Ex- Speaker, Dimeji Bankole goes into Political Oblivion?

By OLA KING

In reminiscence, only Dimeji Bankole, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, can explain why he staked all to contest for the last governorship election in Ogun State.

As political pundits opined, he should have known that he is no longer   a force to be reckoned with in the political circle of Ogun State; hence, he should have saved his sweats and money for his comfort.

But typical of an unrepentant optimist, he threw his hat into the ring for the number one job of the state and tried to slug it out with other gladiators in the state.

It was gathered that when he signified interest in the governorship race, the former Speaker of the Green Chamber became the anvil of criticisms in the political circle, as many in the state understood that he is no longer relevant, politically.

But for his over-bloated ago, he failed to realize that he is no more than a paper tiger.

He was said to have spent so much money to realize his ambition. But to his chagrin, he scored less than ten thousand votes in the entire state.

Sadly, his inability to clinch the number one job in the state has even made him a subject of ridicule in some quarters.

“Bankole didn’t understand the fact that he is no longer a force to be reckoned with in the political circle of Ogun State.

“He allowed his desperation to blind him. Besides, he is presently a paper weight in the political circle of the state.

“The Action Democratic Party, ADP, on which he contested for governor, is unknown in the state.

“Anyway, maybe he was deceived by his hangers-on or being led by his over-bloated ego,” a source said.

The soft-spoken politician was once a heavyweight in the nation’s political scene.

 Quite a lucky young man, he was made the Speaker of the Lower Chamber at the young age of 37,  following the removal of Patricia Etteh over an alleged financial misconduct.

He, however, suffered a political misfortune in 2011 when he failed to make it back to House.

However, many years after his unceremonious exit from the National Assembly, he is still in quest of political relevance.

It will be recalled that he first made an unsuccessful attempt to return to the House in 2011.

Then, he suffered a defeat when he contested for the number one job in Ogun State under the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).

His ambition was truncated, as the party leaders seemed not have any confidence in him-the popular choice then was Gboyega Nasir Isiaka.

A stubborn hopeful, he repositioned himself again for the plum job, as the race for the 2019 general election.

But with the humiliation, many claim that his political clout may be on the precipice.