I didn't just emerge from the blues onto the political landscape of Ijumu. In this journey of politics, I daresay that I have come a long way.
Although I had prior political engagements outside my immediate environment, I started partisan politics in Ijumuland precisely in the year 2001. It was in that year that I came back home from Abuja to partake in the process for the election of Council chairman of Ijumu LGA. In spite of that I was described as rookie politician, I contested against giants and came second in the People’s Democratic Party primary that featured the likes of Hon. Adams Olorunmo and the late Hon Bode
The House of Assembly seat was going to be vacant in 2007 and it was yet the turn of Ijumu Oke to take the slot. I prepared to participate. In fact I had taken my campaign train through Ijumu Oke and was at Gbedde when Chief Ojo sent an emissary to me directing that I stopped the campaign and return to his house in Egbeda for a crucial meeting of Ijumu Oke critical PDP stakeholders. At the meeting, our leader, Chief Ojo advised all aspirants to withdraw from the race for Hon Adam Olorunmo. The late Hon Olumodeji and I abided by the leader’s instruction and withdrew. On that occasion, Chief Ojo had to take me to his bedroom and advised that since age was still on my side, he would rather I waited for another time. Olumodeji and I again stepped down stepped down as advised while Adekoya Ogbonnewo (Joab) and the late Barr. Fatoba participated in the party primary that produced Hon Adams as the party flag bearer. Adams eventually won at the general elections in 2007. Early in that year, the local government councils in the state were dissolved and I put in for appointment as a member of the caretaker committee, but our leader again preferred Hon Paul Aiyenigba. I kept my cool.
While Aiyenigba was still serving in the council, another opportunity came. One Saturday morning, Chief J. O. Yusuf and I were at Chief Ojo's at Egbeda residence where he told us that there was an opening for the Executive Secretary of the state’s Pension Board and that the governor had asked him to bring someone and that he was going to present Aiyenigba for the job. By the following week the appointment was effected, I was hoping to at least take the office that Paul vacated. As a matter of fact the trio of Olumodeji, Olorunmo-then a serving member of KSHA and I met with Chief Ojo at his Phase 1 Filling Station in Lokoja and they presented me to him to take up the caretakeship that Paul just vacated. He felt the office should be used to placate Chief Sunday Arogundade and his group. However, a few days later, Chief Ojo facilitated my appointment as Special Assistant to the Governor where I spent just six months after which the governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris dissolved his cabinet. In the build up to council election in 2008, I was to be elected the vice chairman to Owotogbe, again I was made to relinquish it to an Egbeda man.
I could not return to office as SA to the Governor until sometime in 2008 due to political intrigues. I got reappointed SA with the help of God and my elder brother, Otunba Lanre Ipinmisho who was then the Director-General of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). I was on that seat till 2011 when I was relieved of it because we supported Hon Yori Afolabi to win the State Assembly seat. Our efforts were considered as anti party activity and it affected me and Hon. Jambright Sumanu. Because of the treachery against me and Jambright, we left the Ojo camp in anger and pitched tent with Sen Smart Adeyemi, and of course the job opportunities at 'Abuja' we were promised as a result of the sack never came.
I put in my very best to build the political structure of Sen Smart Adeyemi. The opportunity to be a member of the local government caretaker committee came twice and twice did I miss it.
Again, the council election came and I put in everything I had for the success of that camp, that effort produced Odutola Chairmanship, but I had nothing to show for it.
All these while, I was in the PDP but when Hon Biodun Faleke came in 2015, I decided to join his team. When the Governor-Wada heard of my decision to move on, he wanted to meet with me and and some selected few from Ijumu which included Hon Fehinti Dada, Arc Salman Idris, Kola Fagbemi, Taiye Ikupeleye and a host of others. The meeting was to be facilitated by Hon Teejay Yusuf. When those at the helm of affairs which included Sen Adeyemi heard about it, they truncated that opportunity. I then decided that it would be better to try my luck in the Audu/Faleke group.
We all put in our best and course Capt. Idris Wada was routed at the polls. The rest, as they say, is history. Although the journey has been very rough, I have remained steadfast with the Faleke group till date.
This is my travail in the rough ride through the difficult terrain of my political sojourn that I need to lay bare before all the good people of Ijumu.
To me, the time that Chief Biodun Ojo prophesied over 11 years ago has come and that time is now. I pray to the almighty God that time shall come to pass mashaAllah.
My appeal to our people is that it's not just time for the progress of Ijumu but time for aiye eje unse temi lijumu.
Asiko Ti To Fun Itesiwaju Ijumu.
...itesiwaju Ijumu lojewa logun
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