‎Osun Truly Has a Divine Goalkeeper ‎ ‎By James Bamgbose ‎ ‎It has been a while since I last dipped my pen into the ink of public commentary. This is not because there is nothing to write about. Far from it. Osun has never been short of events, political intrigues, governance conversations, controversies, and characters capable of keeping writers awake through the night. But sometimes, the loudest moments demand silence, not the silence of indifference, but that of careful observation. ‎ ‎As Osun approaches the August 15 governorship election, I have chosen to watch closely, listen patiently, and examine the unfolding events deeply in our dear state. Beyond the noise of campaign rallies, the thunder of political promises and the daily exchange of accusations, there is a larger story begging to be told: the story of an administration that has governed through resistance, survived calculated political storms and continued to enjoy the affection of the people despite repeated attempts to weaken its foundation. ‎ ‎This is the story of Osun’s Divine Goalkeeper. The journey did not begin yesterday. It began on July 16, 2022, when the people of Osun State marched to the ballot box and spoke with a voice too loud to be ignored. ‎ ‎On that historic day, Senator Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke emerged victorious with more than 400,000 votes, the highest number of votes ever secured by a governorship candidate in the electoral history of Osun State. ‎ ‎The victory was not just an electoral triumph. It was a declaration of hope. It was the people’s verdict on the past and their investment in a future they believed could be better. Across towns and villages, from the streets of Osogbo to the communities of Ijesaland, from the ancient settlements of Ife to the farmlands of Igbomina, even inside the government house, Osun people celebrated what they considered the return of government to the people. ‎ ‎But victory sometimes exposes the bitterness that defeat had hidden. From that moment, those who had held Osun tightly for twelve years appeared unwilling to accept that the people had chosen a different path. ‎ ‎Like Pharaoh, in the days of Moses, the political oppressors of Osun seemed determined to make the journey to freedom difficult. They stopped hiding their resentment and returned in what many perceived as their full political strength, determined to frustrate the incoming administration before it even found its feet. ‎ ‎Shortly after the 2022 governorship election, the outgoing administration took action that raised serious questions about its intentions toward the government that would succeed it. The hurried conduct of the local government election became one of the most controversial developments of that period. Thousands of workers were reportedly recruited into the civil service without being issued formal employment letters, creating uncertainty and potential financial burdens for the incoming government. ‎ ‎Even more troubling was the failure to establish a transition committee, a mechanism that should ordinarily ensure a smooth transfer of information, responsibilities, and institutional knowledge from one administration to another. ‎ ‎Government is not a private estate whose keys can be hidden because a new tenant is coming. Government belongs to the people, and every administration holds power only in trust. A transition process is not a favour to an incoming governor; it is a responsibility to the state. ‎ ‎Yet, rather than inherit a smooth road, Governor Adeleke appeared to inherit a field filled with political stones. ‎ ‎The expectation in their quarters may have been that the new government would stumble. Perhaps they believe that the weight of inherited challenges would overwhelm the administration, frustrate its early days, and cause the people to question the choice they made on July 16. ‎ ‎But the calculations did not produce the expected result. Through calmness, political wisdom, and a determination to fulfil his promises, Governor Adeleke - @dukeofosun