By Otunba Fatai Sowemimo
Politics is not warfare against your own party members. It is the art of inclusion, negotiation, balance, and respect for political stakeholders. What is currently unfolding in Ogun State APC should worry every sincere progressive.
Governor Dapo Abiodun has gradually transformed what should be a democratic process into a carefully controlled political arrangement driven by loyal loyalists and predetermined endorsements.
First came the controversial “consensus” arrangement in Ogun East aimed at positioning himself against the far more grassroots-rooted and politically experienced Otunba Gbenga Daniel.
Then came Ogun Central, where Senator Shuaib Afolabi Salisu was openly projected despite the overwhelming political influence and structure of former Governor Ibikunle Amosun.
Now in Ogun West, the Governor has ignored his own Deputy Governor, Engr. Alhaja Noimot Salako-Oyedele — the only female aspirant in the race — and allegedly imposed another preferred candidate.
This is no longer ordinary politics. It is political exclusion on a statewide scale.
The implications are enormous.
A political party cannot continue humiliating powerful blocs, respected leaders, loyal stakeholders, women groups, and grassroots structures while expecting total unity during elections.
Every political structure has emotional limits.
When people feel ignored, sidelined, or politically disrespected, they may remain inside the party physically but withdraw psychologically and electorally.
That is how ruling parties suddenly become vulnerable.
The danger before APC today is not opposition parties alone — it is internal resentment quietly growing across the three senatorial districts.
In Ogun East:
Supporters of OGD believe popularity and grassroots acceptance are being sacrificed for state power influence.
In Ogun Central:
Loyalists of Amosun may interpret the situation as an attempt to politically diminish an established structure with deep electoral roots.
In Ogun West:
Women groups and stakeholders are asking a simple question:
If a sitting Deputy Governor cannot receive fair political consideration from her own political family, what message does that send about loyalty and inclusion?
The political consequences of these developments could extend beyond Senate contests.
They may affect:
* Presidential election mobilization
* Governorship calculations
* National Assembly races
* State Assembly contests
* Voter enthusiasm
* Grassroots campaign effectiveness
No governor, regardless of influence, can single-handedly deliver electoral victory without broad-based cooperation from all political tendencies within the party.
History consistently teaches one lesson:
Imposed candidacies weaken party unity, while inclusive politics strengthens electoral victory.
APC became a dominant force because it accommodated different interests, leaders, and tendencies. The moment one political tendency begins to silence others, internal fractures become inevitable.
True leadership is not measured by the power to impose candidates.
True leadership is measured by the wisdom to unite people with differing ambitions under one political roof.
The survival and future strength of APC in Ogun State will depend not on endorsements arranged in closed rooms, but on fairness, consultation, inclusion, and genuine democratic legitimacy.
A party that refuses to listen to its grassroots today may struggle to hear victory songs tomorrow.
Otunba Fatai Sowemimo
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