Sometime in 2010, I passed by a poster which had the inscription- Jay Kay, Ok! Meters away from that poster, I saw a huge billboard with the same message and my creative mind got curios. I wanted to know who was behind that lovely sales pitch. Months down the line, my curiosity was halted when a certain Jimi Agbaje stepped out from the shadows of that poster with a beautiful message to reveal his intention, aspiration and readiness to contest the seat of the Governor of Lagos state under the cover of the Democratic People’s Alliance (DPA). Jimi Agbaje was eloquent and got rave reviews for running a very robust campaign, based on ideas and policies. I could have voted for him but couldn’t as I wasn’t eligible to vote then.

After the elections, a certain ‘The Actualiser’ called BabatundeRajiFashola (BRF), anointed by the gradually becoming powerful former Governor of Lagos, Bola Tinubu, won the keenly contested governorship position. The rest, as often said, is history. But it must be stated that the 2011 governorship contest in Lagos was a robust one and the result of voting Fashola is evident for us all to see even though i, like a good number of people, have my grouse with how he has managed Local Government affairs so far. A leader they say is as good as his followers and in this case, the LG/LCDA heads in the state can be described as bad eggs going by the reality confronting us at the local levels where the dividends of democratic rule should be most evident. But, that’s a topic for another day.

After eight years of being in the saddle, the time has come for the disciplined and conscientious Governor Fashola of Lagos to take a back seat, probably take on a higher position and fresher challenge. But before he takes a deserved bow, the old challenger, Jimi Agabaje is back and he rode into the political arena on another platform which is not very popular in Lagos after 16 years of looking on from the sidelines. This time, another hitherto unknown AkinwunmiAmbode is his opponent. No one can deny the fact that Mr. Agbaje is an asset. Like Fash, he’s been described as intelligent, humble, humane and brilliant. Whether all these qualities will be put to maximum use if he eventually becomes the governor is the basis for this narrative.

After a careful study of the way PDP plays its politics, one is not very sure Mr. Agbaje, a new comer to a party that has been moribund in Lagos for 16 years, would be allowed the free hand to stir the ship of progress of my dear state. For a party that has been a spectator for almost two decades to assume power under the leadership of a man who would barely be seven months old in its fold (assuming he is elected), there is bound to be a lot of intrigues when the party takes over in Alausa. A few of the issues I foresee and can readily think of are- jostle for positions, people being forced on him by the old guards, godfather syndrome etc. My worry if Mr. Agbaje becomes governor is that, he may not have the time to settle down and do the work he has been elected to do. There are hundreds of chieftains who have given their sweat and blood in the last 16 years and would be looking forward to harvesting their rewards now that their man is in power. And judging by the way Mr. Agbaje has been described, I am not sure he would be ready to compromise and hand over the keys of the safe to anyone.

Lagos politics has gone beyond distribution of rice, kerosene and public toilets. We need a focused and visionary leadership in Lagos for the commercial capital to remain a model for other states to copy and the rest of the world to admire. In 2015 and beyond, I don’t want to see thugs take over the government house. I don’t want a government whose backers would do things with impunity. I don’t want anyone causing division among the many tribes who now call Lagos home. I don’t want to see godfathers resuming at the government house daily. I don’t want Lagos to be in the news for the wrong reasons. The current establishment, though not devoid of its own ills and mistakes have proved to be the lesser of two evils and are implementing a plan that if altered might take us back to the dark days.

As for Mr. Agbaje, should he have joined PDP? I leave that for all to judge! Should he have remained in DPA? Maybe. But I believe he should have consolidated the gains of leading a robust campaign in 2011, used the last four years to win more hearts in Lagos and possibly negotiate an alignment with the ruling party in the state. His intentions may be noble and just, but the hawks behind him have been out of power for far too long and may be too desperate to get rewarded for years of groping in the wilderness and not having access to the spoils of office. The way I see it, I am not very certain Mr. Agabje has the will to say no and fight the hawks behind him when they come demanding and dictating. These powers have become institutions, not the sort his corporate acumen can take on and take down. Therefore, I am inclined to go with the familiar devil of the last 16 years in Lagos rather than embrace the hawk waiting to pounce with many fangs.