12 October 2008
Lagos — The rabid second term plan of Oyo state governor, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, may have thrown spanners in the reconciliation move within the Peoples Democratic Party in the state. Tunde Sanni in Ibadan reports on the undercurrents of the political game plan
The political family of the late chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party {PDP}, Chief Lamidi Adedibu, is currently emblazoned in crisis and this time, the crisis is eating fast into the political dynasty. Entangled in the second term agenda crisis is Adedibu's widow, Bose and her step sons, notably Kamoru and Akeem.
Sources at the Adedibu political palace confided in THISDAY that while the state governor, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala , in his characteristic manner reached out to the political family for support for his second term ambition which was reportedly endorsed by Bose and the Baba kekere of the political family, Hazeem Gbolarunmi ,who was Akala's deputy during his inglorious 11 months rule in the state.
Kamoru, a senator of the federal republic and Hakeem, two of the sons of the late political strongman , are not in support of Alao-Akala's second term bid and they are not hiding their opposition to it. Recently, emissaries of Akala who had gone to Molete in Ibadan to confer with Adedibu's widow were detained by thugs at the palace. Though the government officials had denied the detention claim, sources in the Adedibu political home however swore that the government officials were locked inside the political palace on the order of 'Gunwa', the political name of Hakeem Adedibu as a sign of protestation to their mission at the palace. Oyo State has remained an albatross to the foundation members of the party.
Reportedly detained on Gunwa's order were the quartet of Special Adviser on Political Matters, Hon. Asimiyu Alarape, a national ex-officio member of the ruling PDP, Alhaji Yemi Yusuf, Chairman, Trans City Transport Corporation {TCTC} Alhaji Sina Alabi, and a member of the Muslim Pilgrims Board in the state, Alhaji Abass Oloko. The officials however denied going to Molete for any second term agenda but for the widow's intervention in the lingering feud rocking the political family.
Sources told THISDAY that while the discussion was on, some strange movements were noticed within the ambience of the political palace which led to the sudden closure of the gate, forcing Adedibu's widow to make a distress call to the Aare Musulumi, Alhaji Abdul-Azeez Arisekola -Alao, who reportedly posted a call to Kamorudeen asking him to call his sibling to order. The Senator was said to have prevailed upon Akeem before the gates were opened for the governor's aides.
Aside from Kamoru and Gunwa, the state deputy governor, Taofeek Arapaja, according to sources, is said not to be disposed to his boss' second term bid and was reported to be talking with a former commissioner in Lagos State , Dr. Adebayo Adewusi on how to realise the latter's gubernatorial agenda. Also poised to slug it out with Akala is, the Senate Leader, Teslim Folarin who was said to be enjoying the backing of Papa Adedibu before his death on June 11, 2008. However, notwithstanding the death of the political chieftain, Folarin, according to sources close to his gubernatorial camp , was said to be oiling his political machinery, one of which was his gradual hijack of the Adedibu structure, though he was said to be meeting a stiff opposition in Bose and Hazeem who are reported ro be deploring the structure for Akala.
His ambition for second term, according to sources, made the governor to encourage the reconciliation move embarked upon by the South West PDP. As a sign of his readiness for peace in the state, Akala had reached out to some of the aggrieved leaders in the party, especially the former Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Chief Richard Akinjide (SAN), former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Yekini Adeojo, former Minister of Special Duties in the Abacha years, Elder Wole Oyelese and third republic federal lawmaker, Senator Lekan Balogun. The quartet had complained of marginalization and exclusion in the running and administration of the party in their wards, local and state chapters and demanded for a restructuring. The quartet, sources hinted ,was behind an interim court order obtained by some members of the party against the party ahead of the state congress in February. The interim order is still generating some discontent between the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the national secretariat of the party.
Akala's olive branch apparently discouraged the party elders from backing their followers who instituted the litigation from going ahead, leading to the quashing of the substantive suit by the presiding judge a fortnight ago. Legal experts however maintained that the interim injunction is still effective since it was granted timeously.
However if the aggrieved elders of the party had agreed to work with Akala to for his second term mandate, their supporters are still sitting on the fence, preferring to adopt different strategy in taking care of themselves in the party. One of such disenchanted member was Mr. Jide Ajao, the facilitator of the Patriotic Forum (PF). The PF is an offshoot of the Patriotic Elders' Forum (PEF) facilitated by Akinjide. Ajao was among the party stalwarts that secured the February 27 court injunction that stopped the party congresses. Ajao recently exposed the ill feelings among the elders and their followers when in a press statement, he dared the governor to publish his achievements on the pages of newspapers before embarking on any return ticket ambition. He merely accused the Akala administration of surface dressing on the implementation of projects in the state, especially in spending the N27billion windfall doled out to the state by the federal government being proceeds from the excess crude oil and the unutilized Paris Club fund. The PF position rattled the state government whose principal functionaries attempted denials several times. Ajao's principal, Senator Lekan Balogun, also disowned the spokesman of the Patriotic Front, stating that the PF official was on his own.
The South West caucus of the party stepped into the reconciliation fray between Akala and the aggrieved elders of the party as the zonal chairman, Taju Oladipo on May 25, 2008 shortly before the caucus meeting where former president, Olusegun Obasanjo was present, mobilized Obasanjo and Akala to dialogue with the elders. Osun state governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola reportedly joined the reconciliation team where the aggrieved elders were said to have explained the cause of their disaffection which they heaped on Adedibu and his imposition of candidates' disposition on the party. The elders, it was gathered, citing the injunction which restrained the conduct of the party congresses and which was flouted by the late party chief demanded for a new congress where all party members would be allowed to participate.
Obasanjo, inside sources told THISDAY assured the aggrieved elders that they would be compensated by the PDP government under Akala and directed the governor to ensure that the elders' interests are harmonized in his government. Though no mention was made on their demands especially the demand for slots in the party structure from the ward to the state levels of the party, it was presupposed that with possible patronage from the government, their interests would have been effectively taken care of.
The harmonization of the interests of the elders was yet to be consummated when the reconciliation team moved its search to the camp of the former governor where a one on one meeting was facilitated between Akala and his estranged boss, Rasidi Ladoja. The one-on-one meeting was followed by another close- door meeting between the two former political allies. A press conference addressed by the chairman of the reconciliation team, Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun announcing the end of feud between the twosome generated some sharp comments from the Akinjide/Oyelese group as the former Abacha minister warned that any attempt to reduce the fundamental issues that gave birth to the reconciliation committee to only Ladoja/Akala re-union would spell doom for the party. The ex-minister further threatened that the PEF would resist any attempt to accord Ladoja more recognition in the scheme of affairs than his group.
However, while the governor was ready to accommodate his former boss back into the camp, his aides were not disposed to the reconciliation as they created some bobby traps to checkmate such reconciliation. One of such aides was the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Olayiwola Olakojo who, while the peace efforts were on told newsmen that the peace move won't stall the impending judicial probe into the Ladoja years. Oladipo, the National Vice Chairman of the party in the zone, corroborated the comments of Olakojo as he stated that governance and politics are two issues which should not be mixed together, .He maintained that the probe of the Ladoja years has nothing to do with the reconciliation being achieved in the party in the state.
Akala whose eyes were on the second term, quickly grabbed the opportunity offered by the reconciliation with his former boss as he timed his London trip to coincide with his former boss stay in the European country and has taken time off, according to impeccable reports, to visit his former principal in his London home.
Though gist of the gubernatorial visit was sketchy, it was gathered that Akala had assured his boss that his administration would drop the celebrated judicial inquiry into his four- year regime to which Ladoja was reported to have offered little explanations. The duo, a source insisted, was cautious of their comments on the occasion, as developments thereafter suggested that peace appears to have returned to the two political camps.
The Ladoja camp, like other groups in PDP , wanted to tinker with the party structure, especially at the state level, insisting that the total overhaul of the structure remains one of the corner stones to peace in the party in the state.
The Oyedokun committee in its report upheld that, "the party executive was allegedly skewed in favour of the governor to the exclusion of other principal stakeholders: that is Ladoja and Akinjide groups. The committee held that there was popular demand for the dissolution (of the executive council) for a fresh congress where all will be freshly involved and thus recommended for a fresh congress to take care of the demands of the aggrieved groups and added "the governor, while agreeing that some adjustments could be made, would not see any need for a total dissolution of an executive elected at a time when some people's positions were not clear."
Akala, sources hinted, was favourably disposed to the overhaul of the party structures especially given the consistent position of the electoral agency disowning the congress that installed the executive committee and the recommendations of the reconciliation committee but was being allegedly lobbied not to pander by some of his aides who feared that Ladoja political machinery would overwhelm his and thus put his second term ambition in great jeopardy. The governor soon found his voice and had repeatedly told INEC to mind its business on the state congress of the party, maintaining that the outcome of the congress was inviolable
However, Ladoja's trouble with the anti-graft agency, the EFCC , almost was to become a sore point in the reconciliation efforts but it was quickly nipped in the bud as Akala's aides swore that their principal knew nothing about the ordeal of his boss, though some of the aides were said to have celebrated the arrest, detention and prosecution of the former governor with the argument that his ordeal would demystify him and cut him to size.
Latest media reports that Ladoja have backed down and tactically supported the second term agenda of his former deputy is providing a litmus test for the sincerity of the two camps to tolerate each other. There was speculation in the media penultimate week that the former governor had agreed that Akala should run for another term while his camp provided the running mate. However the former governor through his media spokesman denied ever backing Akala for another term. In a telephone interview last week, the media aide to the former governor, Lanre Latinwo, expressed shock at the report and explained that the two had only met thrice since Akala became the governor last year, two of which were in Ibadan under the public glare, pointing out that the last visit was under the glare of about 200 people, leaving no room for suspicion of any new term for the governor. His words: "Ladoja did not sign any deal with Akala. That media report was nothing but false. Ladoja did not at any time sign any deal with Akala. We challenge anybody with proof to come out and challenge Ladoja that he signed a deal with Akala. Since 2005, they have only met twice and they were made public. They met twice in Ibadan and once in London . The last time he came was on the last Sallah day. It was an unexpected visit and both of them were under public glare.
"So how and where they signed the deal should be proved. People should stop using archaic method to bamboozle the public.
Reconciliation within the party, no doubt , appears on-going but the festering ambition of Akala is providing a good threat. The fate of the umbrella which is the symbol of the PDP in the state appears uncertain again.
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