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  • Ogun APC and burden of reconciliation

    Ogun APC and burden of reconciliation

    All is not well with the Ogun State  All Progressives Congress (APC). The Olusegun Osoba group has dumped the party for rival platform. Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN examines the implication of the group’s exit for the progressive bloc in the Gateway State.

    The fervent wish of party faithful that the warring parties in the Ogun State All Progressives Congress (APC) would reconcile their differences is fast becoming a mirage. The dumping of the APC by the three senators elected on the party’s platform for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) suggests that the attempt to reconcile the two groups have failed. The senators are: Akin Odunsi (Ogun West), Gbenga Kaka (Ogun East) and Gbenga Obadara (Ogun Central).

    The aggrieved group has defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

    The Ogun State APC has been embroiled in crisis due to power struggle between Governor Ibikunle Amosun and Chief Olusegun Osoba. The emergence of two parallel executives from the parallel congresses held on April 26 was the climax of the frosty relationship between the two leaders. The recognition accorded the executives committee produced by the governor’s faction by the national headquarters of the party was the last straw that broke the back of the carmel.

    After the congress, some chieftains defected to the PDP. They included Mrs. Abimbola Lanre-Balogun, special adviser on environment, Mrs. Adijatu Adeleye-Oladapo and Mr Samson Onademuren, who are members of the House of Assembly, representing Ifo II and Ijebu Northeast constituencies respectively.

    The APC National Executive Committee made efforts to reconcile the warring factions, but nothing came out of it. A committee headed by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar prevailed on Osoba and his group to have a rethink on their plan to dump the party. The committee had proposed a 60:40 power-sharing formula. But, it was rejected by the former governor.

    The recent letter written by the deputy governor, Prince Segun Adesegun, to the governor has not helped matters. Analysts describe it as a spanner thrown into the reconciliation process. Adesegun  alleged injustice saying he had not been enjoying the rights and privileges of a deputy governor since the administration came on board in 2011. One of the allegations leveled by Adesegun against his principal was that he deliberately starved his office of funds and he also allocated old vehicles to him. He also alleged that his September and October feeding and out- of -pocket and sundry allowances were yet to be paid.

    The governor’s silence on the allegations did not help matters. It gave opposition parties something to rave about in their quest to unseat the governor. For instance, the Ogun State  Labour Party (LP) accused  Amosun of running a government of vendetta. The party said: “If the governor can treat his deputy with disdain and outright contempt like this, then it shows that an ordinary citizen of the state is of no value to him. We want to say categorically that he has no human face and the electorate should vote him out at the poll.”

    The PDP said: “While we empathise with the deputy governor on his ordeal, we pray that the Almighty God will touch the heart of Governor Amosun to give him (his deputy) what is due to him. We can only hope this intractable fight will not hamper governance and further impoverish the people of our dear state. We appeal to the good people of Ogun State to keep hope alive, knowing that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Their tears will soon be wiped by a government with a human face. That is the PDP promise and deliverable”.

    The supporters of Osoba had been holding meetings with the opposition parties, particularly the PDP. Indeed, chieftain of the APC, Alhaji Azzees Ajetunmobi, said the Osoba group has entered into an agreement with the PDP to defeat Amosun in next year’s  election. The sympathy displayed by the PDP and the LP on the deputy governor’s ordeal, he said, is a proof that they belong to the same political family.

    Ajetunmobi said: “It beats my imagination how such a simple and mundane matter could become a public matter. Well, we are in the era of stomach infrastructure. There is no one in this country who does not know that Amosun is the most frugal governor. When he came on board in 2011, he made it clear that he and his team had come to make sacrifice. He said things were so bad in the state that they could not afford to live big. So, we were not surprised when he slashed the salaries of political office holders.

    “The good thing is that the deputy governor has not accused Amosun of living in luxury while asking others to tighten their belts. He has not accused the governor of constitutional breaches. He has not complained of paying for his official residence because the governor’s aides pay some money monthly from their salaries for the government quarters in which they reside.”

    A lawyer, Mr. Kunle Ademoroti, described the deputy governor’s decision to go public, instead of treating it as an internal matter, as cheap blackmail. He said it was a deliberate act to portray the governor in bad light and curry undue public sympathy for himself and his group. Ademoroti said the allegations contained in the letter are too elementary for a holder of the office of the deputy governor to present.

    Ademoroti said the complaints are all about prerequisites of office. He said: “His salary was not affected. He is not complaining about the government policies or programmes as they affect the people of Ogun State. It sounds ridiculous that a deputy governor is blowing hot and cold because of the unpaid two months allowances. To me, the deputy governor is selfish.

    “If he can’t endure, he should quit. In fact, the governor had tolerated him for long. His loyalty to his benefactor is undermining the government. His commitment to the business of governance is questionable,” he said.

    The relationship between the governor and his deputy has turned into a cat and mouse affair. A source disclosed that, since the governor started his local government tour to assess the performance of the government programmes, the deputy governor accompanied him only on two occasions.

    The source said the deputy governor is pre-occupied with the mobilisation for his new party, holding senatorial meetings  in Ogun East and Ogun Central. The deputy governor is believed to be using the opportunity provided by the governor’s assessment tour to the 20 local governments to meet factional members on the umbrella of Matagbamole Group, as the Osoba-led faction is known, in different locations, telling the members of the group to remain steadfast and be committed to their objectives.

    On the prospect of the SDP as a platform, Obadara said there is no problem. “We have been mobilising and creating awareness among the people. The response has been very encouraging. We have our own structure. Our leader, Chief Osoba, had contested governorship election in the state twice and won. We have the people behind us. The party is an alternative to tyranny. The election is four months ahead. We are going places and the acceptability of the party is not in doubt.”

    But, Ajetunmobi disagreed with Obadara. He said the SDP, the platform the late Chief Abiola used for the presidential election in 1993, is quite different from the present SDP put in place by the Afenifere to undermine the political influence of the APC in the Southwest. “It is wishful thinking for any group to expect that the party’s name would the magic wand to win election in this dispensation,” he added.

    The lawyer recalled that the SDP fielded a candidate in the last governorship election in Osun State and failed woefully. “Why didn’t they win the election, if the old fame is capable of doing the magic? I think the Osoba group is not interested in winning election, but they are out to play the role of a spoiler. Their motto is: If you can’t get it, waste it.

    “They should learn from history. In 2003, the late Alhaji Ganiyu Dawodu regarded as the leader of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in Lagos State had political differences with Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who was the state governor then. In order to stop the re-election of Tinubu in 2003, Dawodu had pulled out of the AD and contested the governorship election on the platform of Progressives Action Congress (PAC) to stop Tinubu. But, Dawodu lost his deposit in that election. That was how Dawodu lost relevance in Lagos politics.

    “The Osoba group has the right to contest on the platform of any party, including the SDP. But, they should not take people for granted. Name dropping has no role to play in this dispensation, your antecedent is what matters most,”  he added.

  • Ogun, SDP bicker over campaign billboards

    The Ogun State government has explained why it dismantled the  campaign billboards erected at strategic locations within the state by the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

    The government said its action was neither political nor targeted to victimise anybody.

    Speaking through the General Manager of the State Signage and Advertising Agency, Akinlabi Bamidele, it said the owner of the billboards did not follow the regulations regarding outdoor advertising, adding that  there was no evidence that payment was made before they were erected.

    Bamidele said the government, last July, notified outdoor advertising agencies that payments must be made before billboards were erected.

    He said the agency carried out its statutory function when it took down the SDP billboards.

    The agency manager said: “I’m sure you must have seen our people outside flushing even All Progressives Congress (APC) posters. So, we are not biased.

    “We went on a routine monitoring and we discovered that they have mounted some posters and billboards.

    “How can I sit here and people are putting billboards and they are not paying for them? I can’t justify it.

    “Our conscience is  clear. We have not victimised anybody. Our concern is payment. Nobody will be using people who are public servants to be carrying out political vendetta. It’s not possible.”

    But the SDP alleged foul play, accusing the government of pulling its billboards down for political reason.

    The SDP had on Sunday mounted imposing billboards on the Abeokuta-Lagos Expressway and the Sagamu Interchange on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway but two days later, officials of the state’s signage agency tore them down.

    State SDP Chairman Olu Agemo told reporters that the  removal was politically- motivated.

  • INEC extends distribution of PVCs in Ogun

    Following the state-wide hitches and irregularities during the distribution of Permanent Voters Cards ( PVC) to registered voters in Ogun State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday extended the exercise by one day.

    Governor Ibikunle Amosun had on Saturday stormed the INEC state Headquarters where he complained over the distribution of the PVCs in the state.

    Amosun also called the INEC) to cancel the marred exercise in the state and start afresh as the hitches and irregularities got worse the second day.

    He urged the INEC to “redeem its image,” as the shoddy preparations and irregularities characterising the distribution of the PVCs in the state is “reprehensible, disappointing, terrible and unacceptable.”

    The INEC Southwest Regional officer (Ogun, Oyo and Ekiti) Prof. Lai Olorode, who said he does not have the power to start a fresh distribution as only the INEC Headquarters in Abuja could give such instruction when the governor’s complain is routed officially communicated to Abuja.

    But on Sunday, in what appears to be electoral body heeding the Governor’s call, it announced that the deadline for distribution of the PVCs would now be Monday.

    In a statement by the state Resident Electoral Commission (REC), Sam Olumekun, and captioned, “INEC/OG/345/VOL.II,” it explained that the extention granted Ogun state was sequel to a plethora of hitches witnessed by both the commission as wellas the citizens during the first two days of the exercise which started last Friday.

    The INEC also appeal led to residents to be calm and not panic as every registered voter would get his or her card.

  • Ogun 2015: Amosun’s quest for second term

    Ogun 2015: Amosun’s quest for second term

    Despite the crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State, Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s popularity has not waned. After his tour of 20 local governments, he reiterated his push for continuity at a rally in Abeokuta, the state capital. The visit paled into a partisan popularity walk across the three senatorial districts. Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU examines the governor’s second term bid, its prospects and constraints. 

    Brooms filled the air in Abeokuta, the Ogun State state capital, as members of the All Progressives Congress (APC)  celebrated a new dawn in the state. Governor Ibikunle Amosun reeled out his achievements across the three districts in the last three and half years. He received an applause from the crowd. Gazing at 2015, he reiterated his quest for continuity, urging the people to renew his mandate. To many stakeholders, the request was not without justification.

    Egba monarchs led by Alake Aremu Gbadebo paid tribute to the son of the soil, saying he has lived up to expectation. In particular, the royal father was impressed by the transformation of his domain. “We are here to testify that the past three and a half years of Amosun’s government have been like 20 years of development in our state.

    “We have come to appreciate the politics of good roads, the politics of good schools and health facilities. We believe that the person who did all this within this short time will do more if given the opportunity because the best is yet to come,” he said.

    Echoing him, the Osile of Oke-Ona Egba, Oba Adedapo Tejuoso, described Amosun as a beloved son of Egbaland, who has changed the face of the state. He urged the people to give him another chance to complete the good work he has started.

    “The work he has started in three and a half years should be completed. If they are abandoned, it will be shameful to all of us. He should be given a chance to return to office to complete his good works,” he added.

    The Agura of Gbagura, Oba Alidu Laloko, said the administration has fulfilled its electoral promises. He described the Amosun as a man of vision, adding that he deserves a second term.

    “Amosun has performed creditably well. He does not need to campaign too much for a second term. His works will speak for him. If he has not done well, we will not come out to welcome him and show our appreciation,” the Agura said.

    The Olowu of Owu Kingdom, Oba Adegboyega Dosunmu, said: “We are not resting our oars on our support for the governor’s good works. We still want to use our votes to send him on another four years of the rebuilding mission, to fully re-construct our roads and all sectors of the state.

    However, despite the gale of endorsement, the governor has a major challenge. Bickering, intrigues and division in the ruling party have diverted his attention. Unity and cohesion have become elusive. Cracks are bold on the wall. Despite his performance, there are fears that the APC may suffer a set back in next year’s polls, unless the there is genuine reconciliation between the two caucuses led by Amosun and former Governor Olusegun Osoba.

    For three weeks, the governor has been on tour of 20 local governments to assess completed and on-going projects. The visit was also to access the impact of government policies and programmes on the people and appraise their effects on the three zones. Amosun garnered a tremendous goodwill during the visit. But, at home, the house was on fire. As the governor received accolades from traditional rulers, community leaders, professionals, women groups, youths, students, artisans and peasants, his deputy, Hon. Segun Adesegun, who did not accompany him, was firing salvos at him. He accused the governor of monopolising power, stressing that he has not carried him along in the business of administration.

    As many indigenes came out to receive Amosun and endorse him for a second term in those carnival-like rallies in communities visited, aggrieved party chieftains also mounted an effective propaganda against the governor, saying that he has indulged in a politics of exclusion and marginalisation.

    Amosun is bothered by these criticisms. He however, lamented that, despite waving the olive branch, the aggrieved compatriots have not sheathed their swords. He acknowledged Osoba as his leaders, assuring that he was ready to give concessions to his group. Despite the goodwill he garnered during his tours, he said he would work hard to end the division in the ruling party.

    The governor reflected on the gains of his administration. He gave himself a pass mark. But, he quickly acknowledged that the complaints and requests by the communities visited by him would be attended to.

    “We have gone round to see the product of har work in the course of rebuilding our dear state and listened to your requests for further development. We have taken note of all that you have told us. Let me assure you that we will not let you down,” he stressed.

    The governor’s first point of call was Imeko Afon Local Government Area, where he called for a violent free-election. He appealed to the political parties contesting for election there to ensure an exercise devoid of violence.

    “I want to thank all our contestants. There’s something we must do and this is not for the APC alone, but for all the parties in Ogun State; we don’t want violence. Nobody should fight. If you’re running for any office, 50 people can come out, but it is people destined by God that will be there. I am saying this not for the APC alone, but I am saying it for all our parties,” he said.

    At Remo North, he reitetrated his commitment to welfarist programmes. He said: “My mission here in Remo North is for a feedback, to enable us know where to improve and to concentrate. This is not a political rally, but a government visitation to know how its people are feeling.”

    At Odogbolu Council, the governor, who visited a ‘3 by 3’ kilometre cassava farm owned by the Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development in collaboration with a Kenyan foundation on Eyinwa Road, which is ready for harvest, said his government had invested heavily in agriculture, where it has comparative advantage. Making a case for agricultural development, he said: “We are going back to the basics and take fuller advantage of our agricultural potential.”

    The governor, who also visited Ipokia Council, appealed to the Federal Government to develop the oil-rich Tongeji Island to avoid losing it to the Republic of Benin. He said the skeletal naval base on the Island should also be expanded to avoid the fate that befell Bakassi Peninsula, which the country lost to Cameroon. He said Tongeji Island has huge potential of increasing the nation’s economy and improving the livelihood of the people.

    “Tongeji Island is of serious concern to me. Each time I see President Goodluck Jonathan, I call his attention to the need to expand the naval presence on the Island, which is rich in oil and other mineral resources, so that it does not go the way of Bakassi.”

    The governor said arrangements have been concluded with a world class tourist outfit to make Akere community, Ipokia Local Government Area, a tourist centre. He promised to construct the 10km Ipokia-Akere road, which leads to the Lagoon.

    “We have the longest seashore in this country. One of the world’s tourist outfits have done the designs and planning on all they want to do here. The investors, who were looking for a place that has sea view and seashore have chosen Akere in this part of the state.

    “They want to make Akere a totally new town. They have done it in other parts of the world. This is their first time in Africa and Nigeria. I’m trying to envision what Akere town would be in the next three years. It would no doubt be the number one destination of tourism in Nigeria.

    “Without any delay, I have directed the immediate construction of Ipokia-Akere road and Agosasa-Ijofin road respectively as well as a bridge before Agosasa to further open up the Local Government Area and fulfill the promise of constructing two rural roads in each Local Government Area of the state.”

    While commending the forebears for the initiative to cite a large expanse of palm trees plantation on both sides of the road to the riverine area, he affirmed that the state government would as a matter of urgency do the regeneration of the old palms.

    He also assured the people that Ipokia Local Government Area would be made to have two Local Council Development Areas, pointing out that one additional model school would be constructed as a starting point to having a full fledge higher institution.

    However, the high point of the grand finale was the popularity walk in Abeokuta. Taking off from Akin Olugbade area, Amosun’s convoy drove through Totoro, Enu Girder, Ago Ika, Oja Igbo, Itoku, Sapon, Isale Igbehin before arriving at Oke Igbehin, which hosts the Government House.

    The beauty of the popularity drive was that the governor was able to feel the pulse of the people and appraise their support for him.

    According to analysts, the visit was strategic and rewarding. But, in spite of the acknowledgment of performance by the masses, the governor has to overcome some hurdles. Community leaders said that the onus is on Amosun to sustain the tempo till the end of his first term.

    The second challenge is that the governor must return to the table of brotherhood with aggrieved chieftains, who are already opening talks with other opposition parties in the state.

    The third challenge is the PDP challenge. The  gladiators in the party are making frantic efforts to close ranks. Former PDO Chairman Chief Joju Fadairo, said the party has learnt its lessons, adding that the mistake of 2011 will not be repeated.

    A party source disclosed that Amosun will soon be endorsed by the APC as the consensus candidate. But, will he get a second term with ease? Time will tell.

  • Ogun students meet on 2015 elections

    Ogun students meet on 2015 elections

    Students of tertiary institutions in Ogun State last Saturday discussed how they can participate in the 2015 general elections at a forum organised by the state’s chapter of Generational Voices (GenVoices). TAIWO ADEBULU reports.

    How can the youth help in ensuring violence-free elections in Ogun State in 2015? This was the issue that dominated discussion as some students across higher institutions in the state came together last week at a summit to discuss what could be done to make the youth participate in the elections.

    The Ogun State chapter of Generational Voices (GenVoices), a youth advocacy group, organised the summit with the theme: 2015 Elections: Engaging voters in Ogun State. It was held at the JDPC Hall in GRA, Ijebu-Ode. The summit focused on youths and students participation in the elections.

    The Ogun co-ordinator of GenVoices, Adebayo Ishola, a Corps member, said the event was to equip the youth with skills and strategies to ensure governorship election in the state is free of violence.

    Adebayo said: “We have come to discuss strategies to educate voters on the electoral process to ensure the overall safety and integrity of exercise. Our concern is to build a generation that can rise up to the challenge and ensure peaceful elections are held. We are also out to tell our leaders that young people can effectively participate in governance and bring about desired change.”

    The lawmaker representing Ogun East Senatorial District, Gbenga Kaka, who interacted with the students, praised the group for creating a platform where leaders could engage the youth in cross-fertilisation of ideas.

    Kaka said: “Some of us are luckier than those of you called youths of today. When I say we are lucky, it is in the sense that we witnessed a lot of sanity in the polity from the Second to the Third Republics unlike the present one. In those days, the value system was sound and we were proud of it. Now, the connection between the old and young generation has been broken.”

    The lawmaker apologised for what he called “generational waste” perpetrated by the political class, noting that the youth had been robbed of good governance and political participation. Kaka explained how he became a commissioner when he was 35 years and later became deputy governor. He urged the students to acquire sound knowledge to engage the leaders on issues affecting development and rule of law.

    Hon. Abudu Balogun, a member of the House of Representatives from Ijebu North/East Federal Constituency, urged the students to consider their economic status before they engage the leaders for their rights. He said the youth must be part of the stakeholders organising the 2015 election, even if they would not be contesting in the exercise.

    In his brief address, Mr. Adesina Kawonise, former Ogun Commissioner for Information, urged the youth to develop skills that will enhance their productivity. He berated what he called the “inappropriate use” of the social media by youths.

    During the interactive section, Olufemi Ajayi, a Political Science student of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) in Ago-Iwoye decried the hypocrisy of the elders, saying: “They always claim to follow the steps of Chief Obafemi Awolowo and his principle. But, you cannot hold them by their words. They simply have no ideological stand.”

    Tolulope Oyekanmi, 100-Level Early Childhood Education student of Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED) in Ijagun, said she was ready to volunteer herself and engage the youth in the state on the need to rise up to be part of governance.

    Also at the event were  Mr Musibau Ajibola, Mr Daniel Akinlani, Chief Morin Kilo, Yinka Quadri, a Development Consultant, and Dr Lawrence Holumidey, the proprietor of Paragon International School, Abeokuta.

    Ayobami Faloye, a youth activist at the event, said he was not moved by speeches of the speakers. He said: “We hear such speeches on this kind of platform. They will come and tell us what we need to do, although they are not willing to concede power to us. The older generation has cheated us and we are ready to take over. The elders won’t leave until we force them out.”

  • Ogun PDP to returnees: don’t foment trouble

    Ogun PDP to returnees: don’t foment trouble

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State has warned its members against “re-planting the seed of crisis and division in the party for the purpose of hijacking its structure”.

    In a statement yesterday by its Publicity Secretary, Waliu Oladipupo, the party said it was a “veteran of many political battles” in the state and has remained vigilant.

    The statement said: “The state executive committee has not been dissolved. Members are advised to ignore contrary information.

    “Any attempt to tinker with the party structures will not just be an invitation to avoidable lawlessness but also illegal, ultra vires and a direct affront on the judiciary.

    “It is hoped that those who are angling to sow the seeds of discord know the implications of their contrived plot.

    “If they think that they can ride on the back of one powerful man at the national headquarters to trample on the rule of law, we wish to serve them notice that we are ready for them.

    “The Ogun State PDP is a veteran of many political battles. We are not resting on our oars. For us, eternal vigilance is truly the price of freedom.

    “The Adebayo Dayo-led state exco is intact. As we have said severally, the Ogun State PDP exco is peculiar. The executives, from the ward to local government and state levels were not just elected at validly conducted congresses; they were refined through the crucibles of the party constitution and the laws of the land and endorsed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    “They were not just elected but validated by several judicial interventions and pronouncements from the High Court to the Appeal Court.

    “Therefore, given the peculiar circumstances of their emergence, any attempt to tinker with the party structures will not just be an invitation to avoidable lawlessness but also illegal, ultra vires and a direct affront on the judiciary.

    “Various courts, from Ilaro to Lagos and Abuja, and even INEC have since recognised the party structure in the state under the leadership of Adebayo Dayo.”

  • 2015 governorship ticket: Confusion in South-West

    2015 governorship ticket: Confusion in South-West

    In the South-West states of Oyo, Ogun and Lagos, there is confusion over governorship tickets, reports Dare Odufowokan 

    Oyo Governorship aspirants sit on edge

    The Oyo State chapter of the PDP is obviously going into the 2015 general election in shreds. Since it lost the governorship position to the APC in 2011, chieftains and leaders of the party have been at loggerheads with one another, resulting in the party losing many of its foot-soldiers and mobilisers across the state to the ruling party.

    First was a battle for the control of the party that saw chieftains holding two parallel congresses that produced two executive committees for the party in the state. What followed was an array of unending litigations, some of which are still ongoing.

    A recent intervention by the national leadership brought some respite in the leadership tussle as all factions were charged with working to ensure the victory of the party in the forthcoming election after which the issues of party leadership will be addressed appropriately.

    In line with the resolution, the party has been holding series of meetings with all its members, both the aggrieved and the perceived ‘aggressors’, especially on the issue of picking the right candidate enough to confront Governor Isiaka Ajimobi who is definitely coming out to seek re-election in 2015 on the platform of the APC.

    But the quest of many of the chieftains to pick the governorship ticket of the party merely heightened the tension in the party. This is because while some of the chieftains are angling for the party to choose its flag-bearer through consensus, others want all the aspirants to be allowed to slug it out at a party primary.

    As of the last count, the number of the aspirants interested in flying the flag of the party in 2015 was said to be nine, namely immediate past governor, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, former Senate Leader Teslim Folarin, Professor Taoheed Adedoja, Professor Soji Adejumo, Mr. Femi Babalola, Mr. Seyi Makinde, Alhaji Azeem Gbolarumi, Mr. Isaac Owolabi, and Dr. Gbolarumi Adetunji.

    But at the time of filing this report, only about five of them are said to have purchased the nomination form to vie for the ticket. Akala, Makinde, Adedoja and Folarin are said to be amongst those who picked their forms before the expiration of the deadline last Thursday.

    But trouble is far from over within the party even with the reduction in the number of those vying for its ticket. This is because the remaining aspirants and some leaders of the party are currently up in arms against an alleged attempt by the wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, to foist former governor of the state, Rashidi Ladoja, on the party as its candidate.

    Mrs. Jonathan was said to have dropped the hint of her intention during a recent parley with the Oyo PDP stakeholders when she made a request that Ladoja should be accommodated in the party ahead of the 2015 governorship election.

    Ladoja, a former member of the PDP and now the national leader of the Accord Party, who is nursing a governorship ambition, was present at the villa meeting where Patience made the request. Notable PDP leaders at the meeting, according to sources, were Alao-Akala, Akinjide, Folarin, and Chief Yekini Adeojo.

    Speaking on the development, Alao-Akala said it was true that the meeting with the First Lady was held, but he said nobody was asked to step down for Ladoja. The former governor said the First Lady merely asked them to “accommodate” Ladoja in the PDP.

    “Yes, it is true that the First Lady met us. But she didn’t ask me to step down. She said we should accommodate Ladoja in our party and we said it would be difficult to do so because he is not a member of the PDP. That was what happened,” Akala said.

    As the aspirants await the next line of action from the leadership of their party in the days to come, the fear that somebody may be imposed on them is very uppermost in their thoughts.

    This, sources claim, has led to a serious reduction in the political activities of nearly all the camps of the various aspirants. “We hear that Ladoja is still discussing with people in the presidency. Some people are selling him to the leadership of the party as the only man that can defeat APC. This is worrisome to us as members of the PDP.”

    And within the ruling APC, sources say all is also not rosy. While nobody has come out to pick the party’s nomination form to challenge Governor Ajimobi, talks about a case before an Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan, are rife as the party prepare for the 2015 governorship election.

    The matter which was commenced on February 25th this year is a motion to stop the All Progressives Congress, APC, from conducting its membership registration in the state.

    The motion ex-parte was brought to the court by Adebayo Shittu, a governorship candidate of the defunct CPC in the 2011 election.

    Mr. Shittu alleged that the APC had contravened its constitution and guidelines by engaging in activities that could jeopardise his aspiration and that of other members of the party. He told the court that he was interested in contesting the 2015 governorship election on the platform of the APC in Oyo State. Mr. Shittu said his interest would not be adequately protected unless he was represented and involved in the entire process as a member of the State Harmonising Committee.

    The respondents in the suit include Governor Ajimobi, Akin Oke, Interim Chairman of APC in the state and Razak Folorunsho, the former Chairman of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, in Oyo State. Also joined was the Chairman of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, Suleiman Oyaremi, in the state.

    Although the registration was successfully done, followed by a state congress, observers of the politics of the state say the fact that the case is yet to be expended with remains a source of worry to Ajimobi’s men.

    As serious politicians, they don’t want to leave anything to chance. I think it would be safe to ensure such loose ends are taken care of before the election day,” a national officer of the party said.

    Ogun: Leading parties battle crises

    The rank of governorship aspirants in Ogun State on the platform of the PDP increased as former deputy governor to Chief Olusegun Osoba in the aborted Third Republic, Alhaji Rafiu Ogunleye, picked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) nomination form in Abuja. Ogunleye joined Hon. Abiodun Akinlade, Mr. Gboyega Nasiru Isiaka and Hon. Dimeji Bankole who had earlier picked the PDP nomination form.

    But this was just as a new wave of crisis broke out in the troubled party as a Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos, granted permission to its state executives to serve contempt proceedings against Bankole, a former House of Representatives Speaker.

    Apart from Bankole, others mentioned as alleged contemnors in the committal proceedings filed last week are the PDP, former Ogun State governor, Gbenga Daniel, and a former member of the House of Representatives from the state, Dave Salako.

    The contempt suit was filed by the Adebayo Dayo-led executive of the PDP in Ogun State. In the committal proceedings, it was alleged that the contemnors (Bankole, Daniel and Salako) have been indulging in series of activities to remove the Dayo-led executive, despite two separate judgments of the Federal High Court affirming the legality of the executive.

    Trouble started again in the party, following allegations by the state Chairman, Bayo Dayo, that just as Ondo State PDP executive was recently dissolved, the alleged Bankole and Daniel have also been making frantic moves to ensure that the Ogun PDP executive is equally dissolved, with the aim of handling the party structure in the state to their surrogates.

    He alleged that because Bankole was nursing the ambition to become Ogun State governor, he is not comfortable with the present PDP executives in the state, and had been attempting to ensure that the present executives are sacked by the National Integration Committee of the PDP.

    The applicants further alleged that Daniel and Salako were also not comfortable with the current executive of the party in the state as the Dayo-led executive was perceived to be working against their political interest.

    The development, coming barely two weeks after the Ogun PDP held a unity rally meant to announce to the whole world that peace has finally returned to the embattled party, has left many in doubt of the seriousness and readiness of the PDP to win the 2015 governorship election.

    Lagos: Uncertainty reigns supreme

    Contrary to expectation that the PDP gubernatorial primaries will be a crowded race in Lagos State, about five aspirants have so far shown seriousness in the race for the governorship ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state by picking their nomination forms.

    Information gathered at the state secretariat of the party revealed that Adegbola Dominic, a medical practitioner, Jimi Agbaje, a renowned pharmacist, and former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, are three of the aspirants still in the race.

    But the age-long crisis rocking the party has worsened, following the severe rift between its two main gubernatorial contenders. The development has once again seen chieftains and members breaking into two factions behind either of the two contestants.

    Things got out of control after one of the aspirants, Obanikoro, described another strong contender, Agbaje, as a mole of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

  • Ogun FRSC inaugurates Special Marshal’s secretariat

    Ogun FRSC inaugurates Special Marshal’s secretariat

    The Ogun  State Special Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), has inaugurated its ultra modern secretariat.

    The secretariat, was built to proffer solution to the accommodation problems facing the special and regular Marshals in the state. The accommodation will provide an enabling environment to discharge their duties effectively.

    The state Governor Senator Ibikunle Amosun  who opened the facility praised the vision behind the project which he said would boost operational efficiency.

    Amosun who was represented by the Commissioner for Special Duties, Chief Olu Odeyemi said: “the  building began in 2009, following a directive from RSHQ Abuja, for each Command to provide separate accommodation for the Regular and Special Marshals within the Sector Command.”

    Odeyemi, expressed happiness at the completion of the project and thanked all stakeholders who contributed immensely to ensure the realisation of the dream.

    The Zonal Commanding Officer, RS2.0 Lagos, Assistant Corps Marshal (ACM) Godwin Ogagaoghene, urged individuals to join hands with the Corps to tackle the lawlessness causing accidents on our roads across the country.

    He said: “The task of making the roads safe is not of one organisation but a multi-sectoral engagement, in which all and sundry must partake.

    “Research have shown that human errors take the lead among the characteristics of what is causing road crashes.”

    He, therefore, appealed to all road users to be disciplined while on the wheels, adding that the Corps would be deploying over 20,000 officers, men and equipment to enhance the safety of lives and property before, during and after the festive period.

    Ogagaoghene, advised road users to join the FRSC and other roads’ management agencies to make roads safe, and plan their journey so as to avoid dangerous overtaking, over-speeding and overloading.

    He further warned against driving under the influence of alcohol and enjoined the use of seat belts.

    He applauded the Special Marshals and other stakeholders for their generous donations and support to the Regular Marshals, which he said goes a long way in taking care of their well being.

    Ogagaoghene, urged both regular and Special Marshals to continue to work harder and be diligent to attain best result of zero crashes on our roads.

    The Ogun State Chief Vehicle Inspection Officer (VIO), Revd Bayo Otuyemi, also congratulated the Ogun State Special Marshals for the completion of the project.

    Otuyemi, appealed to individuals to be conscious of safety while driving, saying, safety on the road is a collective responsibility which everyone must imbibe.

    He implored FRSC to increase their safety campaign/workshop among the drivers, saying lack of adequate knowledge of road signs contributed to high incidence of crashes on the roads.

    Otuyemi, urged motorists to follow the due process when obtaining driver’s license instead of patronising touts. Obtaining license in a wrong way makes people ignorant of some signs which they ought to know before driving.

    The Ogun State Sector Commander, Mr Adegoke Adetunji, in his remarks, praised the Special Marshals for their support to the regular marshals towards the successful campaign against road carnage.

    The representative of Intercontinental Distillers, Ota, Mr Godwin Dottie donated a complete computer system to the Command for the smooth running of their activities.

     

  • Ogun IPMAN gets new exco

    Ogun IPMAN gets new exco

    The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) in Ogun State has elected a 12-member executive committee with Samuel Idowu as Chairman.

    Other members of the committee are Olawale Yusuf (Secretary); Alhaja Rafisat Adeniyi (Organising Secretary) and Olumide Ogunlaja (Legal Adviser).

    The members were elected unopposed at a zonal congress held at the IPMAN secretariat, Mosinmi, Ogun State.

    The electoral committee chairman, James Idowu, described the exercise as successful. He said due process was followed, adding that members were aware when the committee began the sale of forms.

    The new chairman said he was going to build on the legacies of his predecessors.

    “By the grace of God, we shall not fail. We shall be at the forefront of members’ welfarism. During our regime, I pray that building of filling stations by members shall be on the increase.”

  • Ogun: Controversies trail OGD’s defection to PDP

    Ogun: Controversies trail OGD’s defection to PDP

    Former governor Gbenga Daniel’s return to the Peoples Democratic  Party (PDP) is the  source of heated controversy within  the Ogun State PDP, reports Assistant  Editor, Dare  Odufowokan

    THE Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is currently battling hard to curtail the rising waves of controversies occasioned by the planned defection of former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, into the party.

    Daniel had last year defected from the PDP to the LP after which the national leadership of the LP handed over the leadership of the party to the former governor.

    According to sources within the party, leaders of the party in the state were not properly consulted and carried along by the national leadership of the PDP and the presidency in the plot to facilitate the return of the former governor into the party he left in controversial circumstances last year.

    “Most of our leaders here in Ogun State have described the purported defection of the former governor, Gbenga Daniel (OGD), from the Labour Party (LP) to the PDP as a continuation of the deceit that OGD is known for. This whole defection story is meant to deceive President Jonathan.

    “The national leadership and the presidency in handling this defection plot did not carry the PDP in Ogun State along properly. The result is that Ogun PDP leaders and chieftains are still very wary of the coming Labour Party leaders, especially OGD himself,” a leader of the party in Odogbolu, and former state executive committee member said.

    In a recent statement issued by the State Publicity Secretary, Waliu Oladipupo, the party said the state executive committee betrayed their suspicion of the former governor’s defection bid when they accused him of trying to be clever by half.

    “Much as our hands are widely opened to receive defectors into our party, including OGD, we find his purported solo return as a less than clever attempt to hoodwink our people and deceive the national leaders of our party.

    “We have reliable information that the kite being flied that most of his followers have vowed not to return with him to the PDP is part of a grand plot to deceive our leaders and use the resources of the PDP and its government to fund his followers in LP.

    “This is a repeat of what happened in 2011 when his body remained in the PDP but his heart and soul were with the Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN). He used the resources of the PDP-led government to fund the PPN.

    “It is even more so now that he has been out of government for about four years. Expectedly, this has taken a toll on his resources. The thinking among his group is that if he declares for PDP, he would be well-positioned to participate in the campaign activities and funds of the PDP, especially the presidential election, and then leverage on it to fund his supporters in LP,” Ogun PDP had said.

    Daniel’s return to the ruling party, according to insiders, will enable him get a prominent portfolio in the President’s re-election team.

    Sources said the deal to have OGD back in the party was finally sealed when Senate President, David Mark, led a delegation of national leaders of PDP to Ogun State recently to cement the working agreement between the state PDP and the Labour Party for the 2015 general elections.

    Also on the delegation were the Deputy National Chairman of the party, Chief Uche Secondus, and the Special Assistant to the President on Political Affairs, Prof. Rufa’i Alkali.

    Mark’s team it was that succeeded in convincing Daniel, who is leading the Labour Party in the state to defect to the PDP.

    The deal, sources said, became necessary when President Goodluck Jonathan, in spite of a strong assurance that the LP would support him in his bid to retain his seat in 2015, expressed his desire for the PDP to win the state governorship election.

    “The Presidency asked Daniel to collapse his structure in the LP into the PDP in order to unseat the incumbent Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, in the 2015 election. That was the sole message Mark and the other PDP leaders brought to OGD when they came visiting him here.

    “It is funny that some people are kicking against his return when it was the leadership of the party and the presidency that came to lobby him to defect back to the PDP. Our plan is to stay in Labour Party, support Jonathan’s re-election and win the governorship,” an aide of the former governor said.

    The President recently warned the PDP in the state that the APC would win the next elections in the state if the PDP goes into the 2015 elections in its present state

    The Labour Party has already endorsed the candidacy of Jonathan in 2015 but the President felt his fortune would be brighter if the state also falls into the hands of the PDP in the governorship election,” another source, who craved anonymity, added.

    At a meeting with LP faithful at his Asoludero Court residence in Sagamu last weekend, the former governor and his allies announced that they had finalised their planned defection to the PDP on the prompting of Jonathan.

    Sources at the meeting said OGD had the backing of the party leaders and members present at the meeting to collapse the LP structure in the state into the PDP.

    Daniel was however said to have demanded and got some elective seats at the state and national levels before agreeing to the deal that will see him return to the same table with the likes of Buruji Kashamu and Jubril Martins Kuye, two of his fiercest political rivals.

    However, one of the Labour Party governorship aspirants, Gboyega Nasir Isiaka, aka GNI, a renowned ally of the former governor, and his supporters were said to have refused to be dragged back into the PDP.

    According to some reports, Isiaka, who was supported in his gubernatorial bid on the platform of the Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN) by Daniel in 2011, is afraid that the former governor may have traded off his 2015 governorship ambition in the defection deal.

    “GNI is afraid that the return to PDP may put paid to his governorship ambition. He is yet to be convinced that he would be given the ticket of the PDP if he decamps along with OGD.

    This is the only reason why his camp is saying they will not be returning to the PDP along with the former governor,” a source said.

    It is also being rumoured that the GNI group may have chosen to pitch their tent with a new group being formed by some politicians linked to the ruling APC in the state.

    This is just as the national leadership and Jonathan were advised by a group within the PDP in Ogun State, Ogun PDP Youth Forum (OPYF), to be conscious of the antecedents of Otunba Gbenga Daniel.

    The statement, signed by Adeyanju Gbolade and Idris Mojeed, President and Secretary respectively, alleged that the plot by OGD to warm his way back to PDP is in pursuit of some personal interests. “He is not unknown to us and we are saying the party should consider his antecedents carefully in dealing with him,” they said.