Political Leadership Tussle in Oyo State (1)
Nothing is new about the destruction of the Oyo State PDP leadership structure being embarked upon by the present occupier of the Agodi Government House. It started many years back.
The sudden death of former Attorney General of the Federation, Uncle Bola Ige, who also doubled as the leader of the AD in Oyo state, failed the 2nd term ambition of Great Lam. Governor Lamidi Adesina, who was loyal 100% to the leadership, didn’t understand the workings of the structure after the demise of Bola Ige. Hence, Lam succumbed to the deceit of OBJ scheme.
Taking a cue from the false step by Great Lam, Senator Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja instantly rolled out the plan to silent Molete, the Oyo state PDP political leadership headquarters. Yes, Molete was scattered and emptied but, Molete had the last laugh. And the “Idera-De” reign of Ladoja closed to an end.
With the Nigeria Police mentality of “everything get hin price”, Otunba Christopher Adebayo Alao Akala was able to buy a smooth ride in Molete till the death of the Great Leader, Baba Lamidi Ariyibi Adedibu. Immediately papa died, Akala had a new idea of where and unto whose hand(s) the Oyo State PDP leadership structure mustn’t fall. One of the ‘Akalaites’ ideas was to sideline the growing influence and ambition of the former Oyo Senate Leader of the federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Teslim Folarin and Gbolarumi Azeem. The falling apart of things led to many sad events. Unease reigned in the land and ‘gbagammm’, Akala, the incumbent lost his 2nd term bid.
Then came “Akanji omo olodun mejo”, the Constituted Authority himself, Senator Ishaq Abiola Ajimobi. This our late ‘egbon’ was just fortunate to meet on ground ACN leadership structure being held by Lam but partly controlled from Lagos. Things were running partially smoothly till the demise of Great Lam. Power, once tasted, could be intoxicating. The “elelele gomina” became power absolute: everything had to be done his way. And by the time the Unity Forum bursted out of the Oyo state APC, the head had been cut off and 2019 was already too late to cry. And the titanic Oyo state APC led by iconic Ajimobi lost to needle-thread joined Oyo state pdp with no clear leadership.
Governor Seyi Makinde, a former one man ‘mopol’ in the SDP couldn’t just fathom being led and directed by these disjointed Oyo State PDP leadership structure. And as an engineer, our young gomina decided to do away with the purported old weak PDP structure by denouncing “Godfatherism”. “A new leadership organogram must be funded and founded “, he thought. The dog eats dog game being played out in the Oyo State PDP today isn’t new or strange.
While I wish His Excellency, Egnr Seyi Makinde, a bon voyage , let me however, with due respect to Constituted Authority, remind him that, if destroying party leadership structures by his predecessors had failed in the past, it would surely be his undoing in 2023. Bo se wa latete ko se, so shall it remain.
Ismaila Ashipa is a political analyst, writes from Ikeja.
