The Nation Newspaper

Category: Politics

  • 21 years after the great betrayal

    The June 12, 1993 presidential election was free and fair. It was won by the presidential candidate of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP), the late Chief Moshood Abiola. But, it was annulled by the military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida. Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU revisits the illusion of hope and the aborted journey to democracy.

    Twenty one years after, the pain of the annulment lingers. There was confusion, outrage and condemnation of the barbaric act. But, the military stood against the people. Democracy was subjugated by the barrel of gun. The hope of a peaceful transfer of power to the democratically elected President, the late Chief Moshood Abiola, was dashed. The rest is history.

    Successive elections have been tainted by fraud. Had the historic poll been affirmed, perhaps, Nigeria would have laid a solid foundation for the sanctity of the ballot box. In 1999, the presidential election was resolved at the Supreme Court. In 2003, 2007 and 2007, it followed the same pattern. The puzzle is: can the miracle of June 12, 1993 be repeated?

     June 12, 1993, was a historic day. Nigerians rose above ethnicity and religion as they chose between Abiola and his National Republican Convention (NRC) rival, Alhaji Othman Bashir. It was a peaceful exercise nationwide. There was no thuggery. There was no violence. Although it was during the raining season, heaven withheld the showers. Malpractices were not reported. Domestic and foreign observers hailed the poll, saying that Nigeria was coming of age. Through the election, the electorate had issued a red card to the military. But, the sit tight military rulers resisted the change. After annulling the poll, the symbol of the struggle was caged. Consequently, the victor became the villain. The political class was polarised. The faithful were in disarray. Abiola never returned alive from detention. Up to now, the circumstances surrounding his death are in the realm of conjecture.

    The history of treachery and betrayal will be narrated from generation to generation. Many were jolted out of their delusion that the military could voluntarily return power to legitimate authorities without a popular uprising. The blame for the criminal annulment goes to the former military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida. The former military ruler had posed as a populist leader, branding deceit and prevarication, and projecting a transition process that was programmed to fail and prolong the military rule.

    The Head of State and Commander-In-Chief did not spare any though for tomorrow. Therefore, he missed the opportunity to write his name in the letters of gold. Babangida’s fate underscored the futility of personali-sation of power. In justifying the annulment, which aborted the dream of his friend, Abiola, to succeed him, he alluded to the conflict between loyalty to friendship and ‘love’ for the nation. “My commitment to the cherished values of friendship has been confronted with the demands of statecraft”, he said. When that confrontation emerged, he said he decided to abandon friendship for national service. “I love my friends, but I also love my country. It is the height of patriotism that whenever the love for one’s country is in conflict with any other love, the love for one’s country takes precedence”, IBB added.”

    Despite the finality of the annulment, Babangida’s life in power, from that June 1993 to his inglorious end  in office was full of tension. “History’s judgment will always be harsh on him”, said Comrade Joe Igbokwe, a rights activist, who noted that the former military leader will carry the cross for life because he lacked the opportunity to reverse the annulment.

    Historically, it has been difficult for the military to midwife democracy. In 1979, the electoral process was discredited by the Head of State, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, said that the best candidate will not win the presidential election.

    When IBB unfolded his transition programme, the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, cautioned against the illusion of hope. Weary of the prevailing political situation, he doubted the sincerity of the transition drivers. Awo, who was invited by the Political Bureau chaired by Dr. Cookey to contribute to the debate of the future of the country, predicted that Nigeria was embarking on a fruitless search. He warned that when Nigerians imagined that the new order had arrived, they would be terribly disappointed. When Awolowo returned to Ikenne from Lagos, following his visit to the Evil Genius in Doddan Barracks, he urged his followers to learn to eat and win with the devil with a long spoon.

    It was an understatement.  IBB started to gamble with the transition timetable very early. He shifted the poll twice. The third attempt was resisted by the human rights community. On poll day, voters were determined. They were ready for the festival of change. Even, the mood in the army and police barracks was not different. Soldiers, their wives and children, displayed enthusiasm. According to the National Electoral Commission (NEC) chaired by Prof. Humphrey Nwosu, 14 million voters participated in the voting. The contest showcased the potency of the Option A4, the open ballot system and the symbolic importance of the two party system. According to the poll results, Abiola scored 8,341, 309 votes, representing 58.36 per cent of the total votes cast. Tofa, it was said, was ready to concede victory. In fact, the NRC National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Doyin Okupe, declared that the poll was devoid of rigging, affirming that Abiola won a popular mandate. However, based on the order from above, the announcement of the result was stopped abruptly. The game of deception had reached the peak.

     A feeble and spurious explanation for the annulment later came from military Vice President Admiral Augustus Aikhomu’s media aide, Mr. Nduka Iraboh.  “In view of the litigation pending in the various courts, the Federal Government is compelled  to take appropriate steps to rescue the judiciary. These steps are taken to protect our legal system and the judiciary from being ridiculed and politicised, both nationally and internationally.

    “In an attempt to end this ridiculous charade, which may culminate in judicial anarchy, the Federal Military Government has decided to: stop forthwith all court proceedings pending or to be instituted and appeals thereon in respect of any matter touching, relating or concerning the presidential election held on June 12, 1993, the Transition to Civil Rule Political Programme (Amendment No 3, Decree No 52 of 1992 and the presidential election.

    “Basic Constitutional and Transitional Provision Decree No 13 of 1993 is hereby repealed. all acts or omissions done or purportedly to have been done, or to be done by any person, authority etc, under the above named decrees are hereby declared invalid. The National Electoral Commission is hereby suspended. All acts or omission done or purported to have been done by itself, its officers or agents under the repealed Decree No 13, 1993, are hereby nullified,” he said.

    On June 26, 1993, IBB also came on air. But, his explanation was clearly an after-thought. He said the process of authentication and clearance of the presidential candidates was not thorough. Nigerians also disputed the allegation that bribes were offered and accepted by the NEC officials. When the heat was turned on him by protesters, Babangida was forced to voice out his pre-determined destination. He declared that, although he knew those who would not succeed him, he did not know those who would succeed him. Television viewers later saw a staggering military President boasting that “we are not only in government, we are in power.”

    With the cancellation of the results, Abiola’s vision for Nigeria died. The businessman-turned politician was very passionate about the masses. His slogan was the abolition of poverty. He had fought many personal battles, but the  ‘June 12’ battle was the fiercest battle of his life. Rejecting the annulment, Abiola declared himself as the custodian of a sacred mandate. He said, having voted for him, the people of Nigerian expected him to assume the reins on August 27, 1993. “ I intend to keep that date with history”, Abiola said.

    IBB understood MKO. He was not indifferent to his determination to reclaim his mandate. Courage and the resolve to succeed were the hallmarkss of Abiola’s life.  In a birthday message to him in 1992, Babangida acknowledge Abiola’s courage, stressing that “ a major feature of your life, so far, is the doggedness and determination with which you pursue any venture embarked upon”.

    Abiola was not prepared for the post-June 12 challenges. He was not an experience politician. But, he had the masses behind him. Amid the military onslaught against his mandate, he jetted out to seek international support. By the time he returned home, his party had split. The SDP leaders started to speak from the two sides of the mouth. Also, his business was subjected to torture. His business investment was ebbing away. The military dictator clamped down on his newspapers, The Concord, and other media organisations sympathetic to the cause.  of popular rule. Former Information Minister Comrade Uche Chukwumerije, now a senator, mounted the hottest propaganda against the just cause. He said, by travelling abroad, MKO had gone down in history as the first Aare Ona Kankanfo of Yoruba to have deserted the battle field. As June 12 divided the polity, associates were changing allegiance. The Association for Better Nigeria (ABN) led by Senator Arthur Nzeribe, engaged in infamous deformation of the struggle, collating imaginary signatures of people against the election.

    The late Admiral  Aikhomu also doubted the fitness of Abiola for the Presidency. He said the rich man is not the philosophical king. The military accused him of leaving the country illegally to mount an illegal campaign abroad against his fatherland. Gradually, MKO was losing grip of the situation. There were conflicts of advice and suggestions by eminent Nigerians.

    For Abiola, history merely repeated itself on June 12.  A decade earlier, he had sought to rule the country. But, he was edged out of the race in the ruling National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in 1982. On June 12, 1982, he struggled for the presidential ticket with President Shehu Shagari. He could not obtain the nomination form as the gate of the party secretariat was shot against him. Former Transport Minister Dr. Umaru Dikko told Abiola that “the Presidency is not for the highest bidder”. Two years before, he had also aspired to lead the NPC. But, he was defeated by the more experienced Chief Adisa Akinloye.

    However, in the aborted Third Republic, his albatross was the Minna-born military General, who had assumed full executive powers, without the accompanying checks and balances. Resistance to him by the rights community and the decimated political class failed. Abiola, his wife, Kudirat, the SDP leaders who were loyal to him, human rights groups, labour, students, and the members of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) managed to sustain the struggle.

    The symbol was ready to lay down his life, which he eventually did. Without a gun, he stood shoulder to shoulder with the military.  In his famous Epe Declaration, the President-elect insisted on his mandate. “Never before has there been such a cynical and contemptuous abrogation of solemn commitment and fixed programme”, he said in response to the unsigned statement announcing the annulment. Abiola explained that Tofa, and the two political parties never went to court to complain about the poll. He wondered why the Abuja High Court granted the unprecedented injunction to the Nzeribe, who was not a candidate and who never voted during the election. He observed that these diabolical events were planned ahead to create confusion and discredit the poll.

    It was a futile struggle. Although IBB left office, he did not hand over to the winner of the election. He stepped aside to save his face.

    The interim government led by the boardroom guru, Chief Ernest Shonekan, succeeded him. But, it  was short lived.  On November 10, 1993, Justice Dolapo Akinsanya of the Lagos High Court dismantled the interim apparatus, saying that it was illegal, unconstitutional, null and void.  On November 18, 1993, Abacha sacked Sonekan and stepped in as the military Head of State.

    The pro-democracy crusaders were back to square one. Abacha abolished all democratic structures at the state and federal levels, disbanded the National Electoral Commission (NEC), banned the two political parties and set up the Provisional Ruling Council (PRC). Then, he promised to hand over to Abiola. He failed to keep the promise. Credible progressive leaders, who accepted ministerial appointments, were trapped in the administration. The military Head of State later initiated a self-succession plan, which collapsed when he mysteriously passed on.

    Abiola was detained, following his self-declaration as the President. He was held incommunicado. The Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, who succeeded Abacha, did not release him from detention. Few days after Abacha died, Abiola also died in detention in controversial circumstance. His death in detention provoked outrage and condemnation. Human rights activists alleged that he was killed with style. The autopsy is still in the realm of conjecture. Twenty one years after, the symbol has not been immortalised by the Federal Government.

  • Averting violence in Ekiti election

    Averting violence in Ekiti election

    The  Special Adviser on Inter-Party Affairs, Senator Ben Obi, recently held a sensitisation workshop for political parties and stakeholders in the June 21 governorship election in Ekiti State. Sulaiman Salawudeen, in this piece, examines  the danger of electoral violence in the state.

    A thick cloud of uncertainty lovers on  the June 21 governorship election in Ekiti State. There are widespread fear that the election may be marred by violence. This was the subject that dominated the recent one-day sensitisation and interactive forum for political parties and other stakeholders. At the sensitisation forum held at Adetiloye Hall, Fountain Hotel, Ado-Ekiti, the capital Speaker took turns to dispel the fears. They also to emphasised the importance of peaceful co-existence to the development of the state.

    The forum, was organised by the Office of the Special Adviser (SA) on Inter-Party Affairs to President Goodluck Jonathan, in conjunction with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). A similar sensitisation forum had, according, Senator Ben Obi,  preceded the recent elections in Edo, Ondo and Anambra states.

    In his opening remarks, Obi said the essence of the forum was to urge parties to submit themselves to the rules of the game and to make it categorically clear that elections were not wars and that parties should not prepare for violent confrontations, by  piling up ammunitions like guns, cutlasses, big sticks, axes, knives, stones and the like.

    Apart from Obi, other dignitaries in attendance were General David Jemibewon, who chaired the event, Dr. Eddie Iroh, who gave the keynote address, and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) boss, Professor Attahiru Jega, who was represented by the commissioner in charge of the Southwest, Professor Lai Olurode. Others are Guest speaker, Kunle Fagbemi and the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) candidate in the election, Mr. Peter Ayodele Fayose who arrived a few minutes to the end of the programme, which lasted about four hours.

    The  candidates of the All Progres-sives Congress (APC). But  the Labour Party (LP) were absent, and Kunle Ajayi (Accord Party), Opeyemi Akinyemi (Action Alliance), Adeniji Philip (United Democratic Party), and Adekola Ayo (Social Democratic Party) were present.

    However, despite efforts by the organisers to present themselves as unbiased proponents of peaceful elections, the impression that it was essentially “a programme of the PDP, by the PDP for the PDP” could not be avoided. One of the key stakeholders, Hon. Bimbo Daramola, the Director-General, of the Campaign Organi-sation of Dr. John Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress (APC), stormed out of the event midway, without being recognised by the organisers.

    Daramola cracked a Yoruba proverb, which translates to: “Two people cannot miss out on the import of lying; if the person being lied to does not know he is being peddled with a lie, the person telling it would know he lying”. He added: “I have to leave because none among them has spoken the truth. They have been lying and scratching the facts on the surface”.

    Daramola went further to state that he has nothing against Senator Ben Obi or his office, but “this whole efforts (the forum) reeks of deceit and an attempt to hoodwink the people into believing that efforts are being made to have free, fair and credible elections”.

    In Daramola’s opinion, the event is a typical political charade, where holders of political positions pay lip service to the genuine and obvious needs of the people.

    “Remember that two years ago,” Daramola said, “when I said President Jonathan was paying lip service to the issue of insecurity in the country, people said Daramola has come again. Today, Nigerians now know better”. He added: “I refer to the interview I granted two years ago, and I cited on TV that It is better to pluck and prune the branches of the Iroko tree in good time as failure to do that would make the people suffer consequences of their sturdy maturity. When I walked into that venue, I wanted to see a clarity of purpose and sincerity of intentions. But I regret to tell you that everything fell flat.

    “The speech that Senator Obi read was full of platitudes. Nothing concrete could be held on to. It was full of ‘we expect that this election will be free, we hope the players will comport themselves’ and all sort of apologetic expressions. The last part of the speech alluded to the non-existent achievement recorded by President Goodluck Jonathan. I began to get worried when the second speaker came up and he turned out to be General David Jemibewon. I listened to him.

    “When they introduced the third speaker in person of Kunle Fagbemi, I knew instantly it was a PDP affair and that a script was most possibly being acted. Eventually, none of them had a word for the Vice President Namadi Sambo who declared on national television that the election in Ekiti was going to be war. That was marching orders from the Vice President himself.. Given what the PDP came to orchestrate in Ekiti, I urge the people to be on their watch. But we are telling the Jonathans that we in Ekiti will not let stealing happen. A million army cannot defeat a people who have made up their mind where to go. One million and one army cannot break the will of Ekiti people. We will not be intimidated. Let nobody mock God.”

    Speaking further, Obi said if the Edo, Ondo and Anambra elections were adjudged as free and credible by local and international observers, the efforts of his office, which promoted the interactive forums in the states, were not in vain and should  be sustained and replicated in Ekiti. The SA who stated the Presidency was aware of the charged political atmosphere in Ekiti, noted that the workshop was to enable party associates and stakeholders exchange ideas on how to ensure crisis-free election in the state.

    Jega noted the primacy of security to successful elections anywhere and that people would go out to vote in elections only if they have a feeling of assurance about their physical security. According to him, every stakeholder in the election must work to sustain security which he saw as saine qua non to free and fair poll.

    Jega assured INEC would put in place measures to ensure the outcome of the June 21 exercise in Ekiti would not suffer common compromises. He urged the parties not to see the election as a do-or-die affair. He equally condemned the general intolerance and violence among partisan groups in the country, adding that recent by-elections to the lower legislative chambers in Kano and Ondo states witnessed high level violence.

    He said security agencies have a role to ensure adequate security during the election in Ekiti. He added: “INEC on its part will not do anything that would negatively affect its integrity. INEC is going to be neutral. The mindset of politicians concerning elections must change. The candidates must not give the impression that they are coming to win irrespective of what voters think.”

    Jemibewon urged the  INEC to improve upon its performance in Anambra by ensuring perfect logistics, particularly the distribution of materials to designated polling centres. He added that the Ekiti exercise must be made to agree with the United Nations resolution that recognises governments as being responsible “for free and fair elections, free of intimidation, coercion and tampering with votes.”

    The retired General said: “electoral marginalisation is almost becoming a norm and that fracas and public disturbances are equally becoming a permanent feature of elections in the country. The “INEC must therefore, live above board to ensure that people are given a chance to elect the candidate of their choice.”

    Iroh, in his keynote address, placed the responsibility for “peaceful, free, credible, and successful” election in Ekiti squarely on the shoulders of politicians, noting that despite the seeming impossibility of achieving desirable election outcomes, parties and politicians needed only discipline and sacrifice.

    According to Iroh, all the contending political parties in the elections must accept that others in the race are not ‘enemies’, saying this would enable them to accommode, tolerate and accept one another as brothers.

    Jemibewon agrees with Iroh. His words: “In the real world or real politics, this calls for crossing the familiar lines of political rivalry. It calls for dispensing with old prejudices and bitterness. It calls for an uncommon and unusual sacrifice, the type that has always been elusive in Nigerian politics in more than 50 years of independence, but the one that can transform ordinary politicians, men and women to that extra-ordinary pantheon occupied by immortal statesmen”.

    The guest speaker, Mr Kunle Fagbemi, who is also the Executive Director, Centre for Peace Building and Socio-Economic Resources Development (CePSERD), admitted that the political space in Ekiti was manifestly charged.  He said politicians, the partisan groups and other interest bodies who have stakes in the approaching exercise must be practically committed to ensuring that the election was not marred by violence.

    He said: “It is now very clear that unless as stakeholders, we all make concerted efforts towards peaceful conducts across board, that is by ensuring that peaceful conducts characterise electioneering campaigns during the remaining three critical weeks, the actual election day and post declaration of governorship election results, we may end up going back to the ‘wild-wild West days.”

    Fayose and the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Felix Uyanna, engaged briefly in some verbal wars on who had been more liable for the unsettled political space in the state. While Fayose maintained that the police had been looking the other way while some politicians foisted violence on the citizenry, Uyanna countered that the three major parties –  the APC, the PDP and the Labour Party (LP) have been part of the violence.

    Fayose had said perpetrators of violence had been doing it because the police had not called them to order, adding “If the police can check armed robbers, then they can check politicians because politicians are not armed robbers”. He however urged the CP to summon a meeting with the major parties to find a way of ending the violence.

    “There is  suspicion in the air, thugs are being hired, and all the hotels have been booked in the towns and villages. INEC cannot be blamed, if the election fails because it should be the role of the security agencies to check the excesses of unruly politicians,” the PDP candidate said.

    Uyanna however, disagreed. He said: “Party leaders are the cause of the violence. It is sad that some of them have not taken our advice to avoid violence. Leaders of the APC, the LP and the PDP have been involved in large-scale violence. So far, 70 persons across these political parties have been arrested.” The CP disclosed that steps are being taken to check excesses of politicians during the election, noting that about 13, 000 policemen would monitor the exercise. He added that each of the 2, 195 polling units in the state would be monitored by three policemen each, while the collation centres and other strategic places would equally be manned by high-ranking officers.

    Uyanna, who noted that the police and other security agencies had been up and doing in, ahead of maintaining peace in the state the election, he said that ‘flashpoints’ of violence had been identified and strategies were already in place to police them.

     

     

  • ‘June 21 is about Ekiti’s future’

    ‘June 21 is about Ekiti’s future’

    Former  Ekiti State Governor Segun Oni recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) over disagreements arising from the primaries for the June 21 governorship election. In this interview with Foreign Editor DAYO FAKUADE and Deputy political Editor RAYMOND MORDI, he bares his mind on his defection and  issues that are likely to shape the contest.

    What informed your decision to defect to the APC?

    My decision to leave the PDP was based on the emergence of Ayodele Fayose as the candidate of the party for the June 21 election. I could not reconcile myself with such a person holding the exalted office of governor again in Ekiti. I believe that whoever would be governor must be capable of being touted by all of us as role models for our children; whoever would be governor must be capable of living by example to show a lifestyle of character and of achievements that we can hold on to; whoever would be governor must be such that we would have reasonable confidence that when he goes out, he would not misbehave; whoever would be governor must be such that we would not foresee the danger of him putting our children at risk of becoming difficult to handle, in terms of lifestyle that could lead to criminality.

    So, that is the basis. It is about Ekiti. When Fayose was chosen as the governorship candidate of the PDP, I had the option of either changing my principles because of my party or changing my party because of my principles. My principles are far deeper; they are personal and stem from my upbringing, education, work life experience, my religious belief and so on. So, that may be more difficult to change, for me, at this age than a mere political party, especially since the basis for political partisanship is not yet ideological. The clear option before me therefore was to change my party and redeem my principles.

    It must have taken some measure of courage for you to embrace your former political foe. What is it about the style and character of Governor Kayode Fayemi that grabs you?

    Let’s look at it this way: we are looking at the future and we are comparing the two of them. We know that Governor Kayode Fayemi would not shame Ekiti; we can project that he is going to further improve on whatever we are and wherever we are. I cannot say that for the other person; I can’t do that with any measure of confidence. So, that’s already a deciding factor. Where do we want our children to be? Is it in a state that is more or less a pariah among its contemporaries? Is it to a state where they would not be proud to say they are from Ekiti? Do I want them to belong to a state where the governor would be making the headlines for the wrong reasons? It is very clear; you can’t compare both of them. We have seen both of them in power. We saw Fayose in action for three and half years. We have seen Governor Fayemi now; we can compare both of them. I don’t think anybody who means well would take a different option.

    When did the idea of dumping the PDP first occur to you?

    We foresaw the inkling that the PDP may be working towards a Fayose governorship. I was more or less a dilemma or blackmail for me, when this eventually materialised. Everybody’s attitude then was, are you not going to support your party? Are you going to join hands with your enemies against your party? I keep saying it, but the future for me is much larger than the past. Whatever that has happened in the past, we can allow it to go and sacrifice for our future and the future of our children. So, the moment the PDP finally made up its mind that it was going to be Fayose, people like me had been counted automatically out of the equation. What do I want, what do I need from system to make me condescend to make such compromises?

    Can you give us an assessment of the strength of Governor Fayemi that would make him win the June 21 election?

    By the grace of the Almighty God, Governor Kayode Fayemi would win this election very, very convincingly. We are working. For some of us, the candidature of Fayose automatically sells the governorship of Kayode Fayemi. The candidature of Fayose is a big selling point for him because most people know Fayose and what he represents and they would not want a return to the dark days. They would not want a return to those days when you are not sure whether there would be knocks on your door by people who are just unhappy that you are smiling. That is it; people have seen both of them, they know the one that has character and the one that has none. The values that we cherish are very important to our people. Of course, the vision of Ekiti that we want to see in the future is what would determine whose hands we are likely to entrust the governorship of the state beyond 2014.

    As a friend of the masses, I would say that Governor Fayemi has comported himself much better than Fayose. You are not a friend of the masses just because you go to the market square and make a show of eating a piece of banana or maize. Comparatively, the person who institutes a social welfare package for the aged is true friend of the masses. So, people are now asking questions, if somebody is parading himself our friend, what qualifications does he possess? What achievements does he have to make us believe that he is indeed our friend?

    You were governor of Ekiti State between 2007 and 2010 on the platform of the PDP. What do you consider as the strengths and weaknesses of the party in the state?

    No, I’m not going to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the PDP. I would not be fair. Let me tell you, I still have a lot of friends in the PDP today. They know that I was driven by principles to do what I did and I hope that many of them would eventually see the reason why they should not continue to remain in the party. But I I’m not going to do that by running the party down. I want to convince them to leave by showing them in clear and logical basis that this is where the future belongs. Some of them are already seeing the light.

    You’ve partly answered the next question, but let’s ask it all the same. What is your assessment of Ayodele Fayose as a candidate for the June 21 election?

    For me, he should not be touched with a long stick. I’m not saying this out of malice; I’m saying from the totality of what I know of him when he was governor before and what I still know of who he is. The political elite in this country should care about quality. If the political elite continues to bring forward people of questionable character for the highest offices of the land, those offices would lose value.

    But there is a perception that Fayose is still popular in certain quarters, particularly among the youths and the ordinary folks. What’s your reaction to this?

    You see, deceit is a weapon for propagating falsehood because falsehood itself is deceit personified. Yes, somebody goes to the market square, he buys a piece of roasted plantain and eats half of it right there in the public glare to show that he is a common man. Of course, people would hail him, because they have swallowed the charade that whoever can eat in the open is their friend. But what does that add to their life or future? The greatest friends of the common man in Nigeria would be people like the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. This is in spite of the fact he did not eat openly on the streets. The friend of the common man is one who always thinks of lifting him from his present state to the next level.

    We are trying to sensitise them to realise that they don’t need to swallow such opium. As governor of Ekiti State, I never ate in the market place, but I introduced a micro-credit scheme. It is because of poor people. As governor of Ekiti State, I introduced the first scholarship scheme and the first scholarship board in the state. You will not believe that Ekiti did not have a scholarship scheme before then, in spite of its much-touted advancement in the field of education. We enjoyed scholarships in the days of the old Western Region that was instituted by the late Obafemi Awolowo, but we had none of our own until I put up one here. As far as I am concerned, that is consideration for the common man. We have seen Governor Fayemi continuing some of these programmes and even adding some of his own. One of his appellations is the husband of the aged, because he has instituted a welfare scheme for them. That’s what I call being a friend of the people.

    In spite of the multiplicity of candidates, the June 21 election is likely to be a three-horse race. Can you give us an assessment of how the three parties would fare in the 16 local government areas or the three senatorial districts, if you like?

    I would not like to do something like that. But let me tell you, I know and I believe that Governor Fayemi would win. I’m not even too sure who would come in the second position, whether it would be Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele or Fayose. Governor Fayose has an edge right now, but we see the trend rising for Hon. Bamidele and it may rise to such an extent that it would put Fayose’s second position in jeopardy.

    Do you see the votes from Ido/Osi Local Government becoming a deciding factor in this election because of the way it has voted in the past?

    The votes of every local government area are important. It just happens that Ido/Osi has always PDP in the past. But majority of those of us that worked behind the scene to bring about such development in the past are no longer in the PDP. A vast majority of us are now in the APC, while others have moved to the Labour Party. We are talking to our people, we know this terrain very well; 11 wards spread across 13 towns and villages. So, we believe that for the first time, it would be won by the APC.

    Are there  issues that may likely affect the pattern of voting in this election?

    This outcome of this election is likely to be decided on personality basis, rather than on partisan political interest basis. The people of Ekiti State are very smart; they are not going to be taken in by the propaganda of this party or that party.

    With your defection to the APC, what are you bringing on board for Governor Fayemi’s re-election bid?

    What I’m bringing on board for the re-election of Dr. Fayemi is whatever goodwill I have and whatever political experience I have garnered over the years as someone who has contested election before in this terrain. My experience would be a combination of my knowledge and understanding of the terrain, and the fact that I have contested elections twice and have been in charge twice before. It would also include the fact I have seen people do it right and I have seen people do it wrong and, with the power of recall, I can always identify what can enhance performance and what can endanger it. That’s experience.

    For goodwill, quite a number of people one way or the other believe in me. Some believe I possess attributes that inspire them, while others also say I ran government in a way that also inspire them. Some believe that I have credible results on the ground to show for my time in government. So, what it boils down to is that they are ready to follow me anywhere, even where the temperature is as hot as a one thousand degree centigrade oven.

    Beyond this election, what is  Segun Oni aspiring to do politically?

    I want to be of service to the people. I’m a service person and indeed one of the reasons why I came into politics is to be of service to the people. The things I see everyday makes me happy that people appreciate what I’m doing. I am enjoying a tremendous goodwill from the people I served while I was government and that makes me very happy. I don’t know what else that would thrill me that I have not enjoyed in the past. I was an expatriate in my mid 30s and I had a very good career. I’ve had a good life and I can no longer be taken by such razzmatazz. So, all I’m trying to do now is to find opportunities to pay back and the only way I can do so is by service. I want to be of service to the people, at any level I can find opportunities to do that. I’m not likely to do anything with expectation of something in return. But I will do it, if it falls within my projection of what service is all about.

    Nigeria has just marked 15 years of uninterrupted civilian rule. Can you give us an evaluation of what transpired in the past 15 years?

    In my own assessment, the past 15 years have not been bad. We are learning, we’re gathering experience and moving forward. Some people regard the past 15 years as slow motion, because as far as they are concerned, by now we should have overtaken the United States of America or other democracies. I don’t believe that is attainable. I believe that we can improve our speed. Democracy is all about development and we must continue to ensure that development remains the number one focus. That is why I quarrel with the political elite who always try to smuggle in people that are anti-development. We must continue to solve problems, bring changes, apply consistency of purpose in our drive towards making Nigeria a country of our dream. I believe that the opportunities that are coming would give us the chance to really achieve the kind of government whose speed would make government more of a comfort zone for the masses.

     

  • ‘Nyako can’t be impeached’

    ‘Nyako can’t be impeached’

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Adamawa State is divided over the plot to impeach Governor Murtala Nyako.

    A group within the crisis-ridden chapter has vowed to resisit the plot, saying that it is uncalld for.

    A PDP chieftain, Dr. Umar Ardo, who has opposed the governor for six years, is leading aggrieved members to challenge the basis for the plot. He told reporters in Yola, the state capital, that the state required peace and stability to grow.  The politician  advised the House of Assembly to support the governor to achieve greater success.

    Ardo described the impeachment as a waste of time, stresing that it will throw the state into political crisis. He said the plot is counter-productive because Nyako is about to complete his tenure.

    The politician urged the lawmakers to ponder on the implications, adding that the impeachment cannot be meaningful, if it paves the way for the deputy governor, Bala James Ngilari, to assume the reins.

    He reasoned that the plot is baseless at this time when the governor, who was the leader of the PDP), has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) with a huge number of supporters.

    Ardo said, although the deputy governor has not defected to the APC, that is not enough to catapult him to the number one seat.

    He recalled that the House of Assembly had begun the impeachment of the governor July 2008, but the plan was dropped in controversial circumstances.

    He said the people were not carried along by the lawmakers when the pplot was dropped six years ago.

    Ardo, who is the former political adviser to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, took a swipe at some PDP governorship aspirants warming up for the primaries.  He said they were building their ambitions without building the party.

    He advised the aspirants, including  Markus Natina Gundiri, an engineer, and Gen. Buba Marwa, a defector from the APC, to shelve their aspirations. He said they should toil for four years before aspiring for any elective position in the party.

    Ardo said: “ Markus Gundiri and Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa should not think of declaring their ambition now, but they should remain loyal party men for four years before they will think of contesting for the governor.

    “Iam advising them to build the PDP first before they start to reap from where they did not sow, if they want to be taken seriously. But, if they want to contest now, they will never get any weaver from the PDP.”

    Ardo contested against  Nyako in the last controversial PDP primaries. He challenged the outcome in the court. He urged members to learn from his steadfastness and resilience.

    He aslo warned the PDP lawmakers not to set the state ablaze over the impeachment plot.

    Ardo stressed: “Any attempt by the lawmakers to impeach Governor Nyako will be resisted by all stakeholders in Adamawa. Nyako’s impeachment at this period will destabilise the politics of Adamawa State and throw it into confusion.

    “If Governor Nyako is impeached, it will give one of the governorship aspirants and the deputy governor, Bala Ngilari, an added advantage.”

    The PDP chieftain  explained that, unless Nyako and his deputy are impeached, there cannot be any new begining in Adamawa State.

    He maintained that, since the House has dropped the impeachment process in 2008, there is no justification for it again.

    Ardo said: “We will never accept  the impeachment of Nyako because the Nyako\Ngillari Administration is the same. How can you impeach Nyako and leave Ngillari?’’

    He maintained that, if the intention of the House is to spare the deputy governor, it will not work.

    Ardo said the challege that will face the PDP in Adamawa State is the selection of a competent governorship flag bearer.

    He said many aspirants warming up for the election are not popular.

    Ardo added: “ Hon. Jerry Kumdisi recently joined the PDP. He is not qualified to contest under the platform of the PDP.”

     

  • Lagos 2015: PDP begins mobilisation

    Lagos 2015: PDP begins mobilisation

    Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain and former Minister of Communications, Major General Tajudeeen Olanrewaju (rtd) has said that the troubled chapter required a strong leadership to make an impact in the next general elections.

    He spoke at this year’s Democracy Day Colloquium organised by the chapter in Lagos. Speaker at the event, which held at the Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja, also advised the party to embrace internal democracy, if it intends to make good its threat of winning the 2015 governorship election.

    The chairman of the chapter, Captain Tunji Shelle (rtd), called for unity and understanding, stressing that it is critical to political success.

    The colloquium was a platform for dialogue on governance in Lagos State between members of the PDP and civil society groups. Its theme was: “Fifteen Years of Democracy in Lagos State: What Level of Dividends?”

    Rights activist Yinka Odumakin, who was the guest speaker, said beating the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos requires the right formula and a concrete agenda that can exploit the weakness of the ruling party. He said: “There is need for change in Lagos, but the change must be real change, not a cosmetic one.”

    Olanrewaju, who chaired the lecture, said the Lagos PDP must field a selfless leader, who should be ready to provide genuine leadership. He added that a strong leadership and responsible followership offered the best hope of political success.

    The former minister said the Lagos PDP has had its fair share of instability, rivalries, and internal dissent, which were exploited to the party’s peril and that it must stop behaving like a permanent opposition and see itself as a potential government in the making come 2015.

    Olanrewaju advised the state leadership of the party to reach out to residents in all the divisions that make up the state, particularly the low income earners.

    He said: “We cannot continue to do things in the same way and get a different result,’ he noted, adding that recent opinion poll indicates that 60 per cent of the registered voters in the state are undecided and that the PDP could work hard to bring this class of registered voters to its side.

    Prominent PDP bigwigs, including former Minister of Works, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, and former Deputy National Chairman, Commodore Bode George (rtd), who were billed to grace the occasion, stayed away. The Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro was represented by his son, Gbolahan Obanikoro.

    However, the governorship aspirants in the PDP have not publicly declared their interests, unlike their counterparts in the ruling APC.

    Party sources aid that about five aspirants are warming up. They  are Obanikoro, Mrs. Remi Adikwu-Bakare, Chief Tunde Daramola, Mrs. Modupe Sasore, and Mr. Deji Doherty.

    The sources said that, although the Bode George camp has been wooing the Lagos politician,. Mr. Jimi Agbaje, he refused to join the party.

    Analysts contend that the events in the APC may shape the preparation for the election by the PDP.

    In the APC, 12 aspirants are warming up for the selection process.

    They are Akin Ambode, Obafemi Hamzat, Fowler Gbeleyi, Leke Pitan, and Ganiyu Solomon.

    Others are Yemi Ikuforiji, Gbolahan, Femi Gbajabiamila, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Muiz Banire and Gbenga Ashafa.

     

  • Fani-Kayode: Tale of a rabble-rouser

    Fani-Kayode: Tale of a rabble-rouser

    Former Minister of Aviation  Chief Femi Fani-Kayode has returned to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the party he left one year ago for the  All Progressives Congress (APC). According to analysts, his exit was not entirely surprising. Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN examines Fani-Kayode’s critic of Jonathan Administration against the backdrop of his defection.

    What manner of politician is former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode? His decision to return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), one year after he dumped the party for the All Progressives Congress (APC), has put a question mark on his credibility as a politician.

    Fani-Kayode berated the ruling PDP, when he switched loyalty to the APC, saying he had no confidence in the party and that the situation had become “irredeemable.” He also expressed doubt about the party’s ability to turn the country around good governance to Nigerians. He said the autocratic nature of its national leadership and the high handedness demonstrated by President Goodluck Jonathan in the political feud with Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State suggested that the party had lost its focus.

    The former Aviation Minister’s defection to the APC was celebrated by the opposition party, because it came at a time the party was wooing  prominent members of the ruling party to come to its fold. Fani-Kayode, who is well known for his sharp tongue, did not dissappoint. He had described Jonathan as a weak President, whose lacklustre performance in curbing the insurgency in the Northeast allowed it to fester and put the lives of innocent Nigerians in jeopardy.

    His words: “The greatest error that we have made and the worst tragedy and misfortune that has ever befallen us as a nation is the fact that a meek lamb ended up taking a throne that was designed and prepared for a lion. The unfortunate consequences of that tragic error and misfortune are there for all to see. The shedding of the blood of even the youngest, the most innocent and the most vulnerable in our society by the Boko Haram on a daily basis is an eloquent testimony to that unsavoury fact.”

    But with his return to the ruling party, at a time the security situation in the country has deteroriated, Fani-Kayode’s credibility has sunk to a very low ebb. Analysts contend that Fani-Kayode’s observations about the President’s performance in the war against the Boko Haram insurgency still subsists. Given the deteriorating security situation in the country, what explanation has the former minister to convince Nigerians and the whole world that the Jonathan administration is committed to the war against terror?

    Fani-Kayode did not tell Nigerians that he was going back to the PDP because the security situation in the country has improved or that Nigerians can sleep with their two eyes closed. Neither did he explain whether the inept leadership has changed before returning to the PDP.

    Reacting on the ex-Minister’s defection, a chieftain of the APC said the party never trusted the defector hence, he was kept out of the happenings in the party. The party leader, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said the APC leaders were cautions about dealing with him with open hands because of his antecedents.

    “We know him very well. He has been attending some of our meetings, but because we didn’t trust him and for the fear that he might betray us, we were dealing with him with caution. He went to visit President Jonathan without informing anyone about the outcome of his visit. So, such a character has to be cleverly avoided.

    “I was amazed when Fani-Kayode described himself as a leader and founding member of the APC. What role did he play in the merger of the legacy parties that transformed into the APC? In which committee did he serve? Probably, the mere fact that he followed our leaders on visits to eminent Nigerians to inform them of what our party stands for that is why Fani-Kayode has ranked himself as a party leader. It is a misconception. I think the man was on ego trip”.

    The APC chieftain said the party leaders were not enthusiastic with Fani-Kayode’s presence in their midst. “We knew he was on a mission. We didn’t allow him access to strategic meetings and discussions. He is a kind of politician that is always seeking relevance by making noise in the media. From all what he said about Jonathan and the PDP will you ever contemplate that he would go back to PDP?

    “The Fani-Kayode’s so called exit has not removed a strand of hair from us. We don’t even regard him as a registered member of the APC. Otherwise, he would have been sanctioned for misleading the public that the APC was planning a Muslim-Muslim ticket for 2015,” he added.

    A social critic, Edmund Ejiofor, said he was not surprised that Fani-Kayode has gone back to the PDP. According to him, politicians in Nigeria act like prostitutes, who are always available to whoever is willing or ready to dole out cash.

    “The moment he met, President in Aso Villa, I know Fani-Kayode has dumped the APC. But, he was not brave enough to tell State House correspondents who asked him about his mission. Rather than tell them that he was returning to the PDP, he said “the step I will take will be made known to Nigerians at the right time”.

    Ejiofor wondered why people like Fani-Kayode should be in the APC in the first instance, considering his background and antecedents. “I know there are more of the Fani-Kayodes in the APC, who were planted there for mischievous purpose,” he said.

    The social critic recalled that Fani-Kayode during his declaration for APC last year, stated that he left the PDP to be with those his spirit has been with long ago. But, while stating his reasons for rejoining the PDP, the ex-minister said his decision “was based on the APC’s intolerance of divergence, sympathy for Boko Haram and the insistence of its leadership to field a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket in the general elections”.

    At what point did Fani-Kayode realise that the APC has sympathy for Boko Haram? Has he also redeemed the respect and confidence of members of the PDP he said he lost while declaring for the APC? Ejiofor faulted the claim by Fani-Kayode that he was now comfortable returning to the PDP, since its former Chairman Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, has been removed. He noted that Fani-Kayode, while dumping the PDP for the APC, never said that one of his reasons was because Tukur had sympathy for Boko Haram. Why is it now that he realised some people are promoting a religion above others? Obviously, some people criticise to attract attention and the moment they are noted, they turn coats,” Ejiofor remarked.

    A lawyer, Mr. Gbade Adejare said Fani-Kayode, like other Nigerians, has the right to belong to any political party of his choice at any moment. To him, the former minister’s defection is not surprising, given his recent romance with the presidency. “We should also remember that Fani-Kayode is facing trial for money laundering, which he once described as a smear campaign orchestrated by the Federal Government. It is common knowledge nowadays that politicians having criminal cases hanging on their neck patronise government for safe landing,” he said.

    Adejare said that the APC will not losing sleep over Fani-Kayode’s defection. Otherwise, the party should have made a statement on his exit. “This suggests that the party is not feeling his absence. The fact that nobody is making an issue out of his defection suggests that it is a non- issue. I think our politicians should be consistent and stop jumping ship, irrespective of whether they share the party’s ideology or not,” he added.

     

     

  • PDP, a party of wolves, says Atiku

    PDP, a party of wolves, says Atiku

    Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has reiterated his determination  to fight against oppression, impunity and and poor governance by the  Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, who described the  PDP as a party of wolves, lamented that the ruling party has destroyed the country. He spoke with reporters in Yola, the capital of Adamawa State, on partian issues, after witnessing the inauguration of a political association, the Atiku Support group,  led by a journalist, Alhaji Abdulrazak Namdas.

    He said, for the country to move forward, the oppression of the masses by the leaders must stop.

    Abubakar said the PDP has failed the nation and betrayed the confidence reposed in it by the people.

    The eminent politician refused to speak on his future ambition. But, he said the APC is determined to win power at the centre next year.

    He said the opposition party will put an end to oppression, bombings, kidnappings and insecurity, if voted into power.

    The Director-General  of the Atiku Support Group, Namdas, said the primary purpose ofthe group is to mobilise the people of Adamawa State to support the APC. He said the party will bring change to Adamawa and Nigerians in general.

    Namdas said the group believed in the ideas, vision and philisophy of the former Vice President.

    He added:  “The group is to propagate the ideals of the strongman of Nigerian politics, the former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who is the pillar of democracy  and whose judicial travails has enriched Nigeria’s democracy.”

     

  • Group calls for credible poll in Ekiti

    Group calls for credible poll in Ekiti

    A group, ‘Igbimo Ure Ekiti,’ has called for a credible and transparent poll  in Ekiti State.

    The group charged the stakeholders to adhere strictly to the electoral laws and shun unruly behaviour capable of tarnishing the image of the state.  It also urged party chieftains and their followers to promote the virtue of peaceful co-existence.

    Igbimo Ure Ekiti is made up of Ekiti sons and daughters devoted to the upliftment, progress and advancement of the Ekitiland economically, politically and socially.

    Berating the do-or-die politics of some indecent citizens and political stalwarts, the group warned the political class against the use of unemployed youths for thuggery before, during and after the election. It noted that violence, chaos and other indecent acts could wreck havoc on the state.

    Urging the electoral commission to be above board, the group said that it is dangerous to manipulate elections in Ekiti State. It enjoined the people to reflect on the political crisis of the Second Republic triggered by the rigging of the governorship election against the late Governor Adekunle Ajasin by the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN).

    The group added: “Ekiti has a reputation that should not be tarnished. For our state to develop, we must avoid acts capable of throwing the state into confusion. This must remain our priority in our search for a virile economy and peaceful co-existence at all times.”

    The members of the group recently concluded a two-day advocacy tour. During the tour, they visited Kayode Fayemi, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Alhaji Hussaini Halilu, the State Security Services (SSS) Director, Mr. Samuel Tamuno, and the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Felix Uyanna.

    Prominent members of the group include former Minister of Health, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, the Chairman of Chartered Standard Bank, Sir Remi Omotoso, former Registrar, Chartered Institute of Bankers, Chief Esan Ogunleye, Dr. Christine,  a World Health Organisation (WHO) Consultant, Funke Adebajo, Chief Dr. Ola Ogungbemile, former Acting Comptroller-General Nigeria Customs Service, Princess Bisi Ogunneye, Chief Samuel Bolarinde, Mr. Dele Adesina, and Bishop Michael Ipinmoye (rtd).

     

     

  • Adeleke: PDP’s loss, APC’s gain

    Adeleke: PDP’s loss, APC’s gain

    Former Osun State Governor Isiaka Adeleke has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). ADESOJI ADENIYI and MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE examine the shift in alliance and its implications for the August 9 governorship election

    Brooms filled the air at the Nelson Mandele Freedom Park, Osogbo, the state capital. The venue was filled to the brim. Party supporters shunned unruly behaviour. Party leaders and followers were in one accord.

    It was a day set apart by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to enlarge its coast. Thousands of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members tored their membership cards as they joined the APC. It was a carnival-like rally.

    The defection was not beyond expectation. There was a rancorous governorship primaries in the Osun State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Former Governor Isiaka Adeleke, an aspirant, was molested. His supporters were threatened. When he cried wolf, the party leadership turned a deaf ear.

    The troubled chapter proposed a reconciliation between the flag bearer, Senator Iyiola Omisore, and Adeleke, who was his colleague in the National Assembly between 2007 and 2011. But, it paled into window dressing and cosmetic parley.

    It was a turn of events for the charismatic politician, who had seized the state by the storm in the Third Republic, when he became the governor. Adeleke was a progressive politician. His father, the late Senator Adeleke, was a veteran union leader and associate of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

    When he was excluded from the primaries, reality dawned on him that his time was up in the conservative camp.  He therefore, retraced his steps. Few weeks ago, he returned to the progressive fold, his natural habitat.

    At a historic rally, the Ede-born politician defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC). It was a reunion of sorts. Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who received him, was a member of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), on which platform he rode to power in Osun State in 1991. The APC Interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, was a colleague of Adeleke’s father in the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) in the old Oyo State.

    For the APC, Adeleke is a big catch. Observers contend that he will add value to the progressive camp because he is a grasssroots actor. Hailing his defection, the Osun State Interim APC Chairman, Elder Lowo Adebiyi, described it as the return of the natives. He urged other progressives in the conservative camp to return to base to salvage the country.

    As the August 9 governorship poll draws near, political activities are becoming interesting. There is the re-alignment of forces. The defections are  altering the geo-political calculations, ahead of the contest.

    Adeleke’s defection trailed the defection of other notable politicians from the PDP to the  APC and the Labour Party (LP). Few months ago,  former Secretary to Government  (SSG), Alhaji Fatai Akinbade, called it quits with the PDP). He is now a governorship aspirant in the Labour Party (LP). Also, Elder Sunday Laoye, Deputy Governor Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori’s cousin, went back to the PDP. Explaining his defection, Laoye said he jumped ship because the governor did not fulfil the promise to appoint him as the Chairman of the Local Government Service Commission. He said he was irked by the appointment of  Mr. Peter Babalola, a defector from the PDP to the APC.  Babalola was the Chief of Staff in Oyinlola Administration.

    However, Adeleke’ defection has generated much interest. His supporters in the Osun West Senatorial District defected along with him. Traditional rulers, clerics, community leaders, women, youths and students hailed the move.

    His home town, Ede, was aglow with festivities. Before his defection, there was no bone of contention between him and Aregbesola and other APC leaders. Despite the political differences, there has been mutual respect betwen him and the APC stakeholders.

    Akande congratulated him for dumping the sinking ship. He assured his supporters of equal treatment in the APC. He advised him to use his experience and clout to mobilise for Aregbesola’s victory at the poll.

    Few days before Adeleke left the PDP, the party’s flag bearer, Omisore, picked the former House of Assembly Speaker, Hon. Adejare Bello, who is from Ede , as his running mate. The move, analysts said, was to checkmate Adeleke, who is the political leader of  Ede North and South, Egbedore and Ejigbo councils.

    But, a federal legislator, Muftau Ayinde, said that it was a miscalculation. He said that Bello cannot be an obstacle to the former governor, who is held in high esteem in the area. “The former Speaker cannot not match Adeleke’s popularity in the area. Bello was one of Adeleke’s boys.”

    Adeleke was a happy man at the ceremony. He waved his broom, and the crowd jubilated. He reflected on his ordeal in the PDP, saying that he was edged out of the intra-party electoral process. He said he left the party because of the violent characters of its leadership.  Adeleke said that his life was in danger in the PDP, recalling that he was physically assaulted by top party leaders and their thugs who threw decorum in the wind.  The former governor said that, to his consternation, his complaints about the assault were ignored by the party leadership.

    “After the incident, I never felt safe within the PDP. Two days ago,  Omisore and his men came to apolise,  but  they were turned back at the gate by my security details, ” he said.

    Adeleke said that his popularity in his native Ede was not in doubt.  Describing himself as the man of the people, he said that, since he entered politics in 19990, he has been  defending and promoting  the interest of the ancient town.  However, Omisore’s media aide, Prince Diran Odeyemi, said that Adeleke had made a big mistake for walking out on the PDP. But, the former governor fired back, saying that “any attempt to stay longer in the PDP would mean assisting criminal to get into power in Osun State.”

    Observers believe that Adeleke’s defection has upset the PDP . Also, prominent members of the party have lost faith in the party, following Omisore’s emergence as the candidate. For example, sources said that Lere Oyewumi, who was eyeing the PDP’s deputy governorship slot, felt betrayed when Bello was picked.  “Before the poll, many PDP chieftains will still defect to the APC because of injustice”, said a source.

    Adeleke  has said that, on August 9, he would deliver 95 percent of votes from Ede area to the APC. Thos who know him said that it is not an empty boast.

  • ‘No reconciliation in Osun PDP’

    ‘No reconciliation in Osun PDP’

    Supporters of former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Osun State Senator Olasunkanmi Akinlabi have criticised the chapter for the slow pace of reconciliation, following the controversial April 5 governorship primaries.

    The senator, who addressed his supporters in Osogbo, the state capital, expressed dissatisfaction with indifference of the leadership to reconciliation. He maintained that the ward congresses that preceded the primaries were severely flawed.

    At the meeting, Akinlabi’s supporters complained about marginalisation anmd exclusion  from party activities.

    In a communique issued at the end of the meeting, the Akinlabi Campaign Group said the party may proceed into the governorship poll as a divided house, unless urgent steps are taken to reconcile the blocs in the chapter.  The communique was signed gy its Director of Media and Publicity, Mr. Ayo Aluko-Olokun.

    The group also warned that the party may not succeed at the poll, unless there is peace in the chapter. However, the members said that they had no intention of defecting from the party.

    According to the group, there are outstanding issues that must be resolved, if the PDP is desirous of victory.

    The statement added: “We wish to restate our commitment to the PDP while pursuing the quests for justice, fairness and internal democracy within the Party.

    “The reconciliation of all the governorship aspirants and their supporters with the party should have taken place before the unveiling of the governorship candidate, if truly the party was sincere with its vouched reconciliation move.

    “We wish to observe that the impression being created inadvertently is that, with or without the other governorship aspirants and their supporters.