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Sunday Musings: South-Western Delegates - or Delegates from the South-West/Yoruba Nigeria - and Other Matters About the Upcoming National Conference
by
Mobolaji E. Aluko, PhD
Sunday March 9, 2014
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My People:
Within the past week, an official list of 492/494 delegates to the upcoming National Conference - sans APC delegates - was released by the Federal Government, in twenty-six categories ranging from Elder Statespersons to Conference Leaders.
A number of observations are in order:
1. Only 88 f the 492 nominated delegates are women - 17.9% - which is a far cry from the 33% that our women clamor for. To make amends without kicking any already-nominated persons out requires that we add 114 women to the list - or roughly 4.5 women per category. We should consider doing that - but apologize first for the oversight.
2. Our Yoruba "cousins" the Itsekiri do not have a single delegate in the list - and now they are threatening to secede, courtesy the feisty Chief (Mrs.) Rita-Lori Ogbebor . No Rita, no Sagay, no Jemide, no Okorodudu, etc, or even the Olu of Warri/Itsekiri himself in the list? Well, I don't blame the Chief Madam, despite "secession" being inconveniently on the "No-Go" list of the conference. If such a major minority ethnic group as the Itsekiri - with so much oil being found on their territory - could not be accommodated among the twenty six categories, I cannot imagine how many other ethnic groups have been omitted.
This why the un-deployed proposal whereby delegates are allotted by ethnic groups, and each required to fill their quota based on one or more of the twenty-six categories was somewhat meritorious. What is irksome is that in the fifteen delegates chosen specifically for the South-South geopolitical zone (for Socio Political/ Cultural and Ethnic Nationality Groups), one can count about four to six Efik/Ibibio, two to three Ijaw, two or three Ikwerre - but no Itsekiri, and no Ogoni? We should make amends accordingly by expanding the total delegate list - but apologize first for the oversight.
3. There are 103 delegates (with 24 women) with Yoruba/South-Western roots out of the 492 delegates - see Table 1 below. That is 21% of total delegates and 23% women representation - which a slight under-representation of the 22-33% of the Nigerian population/women required....and but I believe that the Yoruba can live with that fair representation. Mind you, that 103 number includes three Ilorin/Kwara royalty/nobility (the Gambaris and Saraki) of dual roots, and a non-Yoruba woman married to a Yoruba delegate (the only known husband-and-wife team in the list, Joe and Yinka Odumakin.) However, what again is irksome is that of the fifteen delegates chosen specifically for the Socio Political/ Cultural and Ethnic Nationality Groups in the South-West geopolitical zone of six states, as many as six delegates are from Ogun State, and only one each from my state of Ekiti, and the State of Osun....is this a coincidence or what, bearing in mind upcoming gubernatorial elections in the two states? Unfortunately, we are stuck with this uneven arrangement - but there must be better care next time - after apologies.
4. I am fully aware that the OVERWHELMING number of delegates were NOT chosen because they come from any particular ethnic group or geopolitical zone. But having been chosen based on their professional or other affiliations, can their ethnic groups of prideful association be completely obliterated in conference considerations? For example, do we have South-Western Delegates, or merely Delegates from the South-West - a distinction with a difference?
Hardly likely - but we shall see.
5. Finally, when will APC fill its two vacant seats - or has that window been closed? But what about the seven un-filled female vacancies in Edo, Delta, Oyo, Yobe and Rivers States, and a Muslim Leader and former Governor; and the one unfilled vacancy for Academy of Social Sciences? The Federal Government should just fill all ten - and see what APC does! :-)
And there you have it. Let the National Conference begin - and one still hopes that it will result in a new and popular National Constitution.
Best wishes all.
Bolaji Aluko
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Table 1: SOUTH-WESTERN/YORUBA DELEGATES to the 2014 NATIONAL CONFERENCE of NIGERIA
103 Delegates, 24 Women (highlighted and starred)
| S/N | Name of Delegate |
| 1 | Dr Tunji Braithwaite |
| 2 | Chief Ayo Adebanjo |
| 3 | Chief Richard Akinjide |
| 4 | Chief Olu Falae |
| 5 | Erelu Olusola Obada* |
| 6 | Chief Afe Babalola, SAN |
| 7 | Prof. Ibrahim Gambari |
| 8 | Gen Raji Rasaki |
| 9 | Barr Samuel Adetuyi, CP (rtd) |
| 10 | Chief Babatunde Ala |
| 11 | His Royal Highness, Alh Sulu Gambari, CFR, Emir of Ilorin |
| 12 | His Royal Majesty, Oba Michael Gbadebo Adedeji, JP, CON, Ariyowonye Lim Owaoye of Okemesi |
| 13 | His Royal Majesty, Oba Arc Aderemi A Adedapo, Alayemore of Ido Osun, Coordinator |
| 14 | Mr Akin Arikawe |
| 15 | Promise Adewusi |
| 16 | Issa Aremu |
| 17 | Michael Olukoya |
| 18 | Oyinkansola Olasanye* |
| 19 | Sunday Olusoji Salako |
| 20 | Olakunle Olanrewaju Olaitan |
| 21 | Chief Kola Jamodu, OFR |
| 22 | Ajani James Olawale |
| 23 | Ben Durotoye |
| 24 | Yinka Gbadebo, GCNS |
| 25 | Olayinka Dada (JP) |
| 26 | Kasim Akande |
| 27 | Mosunmola Umoru* |
| 28 | Mrs Remi Kuku* |
| 29 | Chief (Mrs) Anthonia Balogun* |
| 30 | Chief (Mrs) Temitope Ajayi* |
| 13 | Mrs Felicia Sanni* |
| 32 | Hajiya Bola Shagaya* |
| 33 | Senator Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja |
| 34 | Commodore Olabode George (rtd) |
| 35 | Prof Is-haq O Oloyede |
| 36 | Alhaji Nurudeen Lemu |
| 37 | Pastor Emmanuel Bosun |
| 38 | Joe Okei-Odumakin Women Arise for Change Initiative & Campaign for Democracy * |
| 39 | Femi Falana, SAN Leader, Civil Society Organizations |
| 40 | Dr Abiola Akiyode Women Advocates Research & Documentation Centre* |
| 41 | Wale Okuniyi PRONACO |
| 42 | Bisi Olateru Olagbegi Women Consortium of Nigeria * |
| 43 | Steve Aluko Civil Liberties Organization |
| 44 | Adebayo Oladimeji |
| 45 | Barr Ayodele Adekanmbi |
| 46 | Mr Lanre Ogundipe |
| 47 | Senator Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele (Lagos)* |
| 48 | Supo Sonibare (Ogun) |
| 49 | Sir Olaniwun Ajayi (Ogun) |
| 50 | Dr Adetokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu (Ogun)* |
| 51 | Chief Ajibola Ogunsola (Oyo) |
| 52 | Barr Niyi Akintola, SAN (Oyo) |
| 53 | Mr Yinka Odumakin (Osun) |
| 54 | Senator Anthony Adefuye (Ogun) |
| 55 | Senator Femi Okunrounmu (Ogun) |
| 56 | Hon Salvador Adegoke Moshood (Lagos) |
| 57 | Bashorun Sehinde Arogbofa (Ondo) |
| 58 | Dr Amos Akingba (Ondo) |
| 59 | Chief Gani Adams (Ondo) |
| 60 | Dr Femi Obayori (Ekiti) |
| 61 | Pastor Tunde Bakare (Ogun) |
| 62 | Dr Philip O Salawu |
| 63 | Bayo Ojo |
| 64 | Sen. Gbemi Saraki* |
| 65 | Engr (Senator) Adefemi Kila, FNSE; The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) |
| 66 | Dr Segun Aina, OFR; Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIB) |
| 67 | Arc Waheed Niyi Brimmo, fnia, pnia; Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA) |
| 68 | Senator (Chief) Felix Kolawole Bajomo, FCA; Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) |
| 69 | Mr Johnson Oludeinde Oluata, FCNA; Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) |
| 70 | Dr Rotimi Oladele, FNIPR; Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) |
| 71 | Mrs Bunmi Oke, frpa ; Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAPN)* |
| 72 | Prof Olu Ajakaiye; Nigeria Economic Society |
| 73 | Prof Oyewale Tomori, FAS, NNOM |
| 74 | Hon Justice G A Oguntade |
| 75 | Senator Khairat Abdulrazaq * |
| 76 | Chief Olusegun Osoba |
| 77 | Senator Iyabo Anisunlowo* |
| 78 | Hon Sheik M Sekoni |
| 79 | Rt Hon Abudssalam Taofig Olawale |
| 80 | General Alani Akinrinade (rtd) |
| 81 | Prof Olawale Albert |
| 82 | Prof Akin Oyebode |
| 83 | Prof (Mrs) Bisi Aina* |
| 84 | Bishop Felix Ajakaye |
| 85 | Chief Olusola Akanmode |
| 86 | Mrs Wosilat Marcarthy* |
| 87 | Mr Supo Sasore, SAN |
| 88 | Prof Tunde Samuel |
| 89 | Olufunmilayo Osinowo-Bashorun* |
| 90 | Mr Fola Adeola |
| 91 | Barrister Bisi Adegbuyi |
| 92 | Prof (Mrs) Titi Filani* |
| 93 | Dr (Mrs) Yemi Mahmud-Fasominu* |
| 94 | Prof N Oluwafemi Mimiko |
| 95 | Barr Remi Olatubora |
| 96 | Chief Gbadegesin Adedeji |
| 97 | Chief Femi Akande |
| 98 | Mrs Bola Ogunrimade (mni)* |
| 99 | Chief Adeniyi Akintola |
| 100 | Prof Ganiyu Raji |
| 101 | Chief Shola Ebiseeni |
| 102 | Prof Bolaji Akinyemi Deputy Chairman |
| 103 | Female nominee expected from Oyo State* |
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