*GÓMÌNÀ Ọ̀YỌ́ ÒKÈÒGÙN LÓ KÀN – Part One*

*Favour Adéwọyin*

September 28, 2025

From the days of the Western Region through the old Ọ̀yọ́ State that birthed today’s Ọ̀ṣun and Ọ̀yọ́, down to the present political dispensation, one fact remains unshakable: no son or daughter of Òkèògùn has ever occupied the exalted seat of Governor or Premier.

The farthest our people have been pushed — almost like a routine prescription — is the Deputy Governorship seat. To us in Òkèògùn, the title of Deputy Governor has become so monotonous, so recurrent, that it now evokes resentment rather than pride. Indeed, the Yoruba saying, “ìgbák’ìgbá n’ìgbá kejì” (always second fiddle), has become the bitter humour with which we describe our political fate. For five times in history, Òkèògùn has been saddled with the Deputy Governor’s office — an office popularly mocked as the “spare tyre.”

Why this disdain? The reason for the disdain is because, in Nigerian politics, the Deputy Governor is constitutionally a figure of delegated relevance. The office holds no autonomous power. It exists at the mercy of the Governor’s goodwill, activated only when there is vacancy, absence, or incapacity. In reality, it is the one who holds the “green biro” — the Governor — who wields the true power of state. He dictates policy, controls resources, commands loyalty, and rules like the emperor of his political empire.

Politicians know this too well. That is why, for decades, they have conveniently tossed the Deputy Governor’s slot to Òkèògùn — as if sending a message: “You are not competent enough, not wealthy enough, not united enough to sit where true power resides.”

*The Myth of Òkèògùn Disunity:*

One of the arguments constantly deployed to sideline us is that Òkèògùn is too divided to produce a Governor. Sadly, there is some truth in this. Our region, richly diverse and heterogeneous, often splits along three fault lines: religion, partisan politics, and town-based rivalry.

Whenever we quarrel, outsiders seize the prize we all desire. A wise elder once likened our plight to a cock offering its golden head to the fox as a sacrificial feast. Another analogy fits even better: we are like a man who set out to purchase an àṣọ ẹtù (a regal flowing attire), but became so distracted by the meal served him on the way that he forgot his original mission.

Disunity has been our greatest undoing. Each time we allowed petty sentiments to eclipse collective vision, we lost the ultimate crown.

*The Call to Unity and Focus:*

But today, the tide has turned. The fire is burning hot — iná ti jó d’órí kókó. The time has come for Òkèògùn to rise with one voice, to shut the door against betrayal, bootlicking, and sell-outs, and to stand firmly for our rightful place in history.

If we truly desire the governorship of Ọ̀yọ́ State, then we must pursue it with focus, discipline, and unity of purpose. No distractions. No petty rivalries. No surrender to crumbs when the crown is within reach.

*2027: The Defining Moment:*

As 2027 approaches, the handwriting is clear on the political wall: the governorship of Ọ̀yọ́ State must, in the spirit of justice, fairness, and equity, move to Òkèògùn. We have waited long enough. We have paid our dues. We have carried the burden of “second place” for too long.

Now is the time. Now, it is our turn. 

Gómìnà Ọ̀yọ́, Òkèògùn ló kàn!

*Pst. Favour Adéwọyin,*

Public Affairs Analyst and Community Leader.