THE GAULLIST MOMENT: HOW BASA’S METEORIC RISE IN OYO POLITICS DEFIED THE PARTY BARONS AND SEIZED HER DESTINY

THE GAULLIST MOMENT: HOW BASA’S METEORIC RISE IN OYO POLITICS DEFIED THE PARTY BARONS AND SEIZED HER DESTINY

By Seye Akanmu-Bode

In politics, there are seasons—and then there are moments. The former obey calendars and calculations; the latter belong to destiny.

On the 13th May 2027, Hon. Bolanle Aminat Sarumi-Aliyu—widely known as BASA—walked into the PDP secretariat, submitted her expression of interest and nomination forms, and went through the screening for her quest to represent Oyo Central Senatorial District in the Senate. On the surface, it was a routine exercise. But for those who have followed her turbulent journey through Oyo State politics, it was nothing short of a Gaullist moment.

After the Second World War, France’s Fourth Republic staggered under the weight of quarrelling party barons who believed they alone could determine who led and who fell. Into that vacuum stepped Charles de Gaulle—not because the establishment anointed him, but because the French people, weary of political games, rallied around his personality, his resolve, and his unshakable bond with the grassroots. De Gaulle did not ask permission. He answered a call.

That same spirit now animates BASA’s meteoric rise in Oyo State politics.

BASA’s story is not one of privilege handed down; it is one of promise broken and then rebuilt by popular will. In 2023, after being assured of support from the highest quarters, she set her sights on the House of Representatives. Governor Seyi Makinde, having given his word to back her candidacy, later withdrew that backing. In one stroke, BASA was denied the ticket.

They assumed that was the end of her. In their arithmetic, a woman denied the House of Reps-backed ticket should retreat, remain grateful for crumbs, and never again dream beyond their permission.

They were wrong.

Just as de Gaulle’s personal credibility and connection to the French nation carried his party to victory, BASA’s candidacy has become a formidable asset for the PDP. She is not merely a candidate; she is a movement.

Today, as the primaries beckon, her lovers—her people—cannot wait to see her emerge as the official PDP flagbearer for the Oyo South Senatorial District in the general election next year. The Senate, they believe, is where her voice will resonate most powerfully: unbroken, unsubdued, and uncompromising.

Following today’s successful screening, BASA extended her heartfelt appreciation to the national and state leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party. She reserved special gratitude for the PDP leader in Oyo State, His Excellency, Barrister Hazeem Gbolarunmi, whose steady leadership has ensured that internal democracy—however hard-fought—still finds breathing room.

In 2023, they denied her a House of Representatives ticket, believing they had clipped her wings forever. Today, in 2027, she is striding toward the Senate.

That is not revenge. That is Gaullism in action—when personality, popular legitimacy, and political courage rise above the crumbling walls of entitlement.

BASA’s moment is here. And Oyo State is watching.