By Evelyn Oyasotie Abraham
I have read some earlier articles on the crises in the ADC: no one gives away political power willingly. Power is often contested, negotiated, and, in many cases, fought for through lawful democratic struggle. That is why I believe some opposition forces have made costly strategic errors in recent times. Politics is not won through shortcuts or wishful thinking. It requires preparation, organization, sacrifice, and long-term planning.
I had advised some leaders within the ADC movement during their planning stages that the wiser route would have been to register a fresh political party with clear ideology, clean structures, and new energy. Instead, many wanted an easier path, trying to inherit ready made structures without building a solid foundation. Sadly, that decision may prove to be one of their greatest undoings. In politics, convenience often becomes expensive later. Still, I wish distinguished leaders like Senator David Mark the very best in their efforts to deepen democracy.
However, when it comes to some political actors, sympathy is difficult. Take the case of former Governor Rauf Aregbesola in Osun State. In my view, he left behind a troubling legacy of debt and financial strain. Before him, General Olagunsoye Oyinlola governed Osun without plunging the state into unsustainable borrowing. Yet after Aregbesola’s years in office, Osun became burdened with liabilities that citizens are still paying for today.
The current administration under Governor Ademola Adeleke is now faced with the difficult task of servicing inherited debts while also trying to complete abandoned projects. That is no easy responsibility. It is one thing to govern with fresh resources; it is another to govern while carrying the weight of yesterday’s financial excesses.
My concern with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom many call Asiwaju, is not personal. It is philosophical. He presents himself as a die-hard democrat and a believer in the rule of law. Those are noble principles. But democracy is not about speeches, it is about conduct. Rule of law is not selective obedience. It cannot apply only when convenient. It must apply even when it affects one’s political allies or family interests.
The Osun local government crisis is a prime example of why many Nigerians are frustrated. During Aregbesola’s eight years as governor, local government elections were not conducted. He completed two terms and left office without restoring that crucial tier of democratic governance. Then came Gboyega Oyetola, whose emergence itself was controversial after a fiercely contested governorship election. Governor Adeleke initially won, lost at the tribunal, regained victory at the appeal court, and then lost at the Supreme Court. Such legal twists are part of democracy, but they also reveal how contentious our electoral system has become.
Yet throughout Oyetola’s four-year tenure, he too failed to conduct local government elections. Suddenly, after losing re-election in 2022 and while legal disputes were still ongoing, he remembered local councils. Elections were hurriedly organized, and chairmen and councillors were installed across the state. To many observers, this looked less like democratic conviction and more like a last-minute political trap for the incoming administration.
At the same time, thousands of teachers and civil servants were reportedly recruited into a state already struggling to meet salary obligations. Workers had at various times complained of half salaries and delayed payments. Then, just before departure, some thousand new hires were added. How was the next government expected to sustain that burden immediately? It raised legitimate questions about motive, timing, and fiscal responsibility.
Governor Adeleke’s new administration responded with executive orders reversing some of those late actions. Predictably, the matter went to court. Another political party challenged the local government elections, and the court