How Amosun's Running Mate Emerged

By Daud Olatunji, Vanguard

Contrary to the expectation by the people of Ogun state on the choice of the running mate of Governor Ibikunle Amosun, the governor and some leaders of the All Progressives Congress chose a dark horse.

Expectedly, many people believed that Amosun would compensate his former running mate; Mrs. Elisabeth Sonubi while he contested for governorship on the platform of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party in 2007 which he lost,

Vanguard gathered that, left for Amosun, he would have chosen Sonubi who is currently the commissioner for women Affairs and social development as his running mate for the 2015 governorship election.

Sonubi who hails from Ijebu-North-East in Ogun East Senatorial district is a grass root politician whose choice by Amosun in 2007 conferred a lot of acceptance on the team.

It was reliably gathered that three people were shot-listed by Amosun as his possible running mate. They were Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Muyiwa Oladipo; Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Elisabeth Sonubi and the wife of slain governorship candidate on the platform of the defunct Action Congress, Mrs Dipo Dina.

This development followed the defection of the current deputy governor, Prince Segun Adesegun to the Social Democratic Party as a fall out of the disagreement between him and the governor.

Adesegun was reported to have been forced on Amosun by the leadership of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria prior to the 2011 general elections.

It would be recalled that Amosun who was a governorship candidate on the platform of All Nigeria's Peoples Party, ANPP, collapsed his political structure with the defunct Action Congress, AC, and formed Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, on which platform he contested for governorship and won.

The party, according to the findings chose his running mate who he never had interaction with before the party announced him. A close associate of Amosun hinted Vanguard that, Amosun made several attempts to have his way in the choice of running mate but was not successful.

Adesegun who hails from Ago-Iwoye in Ijebu-North Local Government had a nasty relationship with his estranged boss before they eventually parted ways.

Sequel to the internal wrangling that rocked the All Progress Congress in the state, Adesegun defected to the Social Democratic Party, SDP, which paved way for Amosun to search for another deputy governor for his second term.

In the bid to get a strategic candidate, APC picked a Deputy Director from Lagos Ministry of Environment, Yetunde Abosede Onanuga as a running mate of Amosun for 2015 elelction.

Running Mate

Onanuga who hails from Ijebu-Igbo in Ijebu-North Local Government is a wife of a prominent Chief in Ijebu-Ode just as she is a daughter of a late monarch in Ijebu-Igbo.

Speaking shortly after she was declared Amosun's running mate, Onanuga said: "firstly, I will like to say thank you to God for making this possible. It is a day of joy to me, a day the Lord has made and I'm rejoicing in it. I have been looking forward to this day, because I can remember four years ago, I came out because I wanted this position but, as God wants it, this is the day the Lord has made and I eventually emerge as the running mate of our dear governor."

About her background, she explained "My father is from Aparaki in Ijebu-Igbo under Ijebu-North local government; my mother is from Akaka and actually the daughter of the late Alakaka of Akaka Chief E. Oyesofojo. I'm also married to a son of Ijebu-Ode, Otunba Abiodun Onanuga.

The State Chairman of the party, Chief Roqib Adeniji who presented Onanuga, as the running mate to the leaders and members of the party during a stakeholders meeting held in Abeokuta, said the choice of Onanuga was carefully made by the party.

Profile of a Running Mate

The All Progressive Congress (APC) in Ogun State on Tuesday nominated a seasoned bureaucrat and Princess from Aparaki in Ijebu North Local Government Area, Chief (Mrs) Yetunde Abosede Onanuga as the running mate for Senator Ibikunle Amosun, who had earlier emerged as the unopposed gubernatorial candidate for the 2015 general elections.

Mrs. Onanuga (nee Fabanwo), 54, was presented to party leaders at the ultra-modern MTR Hall inside Ibara GRA by the state party Chairman, Chief Roqeeb Adeniji. She was accompanied to the venue by her husband, Otunba Abiodun Onanuga, the Giwa Bobakeye Akile Ijebu, who is also Managing Director of NUGACON Group of Companies.

The running mate was a grand-daughter of the late Oba of Akaka in Remo North Local Government Area, Oba Oye Sofodu.

Her emergence on the APC gubernatorial ticket therefore provides a perfect balance in terms of geo-political consideration, gender and religion. With Governor Amosun coming from Ogun Central Senatorial District, the party had earlier zoned the Deputy Governor's slot to Ogun East Senatorial District while the speakership is zoned to Ogun West Senatorial District.

Ogun East Senatorial District has two sections - Ijebu and Remo. The Remo wing has produced the party's senatorial candidate, Chief Dapo Abiodun, Managing Director of Hayden Petroleum who is from Iperu Remo.

The Deputy Governor is expected to come from Ijebuland. Co-incidentally, Chief (Mrs) Onanuga is not only from the two largest LGAs in Ijebuland by origin and marriage, she also has a link to the Remo area. She is by origin from Ijebu North LGA and her husband is a ranking member of the royal court of the Awujale of Ijebuland in Ijebu Ode LGA. Her mother is also a princess of the Akaka town in Remo area. Therefore, she has a link with all the sections of the Ogun East Senatorial District.

A devout Christian and mother, Mrs. Onanuga is expected to complement and provide support for the energetic and progressive Governor Amosun as the administration moves into the critical stage in the implementation of its Mission to Rebuild Ogun State. 

Mrs. Onanuga was educated at the Lagos State College of Science and Technology (LACOSTEC), now Lagos State Polytechnic, and Ogun State University, now known as Olabisi Onabanjo University. She has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree.

Source: Vanguard