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Tag: Olufemi Lanlehin

  • Oyo ADC stakeholders disown Lanlehin

    A faction of Oyo State African Democratic Congress (ADC) has distanced itself from  the purported withdrawal of the party’s candidate in the last election, Senator Olufemi Lanlehin, from the alliance with the People’s Democratic Party ( PDP).

    The faction said the ADC, its teeming members and supporters across the state are solidly in support of the governor, “believing that we are on the same page.”.

    A letter addressed to the state governor of the state, Seyi Makinde and signed by the former secretary to the state government, on behalf of the party, Chief Busari Adebisi.

    Stakeholders of the party have not abandoned the original leitmotifs, especially good governance for the people of the state which was the bases of the alliance.”

    Read Also: How I will reposition Oyo, by Makinde

    The statement reads: “Following the recent political development in Oyo state, as it affects the purported withdrawal of senator Olufemi Lanlehin from the African Democratic Congress  coalition with your government, I am compelled to make the following observations; that the prime motive of bringing ADC to Oyo State, was to ensure the termination of the eight-year agonizing rule of the APC administration and importantly to ensure that the administration does not succeed itself by other means, so as to free the good people of Oyo State from the regrettable APC’s socio-economic bondage.

    “Another reason for the ADC was to participate and ensure the emergence of a credible alternative to Ajimobi’s  lackluster administration in the state. As it is customary in such political arrange, nets, the parties in the coalition usually agree on a set of conditions, the basis of which they go into elections together. The summary of the agreement reached with the PDP for our party was 30 percent participation in government.

    “Without prejudice to the above observations, I wish to unequivocally declare to you that our party, the ADC, its teeming members and supporters across Oyo State are solidly in continued support of your government, believing that we are still on the same page.”

  • Oyo Speaker’s death shocking – Lanlehin

    A governorship aspirant and immediate past Senator for Oyo South District, Senator Olufemi Lanlehin, has described the death of Speaker Michael Adeyemo as shocking and devastating to the entire Oyo House of Assembly, Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures, his family and the people of Oyo state.

    Lanlehin, in a condolence message from his media office, said Adeyemo, who was a great lawyer, would be sorely missed for his outstanding leadership skills and his espousal of politics without bitterness and violence.

    Describing him as a great stabilizer in the eighth Assembly and team player in the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures where he was an active and played enviable role, Lanlehin tasked his colleagues to sustain Adeyemo’s legacy of peace.

    Lanlehin said, “My heart goes out to his immediate family, the people of Ibarapa East State Constituency, Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures, his family, colleagues and associates in this trying time. The speaker was a fine gentleman, a humble, brilliant lawyer whose positive impact was felt wherever he went.

    “Coming seven years after he lost his wife during child birth, I can only pray that God should grant him eternal rest and keep the children safe and flourishing and the family, the fortitude to bear the painful loss,” he said.

  • Lanlehin, Muslim youths hail governor

    Lanlehin, Muslim youths hail governor

    Oyo State Accord chieftain Senator Olufemi Lanlehin (Oyo South) has congratulated Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola on his re-election.

    He described Aregbesola as “a very good friend”.

    In a statement yesterday, the lawmaker said Aregbesola’s victory was “well-deserved”, considering the governor’s infrastructural, grassroots and people-oriented policies, “which earned him the people’s love”.

    The senator hailed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for organising “a credible election”.

    He praised government and non-governmental agencies that made the feat possible, adding that Nigeria would improve if the people’s will is allowed to prevail.

    Also yesterday, the National Council of Muslim Youth Organisations (NACOMYO), Ogun State chapter, congratulated Aregbesola on his re-election.

    The group urged youths to shun violence and conduct themselves peacefully in the 2015 general elections.

    In a statement by its Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Oyetunde, and Secretary Muftau Salaudeen, NACOMYO said: “We congratulate Aregbesola on his victory. He should note that the people voted for his good work and continue with his innovations.”

     

  • New face of opposition in Oyo

    New face of opposition in Oyo

    The defection of Senator Olufemi Lanlehin from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Accord Party (AP) has generated controversy in Oyo State. TAYO JOHNSON examines the politics of defection and its implications.

    The recent defection of Senator Olufemi Lanlehin, who represents Oyo South District in the National Assembly, from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Accord Party may have strengthened the resolve of the opposition that it can give the ruling party a run for its money in the 2015 general elections.

    Lanlehin’s defection has created worries for the APC, bearing in mind that he is a lawmaker representing  nine local government areas, including: Ibadan North, Ibadan North-East, Ibadan North West, Ibadan Southwest, Ibadan South-east, Ibarapa Central, Ibarapa North, Ibarapa East and Ido. The party’s fear is that the Senator was capable of helping Accord win more votes in the above local council areas in 2015.

    Lanlehin, who opted out of the APC to join Accord on June 5, 2014, said the 2013 merger of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) with other parties, which included the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) did not go down well with him.

    In the letter he wrote to Senate President, David Mark in which he explained his position, he said:”My action was in exercise of my constitutional rights to freedom of association under the 1999 constitution as amended, and pursuant to the provision contained in section 68 (g). I decided to transfer my membership of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria to the Accord Party with all the rights and duties accruing thereto.”

    However, the APC has played down the significance of Lanlehin’s defection. In his reaction, the State Publicity Secretary of APC, Hon. Dauda Kolawole, described the exit the Senator Lanlehin from the party as good riddance to bad rubbish, saying it is worthy of being celebrated.

    “Lanlehin was only putting into action his well-known political pedigree of political flirtation,” he had said, stressing that if the Senator had not abandoned the APC, he would have made news as acting against what the world knew him to be.

    He said: “No one who knew Lanlehin’s political odyssey would be shocked at his most recent flirtation and betrayal of the hands that fed him. He has travelled a political road that is land marked by political treachery, abandonment and lack of basic ideology.

    “That it took him this long to show his most recent political destination is a testimony to the fact that the APC is a good manager of political deviants.”

    The Chairman of the Accord Party, Lawal Bashiru, disagrees with the APC spokesman. He argued that  Lanlehin’s defection was a good omen that will bring peace and progress to the party.

    He said: “We are happy that Accord Party now has a serving Senator and we are sure that this will create a better chance for us to snatch the governorship of the state from the APC come 2015.”

    But observers say the Accord Party does not stand any chance of challenging the ruling APC in the state in 2015, without teaming up with the other opposition parties. Aside from the APC, other political parties in the state have dismissed Lanlehin’s defection to the Accord Party, saying it would not improve the party’s chances of winning in 2015.

    For instance, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) believes the Accord Party does not stand much chance in the forthcoming general elections in the state, even with the defection of Senator Lanlehin. A chieftain of the party in the state, Alhaji Rashid Olopoenia argued that Lanlehin’s defection is not a threat to PDP, because the lawmaker has no political history and electoral value.

    He said: “Lanlehin has made the greatest mistake to have joined the Accord Party; nobody knows him in Oyo State and if not for the crisis in PDP by then, he won’t have won any election. For instance, you cannot compare him to Senator Ayo Adeseun who has announced that he would be leaving the APC back to the PDP. Adeseun is a big catch for us to win the 2015 general election and we are all happy that he will be back soon in our midst.

    “Oyo PDP is so happy to receive the news that Adeseun will be returning back to our party, this has indeed proved to the citizens of the state that our house is now in order. With his presence we shall reclaim back this state from the opposition party,” Olopoenia boasted.

    Similarly, a Labour Party deputy youth leader in the state, Mr. Gbade Agunbiade condemned the lawmaker for pitching his tent with what he described as a ‘one man’s party’. He noted that the Labour Party is waxing stronger in the state everyday and does not have a dent on its name.

    Agunbiade, said: “We are not afraid of Sen. Lanlehin ‘s accord with Accord Party in the state, because our party is too strong for him to withstand in the next general election in the state.”

    What could have been responsible for letting Lanlehin and some of his supporters leave the APC?  The crisis is not unconnected with unresolved grievances within the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), now APC, prior to the 2011 general elections when Senator Abiola Ajimobi was given the governorship ticket.

    The demise of the former governor, Alhaji Lamidi Adesina, and the merger of the ACN with other political parties to form the APC also appear to have dimmed the chances of some defunct ACN chieftains of realising their political ambitions in the next general elections in the state.

     

     

  • Ajimobi, Lanlehin: The parting of ways

    Ajimobi, Lanlehin: The parting of ways

    Efforts to reconcile Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi and Senator Olufemi Lanlehin ( Oyo South District) may have hit the rock, following the alleged defection of the senator to the Accord Party (AP). Correspondent OSEHEYE OKWUOFU examines the implications of the protracted rift for the progressive family in the Pacesetter state.

    BEFORE the 2015 governorship primaries and general elections, the relationship between  Senator Abiola Ajimobi and Senator Olufemi Lanlehin was very cordial. They were always seen together, discussing how to improve the fortunes of their party in the elections .

    They were determined to contribute their quota towards ensuring that the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), now All Progressive Congress (APC) wrestled power from the self-acclaimed largest party in Africa , the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). At that time, the entire state was on its knees due to violence, thuggery, killings and maimings and misrule by the  PDP government.

    But the shadow poll drew nearer when  the existing camps within the party started to manifest. On the surface, the contenders – Ajimobi, Lanlehin, Chief Ismail Adewusi, Barrister Kazeem Adedeji and Chief Soji Akanbi – were full of eagerness, but a deep rancour was gradually developing underneath.

    At the Olubadan Stadium,  Ibadan, the venue of the primary election, close allies were compelled to break into camps, as many party stalwarts openly and overtly identified with the contestants of their choice.

    The bubble later burst when Senator Ajimobi was affirmed as the winner of the election. Other contestants, including Lanlehin, cried blue murder, dismissing the process that led to the emergence of Ajimobi as a hoax.

    Concerned party stalwarts, led by the late party leader and former governor, Lam Adesina,  swung into action, with the hope of pacifying all the aggrieved aspirants.

    In a short while, the efforts to pacify the aggrieved co-contestants paid off relatively, as some accepted party offers and gave peace a chance.

    The rest, is history. The party, after a keenly contested poll, defeated the PDP in the  election. Thus, while Ajimobi emerged as the governor, Lanlehin, came out victorious in the senatorial election.

    Rather than abating, certain contentious and divisive issues within the party, particularly between Ajimobi and Lanlehin, continued to fester.

    Many outside the state have intervened to end crisis between the governor and Lanlehin. Some concerned stakeholders who are still confused about the cause of the rift between the two ‘brothers’ have continued to ask what really went wrong between them. There are other puzzles. why can’t they bury the differences and focus on consolidating on the achievements of the party in the last three years and work on regaining the state in next year’s election?

    Ajimobi has been less inclined to discussing the rift between him and Senator Lanlehin in the public. Even when asked by journalists curious about the sore relationship, he often replied casually that “Lanlehin and others are envious about his seat.“ He added howver that such rivalry is normal in many other political climes .

    Dr Festus Adedayo, the Special Adviser on Media to the governor recently gave clues on the disagreement between his boss and  Lanlehin when he said that many political associates are not concerned about what would uplift the society. He said most elected leaders spend their tenure just giving the people tokens, but squander the resources of the state massaging the  ego of the elite. This leaves the people more impoverished at the end of the ir tenure.

    “Hitherto, the order was government constructing roads that lasted less that six months. Right now, anyone who had stayed two years out of Oyo State would certainly not be able to recognise the state capital any longer and many other towns in the state. An aggressive road dualisation is ongoing , which baffles many.  The number and quality of roads being built in Oyo State is alien and their qualify are alien to the geography of the state. Indeed, the type our people see in the Federal Capital Territory are being replicated in virtually all over the  state.“

    Observers say Ajimobi’s style of governance might be responsible for his inability to carry some key party members along. Adedayo said his  failure to democratise the largesse of government, and the grave fear that comes from the speed at which he (Ajimobi) is transforming the state could possibly wipe off the political career of many governors and politicians before him and bury the political future of many.

    “If you take the time to study the mantra of a few who have either left the ruling APC or declared hostility against the governor , none has faulted the fact that ,in the history of Oyo State, no governor has brought this massive development to the state as Ajimobi is doing, with the potentials that these could quadruple, if he stays in the saddle for another  term in office. The accusations range from the mundane to the selfish, laughable to the uninformed,” he said.

    Feelers from APC top leaders have shown that the party executive committee led by  Chief Akin Oke, did not manage the rift between the governor and Lanlehin well.

    On his part, Lanlehin, an old face in the politics of the Southwest, denied having any break in relations with Ajimobi, but accepted that he has an issue with the governor, who he agreed was his fellow Ibadan man working for the progress of the state.

    Lanlehin who confirmed his decision to declared for the Accord Party anytime  from now, said: “The problem I had with Ajimobi is that he is not carrying stakeholders along in decision- making and formulation of policies for the state, which is at variance with the manifesto of the party. He runs the state with a few cabals , thereby isolating majority of stakeholders, and he dosen’t listen to advise in implementing policies that has to do with the lives of the people of the state.”

    To back his claim, Senator Lanlehin cited the massive demolition of shops in Ibadan and environs by the governor without providing alternatives for the traders.

    “Although, he (Ajimobi) gave urban renewal and beautification as his reason for demolition, but you should know that such anti-people policies cannot stand. The people central to any development, so you cannot destroy their means of livelihood in the name of development. These are the issues I had against him,” he said.

    The senator representing Oyo Central , Senator Ayoade Adeseun, is also believed to have an axe to grind with Governor Ajimobi , especially on the failure to carry along other stakeholders in the running of the affairs of the state.

    The rumour that the senator has concluded plans to dump the party  was still sketchy as at press time yesterday.

    It therefore remains a herculian task for the governor and the party to work harder on membership drive, repairing damaged fences in the party. But perhaps along with the massive infrastructural development he has undertaken in the state, he stands a good chance of being re-elected next year.