Alas! How can democracy be secure in the hands of a few who dispense political kun fa ya kun as they please? There are no further developmental projects in most Local Government Areas as the Chairmen have no sense of accountability to the masses but rather to their appointor, in the same manner that there is no accountability at virtually other levels to the people again other than the political masters. These are factors that many resent in our party and at times would rather work for the opponent. This was the scenario that played out in 2011 during the Local Government election in Lagos in which many of our people, out of protests, went and supported the candidate of the opposition. What followed thereafter is a story for another day.

In many cases we present the most unpopular candidate who probably even lost during primaries at the expense of a grassroots politician who is preferred by huge majority of the members of the party. A continuation of this illicit practice can never guarantee the future for democracy and I see it as a challenge in the on-coming 2015 election.

What Osun 2014 has taught us is to present popular and best candidates for elections through democratic and transparent primaries. It simplifies our work even when the opponents are most devilish with all forces of tyranny at their disposal. I recently observed in one of my recent papers and I have found same apposite here that

“It is imperative for a people to constantly engage in critical examination of their welfare and existence. The reason for this is for us not to fall into the pit of a strong man who rarely knows the limit of his strength but to rather be like a wise man who always tries to ascertain the limits of his wisdom.”

It is the popularity of Ogbeni that won the election for us. Take it or leave it.

Lesson No. 2: Knowledge of and Love for Public Service

Our political office holders must develop love for public service. We must banish sycophancy and favouritism to the woods. We must ensure that candidates emerging on the platform of our party command good interest in the development of our society and have the moral and educational wherewithal to deliver to the people. It is when we implement popular policies and programmes that people benefit from as done in Osun that they remain our natural constituency. The great sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo in his book, The People’s Republic, did a comprehensive analysis of what makes leadership more endearing to the people. I recommend this book to all who aspire to govern us and direct our affairs.
Equally, it is most important to ensure that candidates to be fielded by the party for any office, most importantly the governorship office, must be someone who has a great measure of experience of governance. It was easier for us to win the Osun governorship election because Ogbeni Aregbesola had been in the system for a long time. Here is a man of sterling records in the art of governance in Lagos and whose practical experience of politics in both Lagos and Osun is not only superlative but commands impressive followership. Had we featured someone of less capacity in the circumstance that the Osun election was conducted, the outcome would probably have been a disaster.