By Maroof Asudemade

There are statements politicians make during campaigns that are carefully calculated. Then there are statements that reveal more than the speaker intended. Bimbo Adekanmbi’s recent declaration that Oyo people should not spare him if he fails as governor belongs to the second category.

It may have been presented as a badge of accountability. But to discerning voters, it should sound more like a warning. Why should Oyo people elect a governor who is already asking them what to do if he fails? Oyo State is not a laboratory. The people are not experimental subjects. The governorship is not an apprenticeship programme where voters hand over the affairs of the state to a candidate and wait four years to find out whether he knows what he is doing.

If Adekanmbi fails, as he has asked the people to contemplate, criticism will not undo the consequences. It will be too late. Four years cannot be recovered. Money wasted cannot simply be returned to the treasury. Businesses driven away by hostile policies cannot be magically restored. Roads neglected for years will not repair themselves because citizens eventually criticised the governor.

Graduates who lost employment opportunities cannot recover those wasted years. Schools damaged by poor policies cannot instantly regain lost standards. Healthcare services neglected during an administration cannot be repaired merely because journalists write critical articles. This is the fundamental flaw in Adekanmbi’s argument.

Good governance must be judged before failure, not merely after it. And that is precisely why the 2027 election matters.

OYO doesn’t need a “LET ME TRY” governor. The people of Oyo State have heard enough unfulfilled promises from Seyi Makinde to whom Adekanmbi promises to be a stooge. They have heard Makinde renege on campaigns with beautifully packaged manifestos and impressive rhetoric as in the cases of Botswana maize and Ikere Gorge Dam. What they should demand now is something more fundamental: Who is actually prepared to govern Oyo State? Who has the experience? Who understands government? Who can articulate a coherent vision? Who has the confidence to take difficult decisions? Who understands the political, economic and administrative complexities of Oyo? Who can engage the legislature, the civil servants, the traditional institutions, the business community, farmers, youths and ordinary citizens effectively? And who has demonstrated enough political maturity for Oyo people to entrust him with the state’s future?

On these questions, the APC governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, appears to be in a considerably stronger position. Between Alli and Adekanmbi in relation to Oyo governorship seat, experience and maturity count. This is not about pretending that Senator Alli is incapable of making mistakes. No human being in public office is infallible. The difference is that experience gives a leader a better chance of avoiding costly mistakes in the first place.

Senator Alli’s years in public life and governance provide voters with an established political trajectory to examine. He has operated within the machinery of government. He has had executive experience. He has legislative experience. He understands political negotiations and stakeholder engagement. He has interacted with government institutions and the realities of public administration. He is therefore not approaching the governorship as someone simply presenting a list of things government ought to do.

Adekanmbi can promise economic development. Alli can discuss it from the standpoint of political and governmental experience. Adekanmbi can promise improved infrastructure. Alli understands the political and institutional processes required to make government work. Adekanmbi can promise better security. Alli has had years of exposure to the workings of government and the political structures through which security challenges are confronted. The electorate should therefore look beyond campaign rhetoric.

Leadership is not only about having ideas. A governor must be able to communicate those ideas convincingly, defend them under scrutiny and inspire confidence among citizens and investors. This is another area where Senator Alli has an advantage. He presents a more confident and articulate political persona. He speaks with the assurance of someone accustomed to public scrutiny and political engagement. And in governance, confidence matters.

Investors want to know whether the person sitting in the governor’s office understands the economy. Civil servants want to know whether the person directing them understands government. Traditional rulers want to know whether the governor appreciates the delicate nature of community relations. Young people want to know whether the government has a realistic plan for their future. Citizens want to know whether the person asking for their votes is capable of carrying the enormous burden of leadership. A governor must inspire confidence before he inspires compliance.

Adekanmbi’s “don’t spare me if I fail” proposition essentially asks voters to postpone judgment. But Oyo people should reject that proposition. They should judge the candidates now. They should examine their antecedents now. They should interrogate their programmes now. They should assess their competence now. They should determine who is prepared now.

Because once a candidate becomes governor, the cost of discovering that he is inadequate becomes enormous. There is no reset button in governance. There is no “undo” button on government policy. There is no refund for four wasted years. And there is no compensation for opportunities that disappeared because the wrong person was entrusted with power. Oyo people cannot afford to learn the hard way.

The 2027 governorship election must therefore be approached with seriousness. The people must resist the temptation to vote simply because a candidate is eloquent, popular within a particular circle or has an attractive manifesto. They must ask the difficult questions. What is his record? What has he managed? What has he achieved? What does he understand about the state? Who are the people around him? Does he understand public finance? Does he understand economic development? Does he understand security? Does he understand education? Does he understand healthcare?Does he understand infrastructure? And, most importantly: Can he govern? That last question is the one that should define the election.

The choice is not difficult to make. For those who believe that experience, articulation, confidence and political maturity should count in determining who occupies Agodi Government House in 2027, the choice is becoming clearer. Senator Sharafadeen Alli offers an experienced executive hand. He offers legislative exposure. He offers years of political engagement. He offers a more articulate and confident public presence.

Adekanmbi, on the other hand, has inadvertently given his opponents a campaign line they could not have written better themselves: “If I fail, don’t spare me.”

No, Mr Adekanmbi. Oyo people should not wait for you to fail. They should not wait until 2031 before deciding whether you were capable of governing. They should not sacrifice four years of their lives to an experiment simply to prove that they can criticise you afterwards. The election itself is the first accountability mechanism.

Oyo voters are convinced that another candidate is more experienced, more prepared, more articulate and more capable of governing, and they see Sarafadeen Alli as the candidate to choose.

And if the choice is between gambling with the future of Oyo State and choosing a candidate with years of political and legislative experience, the responsible choice is obvious in Alli.

Oyo does not need a governor asking for forgiveness before asking for votes. Oyo needs a governor asking for votes because he is prepared to deliver. That is why Senator Sharafadeen Alli stands in better stead. The people of Oyo State must not wait for failure before acting. They must prevent failure at the ballot box.