By Dapo Olaosebikan
There is no hiding the fact that the momentum of who will succeed Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello as the executive governor of Kogi State has begun. Across party lines, top politicians and their supporters are already warming up for the political battle to secure electoral victory into the Lugard House in Lokoja, the state capital and seat of power, in 2023.
Though no one has come out to officially declare his or her aspiration for the hot seat of Kogi governor in 2023, political alignments and permutations are currently ongoing all over the state across party lines. Expectedly, as 2022 is winding up to usher in the election year in Nigeria, the front liners are already emerging. While there have been talks about Edward Onoja, the state’s current deputy governor and a few others, particularly from the ruling party’s stead, a dark horse being taunted in many political discussions and circles in the state capable of upsetting the apple cart in party’s primaries scheduled for the first quarter of 2023, is Adebanji David Jimoh, a cerebral and leading global expert on financial literacy and consistent party man from Okekoko ward which is the largest and strongest APC dominated ward in Kabbba and Kogi West in the state.
That Adebanji might emerge as a prime contender in his party’s primaries and eventual nomination next year may not be dismissed with a wave of the hand. In particular, if APC should accede to the calls it should micro-zone the governorship position to Kogi West Senatorial District of the state based on equity, fairness and justice. As it will be recalled, while both Kogi East and Centre Senatorial Districts have produced the governors of the state in persons late Alhaji Abubakar Audu, Alhaji Idris, Captain Idris and Alhaji Yahaya Bello respectively since the beginning of the current political dispensation in 1999 in Nigeria, Kogi West is yet to produce any candidate for the coveted post.
This is the reason for a recent agitation by a socio-cultural group, the Okun Patriots (OK), urging critical political stakeholders to consider the Okun people of Kogi West to produce the next governor in the interest of equity and fairness. In a widely published press statement signed by the convener of OK, Mr Otitoju Olusuyi stated that 31 years after the creation of Kogi State no Okun person has occupied the seat of power at Lugard House. According to him, “After 31 years of the creation of the state of which Kogi East has ruled for 16 years and Kogi Central for 8 years at the end of the tenure of Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello in January 2024, it is only fair for an Okun person to be governor.”
Appealing to individuals from other senatorial zones in the state to look at the bigger picture and drop their aspirations for Lugard House in the next dispensation, Okun Patriot remarked that “It is only right for all segments of the state to have a sense of belonging for harmony and peaceful coexistence. Shutting out one ethnic group from leadership in the governance of the State is marginalisation which must not be allowed to thrive.”
Finally, the Okun Patriots acknowledged the fact that none of the three senatorial districts could go it alone except with the cooperation and support of others stressing that the collective interest of the State should be placed above personal interest and ambition.
In a recent media chat with journalists in Abuja, Adebanji supported the appeal by the Okun Patriots. Speaking on his aspiration to become the next Kogi State governor, he remarked that just like the other senatorial, Kogi West has thousands of able and capable leaders who can genuinely lead the state to the next level of her overall development.
As he revealed, his ambition and goal are to make Kogi the Singapore of Nigeria and make her the state to beat among her peers in Nigeria after the tenure of Alhaji Yahaya Bello.
According to him, ‘social justice’ will be his determining philosophy if he eventually achieves his ambition “because social justice will guarantee life in abundance and the greater good of the greater number”. Further expatiating, the financial expert told the gathering of media men that “social justice will guarantee equal socio-economic rights, opportunities and privileges to all Kogites, particularly the teeming vibrant youths in the state. It will also guarantee adequate security of life and properties of the state’s citizens”.
As a homeboy and financial expert, Adebanji revealed that as the governor of Confluence State, he will institute a home-grown credit regime with secure insurance that will revolutionize agriculture and general economic activities of Kogi citizens, while quality education that will be denominated by technical and requisite skill acquisition for the 21st self and general development of all Kogites.
Promising to uphold Governor Yahaya Bello’s strides in security, law and order in the state, Adebanji said he will go a step further by instituting what he calls an “Alternative Security System which will involve all the security operatives and all stakeholders, including every religious organisation, commutation professionals, every family and citizen of the state. Similarly, the governorship aspirant hinted that Kogi solid minerals will be a focus of national and international cooperation and collaboration for the overall advancement of the state.
In all of these, Adebanji is undeniably patriotic and credible. The true test of his patriotism and credibility is gleaned from his Resumé. Born on September 8, 1966, into Jimoh Owogbemile of The Ilajo Royal family in Kabba, Kogi State Nigeria, young Adebanji attended St. Paul’s Primary School and St Augustine’s College and St. Barnabas Secondary School, Kabba. Between 1984 and 1986, he was at the Federal School of Arts and Science Ondo and later graduated with BSc in Economics, Second Class Upper Division in 1990 from the University of Ibadan. Holds an MBA from the Bayero University Kano, 2001.
Adebanji has over 30 years of experience in finance and sales having worked for VT Leasing Lagos between 1992 and 1995 as an Associate and Head of the Credit Admin Department. Joined Chartered Bank (now Stanbic IBTC) from 1996 to 1999. Worked for several Banks including Standard Trust(1999), City Express(1999-2001), Global Bank (then International Group) (2001-2003) Ecobank (2003-2006), United Bank for Africa(2006-2007), Access Bank (2007-2009) Union Bank (2009-2020)and Access Bank currently as the Regional Sales Director North East and North Central ( including Abuja).
He is also on the Board of Access Insurance Brokers as Non-Executive Director. He has attended several courses within and outside Nigeria including the Executive Leadership Programme 2020 S.A( Mckinsey). He is a Fellow of the Institute of Credit Administration of Nigeria(FICA) and an Honourable Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers( HCIB).
Happily married with children, he has been a very active member of APC in Kogi State and has equally been very active in youth empowerment and job provision in the state. A philanthropist who assists indigent youths in education, hesingle-handedlyy paid the rent to the APC state secretariat for 3 years between 2011 and 2015. At the instance of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, APC’s national leader and the party’s presidential candidate for 2023, Adebanji has made immense contributions toward the victory of APC at the state and national levels.
Dapo Olaosebikan, a veteran journalist and public affairs analyst, writes from Abuja.
