Politics
Why All Eyes Are On Dimeji Bankole In Ogun Guber
A major pointer was the front role seat he got
All through the campaigns Presidential elections campaigns, Dimeji Bankole was a fixture at the rallies of the President-Elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
The president-elect was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Bankole’s appearances at Tinubu’s campaign earned him relevance in the politics of Ogun state, particularly in the government in power.
A major pointer was the front role seat he got at the attention – attracting landing of the first commercial flight at the Gateway Agro-Cargo Airport, located along Iperu-lishan road in Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun State, on Thursday, February 23, 2023.
Bankole sat next immediately beside the First Lady, Bamide Abiodun, and nearer to the Governor than former Governor (now Senator-Elect) Gbenga Daniel.
SocietyNow.Ng gathered that the relevance that Bankole’s appearances got him in Ogun state, particularly from Governor Abiodun has been generating a buzz.
“At the center of the buzz is the political influence of the former speaker in Ogun state” SocietyNow.Ng learned.
Emerging details have it that with Tinubu now President-Elect, eyes are now on Bankole to see how he will impact the seeking of re-election by Abiodun as the Governor of Ogun State.
The Governorship and State House of Assembly election will hold on March 11, 2023.
“There is a buzz about whether and how he will come campaign for Abiodun in Ogun state or stay with ingraining himself with the Tinubu camp to be relevant” SocietyNow.Ng gathered.
Bankole, a former Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party and the Governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) in Ogun state in 2019 became publicly identified as a member of the APC when he paid One hundred million Naira (N100m) to contest for the presidential ticket.
He stepped down his ambition and switched loyalty to Asiwaju Tinubu who emerged as the President-Elect in the February 25, 2023 election.
Bankole, 53, was elected as the youngest Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives at the age of 37 in November 2007 while serving as the federal lawmaker representing Abeokuta South Federal Constituency of Ogun State from April 2003 to 29 May 2011 (two terms of 4 years each).
He has not been able to replicate the political fame and clout of this period since he left office in 2011.
SocietyNow.Ng gathered that the lowest point of the former speaker’s political contests was in 2019 when he contested as the gubernatorial candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) in Ogun state.
The former speaker got 9,666 votes in an election Dapo Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress (APC) won with 241,670 votes while Adekunle Akinlade of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) came second with 222,153 votes.
