only time would tell whether such idea can fly or not.
But whether Sunday Dare deserves to be given the ministerial slot or not, the fact remains that he is qualified and a bonafide citizen of Oyo State. He has also possed the required prerequisite to hold any public office.
Mr. Sunday Akin Dare, according to his profile on the website, is the Executive Commissioner (Stakeholder Management) of the Nigerian Communications Commission. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science (BSc.) in International Studies from Ahmadu Bello University in 1991. He then proceeded to obtain a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the University of Jos. He was a Freedom Forum Fellow and Visiting Scholar, School of Journalism – New York University (NYU) in 1998. He later proceeded to Harvard University under the prestigious Harvard Nieman Journalism Fellowship between 2000 and 2001 where he studied Media and Public Policy.
Prior to his appointment, he was the Convener of the Social Media Clinic (SMC), a Media/Information Technology (New Media) initiative committed to educating private citizens on IT development and also in the use of telecommunication as an information tool and creating awareness on how to responsibly use the platform provided by advancements in Information and Communication Technology (ICT). He combined this role with being the Chief of Staff/Special Adviser (Media) to former Lagos State Governor, Ahmed Bola Tinubu.
Also, he is equipped with over 25 years experience of multimedia journalism, having practised at both local and international mediums. He was a founding member of the Nigerian weekly magazines The News and Tempo during the military era, where he served as Editor, Tempo Magazine and pioneer Online Editor/General. He had been reporter/columnist with several international publications such as The Nation magazine in New York and a production editor/writer with the European funded Fourth Estate magazine during the struggle against military dictatorship in Nigeria.
-Dare Adeniran
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