Oyo: Meet Distinguished Bayo Lawal, Gov Makinde’s Campaign DG

By Bayo Bernard Business Editor

Until his redeployment recently, Chief Bayo Lawal was the Commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in the Pace Setters state, Oyo. He’s now the Commissioner, Ministry of Trades, Industry, Investment, and Cooperatives.

Not long after he was moved from his former position, rumour was agog, among naysayers that the governor was trying to cut down the influence of the amiable politician in his government.

The celebration of those that thought the duo was feuding was however short-lived after they came to the shocking revelation that they have allowed themselves to be misled by their own evil, selfish imaginations; the very amiable Lawal still enjoys the confidence of the governor, and his redeployment was to enable him to focus more on the important task of getting Makinde re-elected as his Campaign Director General, DG for next year’s governorship election.

An old political war horse, Lawal has no knack for failures in battles. His trajectory speaks volumes and convincingly for him that he will not fail in this onerous task of building bridges among the PDP family in the state, and projecting Makinde to the electorate, as their preferred governor in next year’s election to continue the good work the governor started three years ago.

As a politician of note who easily connects with all strata of the Oyo public, Lawal’s uncommon tenacity and fervor in building bridges among the young, old, rich, affluent, and influential politicians is a plus for Governor Makinde who many say is already on his way to trumping past PDP governors in the state, who failed in their quest to be re-elected for a second term in office.

In 2014 when some doubting Thomas’s wrongly projected that Makinde, then, fresh from his emergence as PDP governorship candidate would find it difficult to win the election, the Engineer tactfully plotted a winning strategy with Lawal-who was initially billed to contest for a senatorial seat -and the Makinde Ticket shockingly defeated Adebayo Adelabu, the All Progressives Congress, APC candidate, who was reeling with cash from the Central bank of Nigeria, CBN at the time, apart from the full backing of the incumbent, late Governor Abiola Ajimobi strongly behind him.

“How Makinde won that election still remained a shock to us in the PDP, judging that we threw everything into that election, with the incumbency power behind us. We are still reeling in the pains of that defeat,” an APC stalwart said.

After Makinde’s epochal election victory in 2015, the governor initially posted Lawal to the Ministry of Special Duties, where he served meritoriously and to the satisfaction of the state chief executive. But the governor, being a man of the people, himself knew that government is about the people and that his future election victory will depend more on the good people of the state.

The governor quickly devised a means to connect further with the grassroots, by strategically moving Lawal to the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs because of his experience and God-given endowment of connecting easily with people.

That singular action, intentionally taken by the governor, according to some members of his inner circle, has turned out a masterstroke that’s now working for him because the grassroots is now solidly behind him ahead of next year’s election.

That Governor Makinde has got the people behind him is no longer in doubt. But for the opposition, the thespian chicken has now come home to roost for them because they failed to see through the governor’s needle eye “Grassroots strategy’, which has made his popularity soar ahead 2023 election.

Two things happened while Lawal superintended the Ministry of Local Government; the Omituntun Campaign DG conducted the ministry’s affairs with Makinde’s Public Service Integrity, MPSI mantra. Unlike some in his enviable position, Lawal refused to be bossy and distant from the people, rather he brought himself to their level, whether small, big, young, or old.

Doing otherwise would have made the governor lose his people’s support, counterproductive and costly for the PDP and  Makinde who needs to win again, to set a new record as the only PDP governor that won re-election in the state.

“Chief Lawal has an uncommon, non-monetary relationship with many people, outside and inside the government to the extent that his home is always thrown open, day and night to everybody no matter the demography and social status. You can conveniently describe him as the government’s bridge with the grassroots,’ a local government chairman said, adding that “Oga doesn’t like publicity, and would not take anything from you before solving your problems.”

The local government boss who spoke in anonymity said “Oga doesn’t want to draw unnecessary publicity to himself. He’s focused on the task given to him by Governor Makinde, and would not want to be distracted.”

After the PDP swept to power in 2015 and Lawal’s appointment, initially as Commissioner for Special Duties and later Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, he had stuck to the assignment of helping the governor build structures at the local levels, he did not rock the boat, as many in his shoes would have done considering the power, gratification, and paraphernalia that come with that office.

Rather, Lawal has helped the governor build strong relationships within the party, apart from “poaching’ key opposition leaders into the PDP fold in line with the governor’s all-inclusiveness policy.

This uncommon, selfless approach to politics, watchers of the state’s politics insist has really endeared Lawal to the performing Governor Makinde, himself a good product, therefore it will not be difficult for Lawal to sell the performing governor to the good people of the state as his 2023 Campaign Director General.