Ogun APC crises: When friends turn enemies

The list of commissioner-nominees forwarded to the Ogun state House of Assembly for screening and approval seems to have deepened the crises within the party in the state. Olufemi Adediran writes.

Long awaited list

Last Thursday, Governor Dapo Abiodun finally obliged the yearnings of the people for the list of his cabinet members by forwarding a list comprising 18 names to the State House of Assembly for screening as commissioners in the state. The list was long awaited as the people and the APC political family had been in anxious care over the when the governor would likely for his cabinet.

The rejection

However, when it finally came, it seems to have ignited fresh crisis in the party as loyalists of former Governor Olusegun Osoba Saturday rejected the Commissioner-nominees list of Governor Abiodun. They have argued strongly that the list did not represent the proclamation by Abiodun, “that he will run all inclusive government in the State.”

Osoba loyalists in a statement jointly signed by 24 persons in Abeokuta on Sunday, condemned the list, saying some of those paraded on the list do not reflect seriousness on the part of the governer considering he took no fewer than six months to compile.

The winning team

Immediately Abiodun was sworn-in as the Governor of the state, he embarked on a massive campaign to run an all inclusive government and wooed opposition parties to join him in running the affairs of the state. Osoba, former Governor Gbenga Daniel, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, among others teamed up with Abiodun to defeat the immediate past Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun and his “anointed candidate”, Hon Abdulkabir Akinlade in the March 9 election.

Discordant sound

However, it seems following the election, the governor-elect and other core inner kitchen cabinet members of the team opted to operate differently. This raised cautious indications that all would probably not be well with the team.

In fact, loyalists of Osoba accused the governor of maltreating the former governor and his loyalists of exclusion from the inner circle. And the list was submitted they again raised the alarm that they and Osoba have been excluded and neglected. They insisted the slang “all inclusive”, is a “ploy to specifically ease out the Osoba political family from the administration of Prince Dapo Abiodun and which was sold to the Governor by some power mongers and unscrupulous elements who participated actively in the misrule of the State in the past and are now surrounding the Governor like hyenas, ready to pounce on anyone who does not belong to their camp or pay homage.”

Osoba political family cries

The loyalists under the aegis of “Osoba Political Family” alleged that some individuals they described as “conservatively greedy business men and hijackers of power” had “hijacked the soul of the present administration in the State”.

The statement, titled, “Osoba Political Family rejects the commissioner-nominees list in its entirety”, reads in part, “These power manipulators were part of past government in Ogun state that people in their wisdom rejected but stealthily walked back into the realm of Government through the calm approach to governance by Prince Dapo Abiodun and are ready to wreck further havoc to the dreams and aspirations of the Progressives in the APC and the state who worked tirelessly for the emergence of the governor.”

“It is on record and we challenge any of the hijackers to contradict the fact that our leader, Akinrogun Olusegun Osoba, against all odds stood solidly by Prince Dapo Abiodun, from the point he decided to run for the office of the governor and put his hard earned reputation and goodwill at stake to surety Prince Dapo Abiodun before labour unions and PMB (President Mohammadu Buhari).

“He allowed everything he has, including but not limited to his abode to be used for anything positive for the victory of Prince Dapo Abiodun at the polls. Chief Osoba to our knowledge, stood as guarantor for the person of Prince Dapo Abiodun being a perfect gentle man in many place including but not limited to Palaces of prominent traditional rulers in Ogun state, where the integrity of these power grabbers cannot open the doors talk less of putting their goodwill at stake.

“Chief Olusegun Osoba, who is a renowned journalist, a progressive and astute politician is known for his untainted integrity and always stand for what he believes in, never looked back when the former governor of Ogun state threatened fire and war against the aspirations of Prince Dapo Abiodun because he believed in the genuine intentions of Prince Dapo Abiodun to serve the people and turn around the fortune of the State for the best.

“Akinrogun Olusegun Osoba in his sincere way of life expended his time, resources and made huge financial contributions towards the victory of Prince Dapo Abiodun at the polls, to the glory of God.”

We toiled for, risked our lives for Abiodun

The Osoba went into memory lane and recalled what its members were subjected and threat to life which became a daily experience to them. And lamented the unkind cut given them the beneficiary of their sweat.

“It is on record and also an uncontroverted fact that followers and members of the Osoba Political Family were harassed, shot, macheted, beaten, and dehumanised by the former governor of the state before the election in order to create fear in the minds of people to truncate the process to the victory of Prince Dapo Abiodun but the political family being progressive minded remained unshaken and irrevocably committed to the aspirations of Prince Dapo Abiodun.

“We all fought through to actualise the reality of this administration with other groups of common intention and dream. But it is now shocking to the members of the Osoba political family that these power mongers and manipulators are condemned to destroy the good relationship that exist between Prince Dapo Abiodun and Osoba political family by intentionally and gruesomely relegating anyone known to belong to the family in the course of appointing persons to position of service to deliver dividends of democracy to the populace that will support in the actualisation of good governance in Ogun state.”

Hyenas at work

“We want to reiterate that APC is the party we belong to and we shall not vacate the party for any interloper and hyenas hovering around the governor as it is now observed. It crystal clear now that they have moved to submerge the structure of the party in the state, as they arrogate so much  powers to themselves because they occupy the corridor of power. The party shall sure outlive whatever manipulation they have perfected and the strong power and will of the party to do the needful will surely reincarnate when the time of reckoning comes.”

“It is necessary to remind these professional power manipulators and hijackers that our leader, Akinrogun Olusegun Osoba, has imbibed the spirit of contentment and perseverance in all the followers and we remain irrevocably committed to the success of this administration but we shall no longer fold our arms for the interest of our members who are progressive minded, qualified and loyal to both APC and Prince Dapo Abiodun, to be trampled upon under this administration.”

Demands

“We also want to remind the Governor that the all inclusive government promised has not taken the Osoba Political family into consideration in the past and present appointments made, as there are loyal, distinguished, qualified and experienced persons in the Osoba political family that can contribute immensely to the actualisation of the upliftment of Ogun state to greater heights. Can we conveniently say that the power manipulators around Governor Dapo Abiodun perceive Osoba political family as an opposition or threat to their conservative style of doing things?

“We want to urge the governor to live up to his words and personally do the needful to address the imbalance in the appointments now and appointments to be made later as we can boldly say that it’s not only the members of the group that presently dominates the ongoing appointments that worked for the success of the party at the poll but our leader, Chief Olusegun Osoba, CON and all his followers worked assiduously and provided the leverage for the emergence of the mandate which we all enjoy through the victory of the party at the polls.

“It is important for Prince Dapo Abiodun to remember that sweat and bloodshed by the members of this Political Family in order to serve the State should not be forgotten as God Almighty who used these people to actualise your dream  and aspirations is on the throne observing all our deeds. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.”

“We call on the national chairman of our great party, All Progressive Party, APC, national leaders of the party, South West caucus leaders, including but not limited to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Chief Akande, Chief Adeniyi Adebayo and other well meaning Nigerians to prevail on Prince Dapo Abiodun to do the needful and correct the imbalance perceived so far in Ogun state”.

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