Osun Celebrates Babayemi

For a plausible reason,a name that stands out today in Osun State, is that of Omooba Dotun Babayemi,a Prince of Gbongan in Ayedade Local Government area of the state.

This day some decades ago,he was channelled to the world through late Olori Florence Iweada and Oba (Dr) Solomon Oyewole Babayemi, who was the immediate past and the 8th Olufi of Gbongan.

By every inch, the ‘boy’ born that day and christened Oyedotun whose carriage, candour and comportment spell royalty, has today progressively become known as ODB mostly by the people, especially in Osun.

Babayemi’s can-do spirit,is second to none. If you are a negatively inclined individual, you will definitely meet a brick wall in him. This is because he doesn’t believe nothing is unachievable or any problem unsurmountable.

By every standard today, he comes first among those working to take over from the incumbent governor of the state as from next year. Based on various indices,he is being tipped as Number One.

As of the time he came into race for the 2026 off-cycle state gubernatorial election, the spirit of his party, the APC, was at the lowest ebb. The lull in the party then was loud enough for the deaf to hear and blurry and dreary enough for the blind to see.

He leads, others follow- the effeverscent and indefatigable Dotun, took up gauntlet by marinating the APC with the needed alluring face and verve. The brilliant and visionary ODB who the people are eagerly waiting for to become the next governor of the state, brought back respect and love to the APC hitherto jeered and snared at.

Respectfully, Babayemi handed over the party back to the leaders for a proper navigation to ease the 2026 assignment.

There and then with the permission of the leadership,he began the unthinkable political voyage never thought of by any individual in the state; first,he embarked on a month-long consultative meetings with leaders and stakeholders of the party in each of the thirty local governments and the Ife-East Area office. This move fired up the zeal of the party members across the state.

With that, many thought the best has been achieved then came the banger! He started a statewide ward-to-ward visit to the 332 wards across the state. While many applauded this, the loafers and pessimists doubted it.

As of today, like a warhorse, Babayemi has visited 299 out 332 wards with just 33 remaining. Visit to the remaining wards will be concluded in few days. Koseleri(it has never happened) are the words that greet him in each of the wards visited. No senatorial candidate let alone a governorship hopeful ever tried or undertaken such trip.Indeed, koseleri!

One can safely say and vouch that as it stands, ODB is the most prominent and pronounced face at the grassroots because he’s connected and has been interfacing with them.

This is because he has taken the pain to visit them in their wards, seeing and feeling what they go through with some of the journeys lasting 10-13 excruciating hours!

Today, the people of Osun are celebrating the birth of an icon who’s ever people-centric. They have continued to chorus, ‘give us Omooba Dotun Babayemi as the candidate of APC and we will elect him our governor next year’.

Congratulations and happy birthday Omooba Dotun Babayemi, the apostle of good governance and friend of the masses. You will live many more celebrative, healthy and impactful years in Jesus name.