Dear Oba, Senator, Sharafadeen Alli,
This open letter is born out of one fear: what if your emergence as the next Governor of Oyo State is actually the will of God? What if, despite everything, that is what God has destined for Oyo State? That is why I am writing this.
My name is Abubakr Subomi Kolawole. I am one of those who do not believe in your capacity to govern Oyo State. I have my reservations about you, and I have never hidden them. However, beyond my personal reservations, I genuinely want the best for Oyo State. But sometimes, the will of God can be funny. When it happens, there is little we human beings can do. We will simply open our mouths and shout.
The reason for this open letter is your seven-point manifesto, which you released yesterday. Quite frankly, it is underwhelming. It lacks creativity, seriousness, depth and a proper understanding of the expectations of the good people of Oyo State. I expected something much better from someone seeking to govern a state like Oyo.
It is a pity that the people around you have failed to help you do better. Sometimes, I wonder if you have a team of professionals who understand policy, governance and public administration, or whether your entire political structure is populated by party loyalists whose only concern is politics. Governance is not the same as party politics. Winning an election is one thing; knowing what to do with power is another.
And this is also a leadership failure on your part. You cannot continue to blame the people around you when you are the one responsible for identifying capable hands and bringing them on board. You need people who can challenge your ideas, interrogate your policies and tell you when something is not good enough. You need people who understand the business of governance, not just the business of winning elections.
Look at President Bola Tinubu. Whether you agree with his politics or not, one thing you cannot take away from him is his ability to assemble people with experience and capacity around him. That is something you should learn from. Leadership is not about surrounding yourself with people who will always agree with you. It is about having people who can make your ideas better.
I have noticed this lack of depth in your political engagements for some time now, particularly after watching one of your recorded interviews a few months ago. Unfortunately, this manifesto has done little to change that impression. There is hardly any difference in the quality of ideas being presented here and what we have seen from Oriyomi Hamzat of the Accord Party. And that is a very poor standard for anyone aspiring to lead Oyo State.
My advice is simple: open your eyes and review the people around you. Bring competent people on board. Get professionals who understand the different sectors of the state. Forget blind party loyalty if you genuinely mean well for Oyo State. Though, to be honest, I still have my doubts.
Oyo State deserves better. We cannot afford to gamble with the future of this state. Your seven-point agenda, as presented, gives very little reason to be excited. At a time when Oyo State has made some progress under Governor Seyi Makinde, we should be discussing how to consolidate, improve and move forward, not presenting ideas that make us look as though we are preparing to start all over again.
If Oyo State is currently in SS3 under Seyi Makinde, your manifesto gives the impression that you want to take us back to JSS2. That is how disappointing it is.
Even the political ideas and governance philosophy associated with the late Chief Bola Ige sound more compelling than what you have presented.
Senator Sarafa Alli, Oyo State is bigger than your political ambition. It is bigger than the APC, and it is bigger than any individual seeking to occupy the Agodi Government House.
Please, do better. The people of Oyo State deserve a serious conversation about their future, and this manifesto is certainly not it.
Yours sincerely,
Abubakr Subomi Kolawole
