From the very moment Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR announced the nomination of Hon. (Dr.) Bunmi Tunji Ojo as a Minister designate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the political barometer of Akoko North Federal Constituency was again activated.Just few months before this epic announcement, the people of the zone, especially progressives, had reelected Dr. Bunmi Tunji Ojo to represent them for a second term in the Green Chamber.
Though he won the election with a landslide, nobody had a glimpse of the latter development of his ministerial nomination. The truism that man proposes but God disposes was again substantiated here.
The implication was that there was the need for a new occupant of the Akoko North Federal Constituency seat in the Federal House of Representatives And the only constitutional process is through a bye-election, expectedly to be conducted by Nigeria’s electoral umpire- the Independent National Electoral Commission.Expectedly, Hon. Bunmi Tunji Ojo, having tendered his letter of resignation and same was read on the floor of the House, the seat was declared vacant by the Speaker of the House of Representatives in a letter addressed to the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Few days back, the long awaited INEC announcement filtered through the airwaves that re-run and bye-elections would be conducted nationwide by February of 2024, baring any unforeseen circumstances.
In the light of the above and as at the last count, about twenty aspirants of the APC and PDP are already showing interest to participate in the process.
This is as many sectional and self-serving agenda ladened with chauvinistic colouration are being promoted to achieve jingoistic ends – a .case of different folks and different yokes.Among the lot of these aspirants, who are eminently qualified not only to participate in the exercise but also to represent the zone, stands out a young man by name Ifeoluwa Ehindero.
For me, I had known long before now that he would be BTO: successor. You ask me: “How”? I would tell you that the Nostradamus tendency in me and my gut feelings told me so. Remember, Nostradamus ( 1503-1566) was a French apothecary and seer who predicted many things with accuracy and virtually all his predictions came to pass.
I recall how immediately Hon. Bunmi Tunji Ojo was announced Minister Designate, I sent a short message to Ifeoluwa Ehindero and this was the content: ” Hello, my brother Something good is coming your way this season. Prepare for it for it will surely come” ( Verbatim). When I sent this, I had the intuition he was going to replace Hon. Bunmi Tunji Ojo as our Rep member.
Only the All- knowing God knows the process and the shenanigans before the bye+election, one thing I can safely and confidently predict is that Ifeoluwa Ehindero would stand for the election as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress and would be return elected at the bye- election.
I may not know the process, but this would be the outcome. Mark my words and take it to the bank for it will unfailingly come to pass.
May we have a peaceful bye-election exercise in Akoko North Federal Constituency and Nigeria as a whole, come February, 2024.
Olumide Obadele is of Akunu Akoko extraction and doubles as the Convener of One Million Man March for BTO
