Osun: When gladiators set politics aside for God

The say in politics, there is no permanent friend; neither is there permanent enemy; there are only permanent interests. At times circumstances may warrant alignment of people who share different opinions and beliefs.
Alignment and re-alignment in Nigerian politics is a common phenomenon and takes place whenever politicians have difficulties in realising their ambitions. It has become more pronounced in recent time, especially when some registered political parties merged to form a formidable party in order to wrestle power from the ruling party at the centre.
In Osun State, Governor Rauf Aregbesola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and his archrival, Senator Christopher Iyiola Omisore, of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are perceived political enemies.
Before now, Senator Omisore belonged to political party to which a majority of leaders of All Progressives Congress (APC) belong. He started his political career in UNCP in 1997 and became the sole governorship aspirant of the party before the party was disbaned by the then military regime of General Sanni Abacha.
The dissolution of the party along with others forced Omisore into the Alliance for Democracy (AD). He was among those eyeing the governorship seat of the state on the platform of the party in 1998 before he was persuaded by party elders to become a deputy to Chief Adebisi Akande, who was the consensus choice as the governor.
But unfortunately, Akande and Omisore fell apart over the decision of Akande to run for a second term in office. Omisore then claimed that the agreement reached before he step down for Chief Akande was that Akande would only go for a single term having served as Secretary to the Oyo State Government and Oyo State Deputy governor to the late Chief Bola Ige in Oyo State.
At the peak of the crisis, which engulfed Akande’s government, Omisore was impeached and he consequently dumped the party for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) where he became the senator representing Osun-East Senatorial District for eight years.
Since the time he dumped AD, Omisore has regarded those in AD, which eventually transformed into Action Congress (AC), later Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and now All Progressive Congress (APC), as his political arch enemies. It is not impossible that the duo of Omisore and Aregbesola had had met face to face.
Though Aregbesola is today realising his political dream on the platform of All Progressive Congress (APC), Omisore had long been seeking to realise his ambition on the platform of PDP.
History was, however, re-written when the duo of Aregbesola and Omisore worshipped at the Catholic Holy Pilgrimage hill called Oke-Maria located in Otan-Ayegbaju Local Government Council of the state. The two men were at the holy place from 8t to 9t February where prayers were offered for them while they were on their knees by the presiding Bishop Leke Abegunrin on their ambitions.
Aregebsola attended the annual prayer vigil session along with Senator Babajide Omoworare, who represents Osun-East Senatorial District of Osun State.
Omoworare, a Catholic faithful, arrived the mountain in company of his wife, Bisi, while Omisore, also a devout Catholic, came in at about 1.45am on Sunday, and sat beside Omoworare on the front row after they had embraced each other.
At about an hour after, Aregbesola arrived the venue during the healing service being conducted by Reverend Father John Popoola. Aregbesola joined both Omisore and Omoworare on the front row after they greeted one other.
The Catholic Archbishop of Ibadan and Apostolic Administrator of Osogbo Catholic Diocese, Most Rev. Gabriel Leke Abegunrin, had earlier announced to the congregation who came from all walks of live across the federation that Aregebsola and Omisore had agreed to attend the service, calling on devotees at the Marian Shrine to sheathe their political differences.
Reverend Abegunrin welcomed the trio to the pilgrimage and invited the governor to the podium to extend compliments to about 50,000 pilgrims.
While addressing the congregation, Aregbesola quoting from the Holy Bible, 1 Corinthians, emphasised that man should love his fellowman as commanded by God.
According to him, “What God is demanding mostly from His people according to the scripture are love, hope and faith”, stressing that the most important one among them is love.
“I urge you to embrace love, this is what God wants from all of us, irrespective of your religion, love one another, put your political or religion sentiments apart and embrace love, share your feelings, thoughts, ideas and opinions with one another and pray for yourselves”.
“Embrace religious tolerance; this can only be done when we recognise the power of love in our lives. Without love, our prayers cannot be answered. Let us eschew bitterness and pray for ourselves, our homes, local government, Nigeria and the world at large.”
The governor, however, promised to provide a health centre at the shrine.
Also speaking at the pilgrimage, Omisore, who enjoined the faithful to put their faith in Christ, also promised to rehabilitate of the Marian Grotto.
Archbishop Abegunrin, however, prayed for the trio and urged other politicians in the state to borrow a leaf from the peaceful worship of the three politicians who saw themselves as one under the same umbrella of God.
While speaking with journalists shortly after the service, Omisore stated that he would ensure that schools are returned to their original owners in the state if he is elected as the governor of the state. He berated the lawless in secondary schools in the state where students no longer face their studies as a result of what he described as imposition of policies alien on the students.
“If I am elected as the governor of the state, I will first of all return schools to their original owners, except they don’t want them. School uniforms will be used by each school as a symbol of identity. I attended St. John’s Catholic Grammar School and I know what I gained in the mission school. I will encourage freedom of religion in the schools and schools will be operated in line with the policies of their original owners, without imposition of obnoxious policies on the students. Above all, I enjoin Osun people to maintain peace and order and continue to pray for the state.”

Also speaking with journalists at the prayer ground, Omoworare berated the incidence of corruption in the country. He enjoined government at all levels to empower the youth through entrepreneurship programmes, which he said would assist the youth to be self-reliant and less dependent.