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As BOT Members Take Their Exit
The immediate past President-General of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), Prince Adeaga had believed, before the recent election that saw him out of office, that he had largely soothed frayed nerves of those who were angry over the election that he won to become the number one person in the CCII over two years ago. At that election, the Oke-Dada’s Prince trounced Waidi Ekun, a popular sportsman.
The recent election that gave victory to a Lawyer, Ajeniyi Ajewo, has however, disabused his mind over the pent-up anger of those who were belly-aching that he beat Waidi Ekun hands down.
Adeaga didn’t succeed in assuaging the fans and supporter of the veteran sport guru in the CCII. He never knew that they kept their gun powder dry, bidding their time to pay him back in the same coins.
City People learnt that the rank of the aggrieved Waidi Ekun’s supporters swelled as they attracted many others whose agenda is similar to theirs. Thus, they packed enough muscle strong enough to give Adeaga a bloody nose at the recent election. It was easy for them to find partnership in the technocrats who were rooting to take over the leadership of the CCII. They lent their electoral weight to Ajewole who eventually won the election. Thus, Adeaga’s second term ambition was nibbed in the bud.
Members of the electorate who were not fanatically committed to either said the best candidate should win. That was not, however, the stance of those who believed that things would be better for the council if Adeaga was allowed to win a second term. They were disappointed. The technocrats and the aggrieved Ekun’s fans gave Adeaga the short end of the stick. Perhaps, they didn’t know what shattering of expectation could mean to the ego of the victim, who is at the receiving end of a gang-up.
Members of Board of Trustee (BOT) who felt betrayed and could no longer stand what they regard as belittling their status in the council and by extension the larger society, took the defeat of Adeaga at the poll personal. Most of them have resigned their membership.
They attributed their exit to old age. They non-challantly shrugged their shoulders as signal that it was time to leave. There is no doubt that the council would miss them.
Besides being members of the BOT, they were among the pioneers who cleared the path for the CCII to emerged from the wilderness. They shaped the frontier of the council and lent their weight to its promotion and fortune. They were not excited by the promise of the new President General that he would ensure completion of the new Olubadan palace before the end of his tenure. At his inauguration, Ajewole had promised a radical review of the councils activities and bring verve to bear on its operation. He said it was time to maximise the robust weight of the council, for the good and development of city and its people.
Indigenes and residents of the capital of Oyo State, Ibadan, who gladly welcomed Oke-Dada’s Prince, Adeaga, to the leadership chair of Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) more than two years ago never knew that his gale of popularity would be short-lived and quickly paled into obscurity. Prince Adeaga had emerged the President-General of the CCII beaten a contender Waidi Ekun in a contest that members of the affliates clubs lauded as a true reflection of the opinion of the moment. It attracted a loud eulogy. At the time, most members of the council had thought and believed that Adeaga was raring to go for more than one term of two-year duration as his popularity was daily soaring.
Adeaga, an entrepreneur, who has many companies in his knapsack, could not sustain the waves of popularity that brought him to power. Observers noted that the attractive glamour he exuded, on which he rode to become the President-General soon thawed, leaving a shrinked image of a once bubbling personality that attracted supporters in drove. Despite the flagging flame of his popularity, Prince Adeage still retained modicum of rabid followers in the CCII. He was never aware of his dwindling popularity or perhaps the true message of his rating preceding the election that recently changed the leadership of the council was never loud enough to wake him from slumber.
In his self-assessment, Prince Adeaga regarded himself as the candidate to beat. Yes, that confidence might have deluded him to lower his guard and unreservedly plunged and harness all his connections and influence to win a second term election without success.
Regrettably, the efforts were inadequate. The result of the election eloquently, delivered that result.
There are many tendencies in the CCII that are championing interests of different factions. There are the conservative group and those who regard them as the new age members. The latter group is a champion of what they called innovation.
They believe in new method, style and approach of doing things. To them, it is the sure way of embracing dictate of digital patterns that is capable of generating excitement that makes target audience easily manipulable.
The two groups had gone to the fields to canvass votes for the President-General candidates they were supporting in the recent election. The two groups employed all the arsenal in electoral armoury. Ajewole, a Lawyer, had brought his legal prowel to be bear on the style of campaigning.
It was, therefore, not a surprise that he was far ahead of his co-contestant Adeaga in wooing and convincing the electorate to support him to make his ambition a reality.
The support for Ajewole didn’t however, come cheap and quick. It was gradual. He succeeded in tactily nibbling away the wall of electoral support for Adeaga. By the time Adeaga woke up to the reality of the division among members of the CCII, it was too late to reverse the damage Ajewole had wreaked on him and his second term ambition.
There are many presidents in the CCII, but one President-General. Each affliate club is headed by a President. The president of each of the clubs and their secretaries that are delegates who are entitled to participating in the President-General election. Adeaga’s faction had before the election believed that most of the delegates were in their net. That they were supporting their principal and would cast their votes for him. They were wrong.
Ajewole’s canvassers, from the result of victory that dogged their campaigning efforts, they were smarter than the people in the Adeaga’s group. Perhaps, while the Adeaga’s men were doing a quick march in their campaigning efforts to woo voters, the Ajewole’s people adopted a double paced-quick march model. It was, therefore, not a surprise that they beat the opponent silly. Thus Adeaga and his supporters were left panting for breath.
Ajewole’s victory painted the camp of Adeaga in sombre disappointment colour.
They could not believe how and why they lost the election. Ajewole’s people had pulled a fast electoral manouvre on them.
Despite the pacification message of Ajewole after the election’s verdict was announced, many were disappointed that Adeaga was not allowed to complete a two-term tenure.
Those of them who felt aggrieved and could not be appeased are leaving the council. In what was regarded as a subtle protest against the victory of Ajewole, they are leaving the council in drove. Most of the subtle protesters are aged and members of the Board of Trustee (BOT)
– Tajudeen Adigun
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