KOGI PDP CRISIS: MY STORY, BY DEPUTY GOVERNOR, PHILIP SALAWU
From Ralph Omololu Agbana, Lokoja
KOGI State Deputy Governor, Philip Ozovehe Omeiza Salawu, 47, may be walking a tight rope between the two opposing political views in the self-styled confluence state - "Power Shift" and "Ibro Family."
While power shift is basically a proposition of the Okun-Yoruba and Ebira aimed at the change of leadership baton from the Igala majority, possibly in 2007, the Ibro Family is basically a compound of supporters of Governor Ibrahim Idris who is believed to be eyeing a second term. Salawu is Ebira while Idris is Igala. The Ebira, in league with the Okun-Yoruba, claimed that power is over concentrated in Kogi East (Igala) after 13 years of creation of the state and that it's time for power to shift to Kogi West (Ebira/Okun).
Salawu was of the opinion that the whole issue about 2007 was a bit too early. What he believes was paramount is more support for the incumbent governor, whom he fondly called "my Oga." He said Idris had done a lot for the Ebira and should be encouraged to do more and not to be distracted by a clamour for 2007. According to him, the 'Project 2007' and power shift, in the way it is being carried by the stylists "is like climbing the tree from it's branches, the fall can be terrible." He accused the proponents of power shift of "running away from dialogue" and pursuing "power shift by exclusion."
Salawu, however, said he is not against power shift but that it must be "based on dialogue, consultation, healthy debate, making concession and compromise."
This does not appear to have a place in the camp of the acclaimed political leader of the Ebira, Senator Ahmed Tijani Ahmed. Consequently Salawu became a victim of name callings: selfish, ingrate, unpopular, vindictive, betrayer. The story of his emergence as deputy governor soon became controversial. Salawu had contested the senatorial primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi Central in 2002, which he lost to the eventual winner, Senator Muhammed Ohiare. But fate was on hand to bestow on him no less a gratifying leadership role of deputy governor when Senator Ahmed, runner-up in the governorship primaries, was asked to nominate the deputy governorship candidate. Ahmed was believed to have nominated Salawu.
But confusion soon set in, basically on the question of power shift. The situation Salawu suddenly found himself, was that of dual loyalty, first, as he says, to his boss, Governor Ibrahim Idris, and his constituency, the Ebira, whose interest he equally vowed to protect. A greater confusion laid bare as things fell apart between Salawu and Senator Ahmed, who was to emerge as the arrow head of the agitation for power shift in the state.
What initially appeared a silent war blew into the open on November 1, and mouths have since wagged non-stop. It was at a rally in Okene, organized to receive former ANPP leader and deputy governor Mr. Patrick Adaba into the party, which was brought to an abrupt end after supporters of two warring leaders clashed.
Before the incident, there was the widespread allusion to Ahmed as Salawu's god father/son. Or at least, not a few held the opinion that since Ahmed it was who had nominated Salawu, he owes his present portfolio, first to God and to Ahmed. But the tunes have since changed. Salawu, lately, appears to be saying he made Ahmed and that he (Salawu) is indeed the godfather!
"If these words, godfather, godson, political mentor, actually exist in Kogi polity, especially between Senator A.T Ahmed and His Excellency, Mr. Philip Salawu, the deputy governor of Kogi State, age apart, the latter should be honoured with crown. No contention". Y.J. Itopa, chief press secretary to the deputy governor declared in a statement.
The deputy governor stunned the Kogi public and indeed many Nigerians, when on Tuesday November 29, he released an 18-page press comment in reaction to the Okene mayhem. The release entitled "Ebira: Time to pluck the fruit of our labour," had his estranged godfather, Ahmed as it's main target and by extention, his opponent in the 2003 senatorial primaries, Ohiare.
In the document signed by the Chief Press Secretary and circulated to media houses, the number two man said Ahmed and his allies like Senator Ohiare, who he (Salawu) referred to as Ahmed's cousin were responsible for the disruption of the November 1 rally with the use of thugs.
"The master of ceremonies had called the great gathering to sing the national anthem. It complied, and the process of initiating Adaba and his numerous supporters into the PDP had begun. The evident atmosphere of hope, renewal, renaissance, great expectation... but the dream was cut short. The hope was short lived. All of a sudden, Senator A.T. Ahmed emerged from one corner of the street close to this venue of hope and invaded the rally arena with a handful of hangers on.... they were armed with guns, machetes, arrows, knives and poisoned spears."
The Deputy Governor alleged that the presence of the thugs desecrated the guests in attendance which included himself and Governor Idris. According to him, they booed him (Salawu) all through with the intention to make him an object of ridicule, singing "Shame awaits a son that boasts he is more than his father". He said when the booing continued unabated his supporters whom he described as "larger, calm, responsible and provoked," decided to avenge the booing and name calling, "having reached the zenith of endurance." The latter songs portrayed Ahmed as "an ungrateful elder, betrayer, blackmailer and failure while praising Salawu as sane, puritan and a winner."
The statement further accused Senators Ahmed and Ohiare of embarking on "face-saving mountain of lies," with regards to allegations by the two leaders that the state government hijacked the organisation of the reception rally for the ANPP defectors.
According to Salawu, the reception enjoyed the blessing and endorsement of the PDP hierarchy at all levels. With Chief Gabriel Olobayo the Vice Chairman of the party in the Central Senatorial District, the State Chairman, Chief John Odanwu and the Deputy National Chairman, North, Alhaji Iro Safana, among others in attendance, "if any body still argues that the party was not involved in the handling of the decamping ceremony, then, that person needs to be taken to a psychiatric hospital. Even senator A.T. Ahmed was the Chief Host."
The Deputy Governor denied the other allegation that he openly boasted that his mentor was finished politically and that he is the new leader of Ebira, saying it lacks prove of evidence. He also described as "the thinking of a mediocre," allegations that he is systematically building structures with the aim of eroding Ahmed's influence.
On his ambition to succeed Governor Idris at the expense of the fundamental interests of the Ebira people and allegations of ingratitude leveled against him by Senator Ohiare, the statement absolved the Deputy Governor of any form of act of ingratitude towards Senator Ahmed saying "Ohiare is guilty of unsubstantiated accusation. The governor is not a small mind that an intruder can turn against his deputy without a just cause. If anybody thinks the deputy is going to fight his governor, that person is making the mistake of his life. The governor and his deputy are having excellent relationship. This is Ohiare's headache. The truth is that Senator A.T. Ahmed never wanted to nominate Philip Salawu for any exalted position, such as Deputy Governor. He frustrated his senatorial ambition. He never wanted him to have political relevance. What Senator Ahmed did to Philip can only be likened to a case of the man who gave a he-goat as votive to a masquerade and held the rope with which he tied the goat in his own hand," the statement further said.
The statement alluded to a scenario where Senator Ahmed literally dragged Ohiare into the senatorial race "soon after Philip's campaign team had swung into action," and later gave instructions that Ohiare be voted for "under the pretence that his hands were tied. Till today he never told the world who tied his hands."
It added: "Alhaji Ibrahim Idris had defeated Senator Ahmed at the governorship primaries. The two remaining juicy positions were the deputy governorship and the SSG. The deputy governorship was zoned to the Central, there is a condition attached to it. The choice must be a Christian. In Senator A.T. Ahmed's camp, the current Deputy Governor was nominated. His Excellency has never denied this. But take it from me that the Senator never went beyond mere mentioning Philip's name. There were four other formidable candidates from other camps. At this stage Alhaji Ibrahim Idris had to wade in. He consulted widely and eventually selected Philip Omeiza Salawu as a consensus candidate. It is imperative to disabuse the minds of those who have been indoctrinated into accepting that His Excellency was an imposition on the governor as running mate. The governor had other options, but God in His Infinite mercy used the incumbent governor as the ultimate decider of who should be his running mate.
On the "godfatherism claim," the Deputy Governor's statement said: "This is most unfair comment... gone are the days when you could hold the people by the nose. People no longer swallow hook, line, and sinker the hook a politician baits with lies. Everything is now based on facts and logic. If these godfathers, godsons and political mentor actually exist in Kogi polity, especially between Senator Ahmed and (Salawu) age apart, the later should be honoured with the crown.
"At the embryonic stage when the PDP was being formed, Philip Salawu was privileged to be associated with respected names like Solomon Lar, Abubakar Rimi, Barnabas Gemade, Jerry Gana, Jim Nwobodo, Professor Iyorchia Ayu, among others. Those were some of the forces behind G-34. Even before G-34 Philip had already cut his political teeth, strong and sharp. This eventually paid off. He was made the pioneer national director of finance of the PDP. He was at the co-ordinating room. Without prompting, Salawu raised Senator A.T. Ahmed from the abyss of the struggle for the control of political soul of Ebira nation. It is like saying 'O! Come. This power I give you. The advantages of this gift are legion.' "
Salawu said he helped Ahmed to secure his "instantaneous rise to political stardom." He also claimed to have 'single handedly' nominated him as a replacement for the deceased Alhaji Usman Abatemi on the board of trustees of the PDP, for which he (Salawu) "later paid dearly for as other politicians connived and ensure his (Salawu) removal from the national secretariat."
The Deputy Governor further claimed that his home local council, Okehi, had rescued Ahmed from defeat during his re-election bid for the Senate in 1999 with the winning votes. "His arch rival, Dr. Usman Onipe had already defeated him in other 4 Local Government areas," he claimed.
Alleging "Critical evidence" of conspiracy to vote against himself and governor Idris during the last governorship polls in the Central, the statement stated that the governor still went ahead to patronize Ahmed.
"All government patronage in terms of appointment and contracts due to the Central Senatorial District were received by the Deputy Governor and delivered directly to Senator Ahmed for distribution. Now, tell me, how could all these arrangements take place without the meeting of minds? Yet the ingrate would say the Deputy Governor is distancing himself from A.T. Ahmed. He is building his own structure. He is not giving A.T. Ahmed is due. That is human being for you. What they are saying is that Philip should vacate his seat for Ohiare so that A.T. Ahmed could go back to the Senate for the third time. This was their master plan which had been frustrated by God Almighty.
"When government intelligence sources alerted it about the clandestine anti-government meetings associated with Senator Ahmed, the Deputy Governor met with him that the government is getting apprehensive about his political activities. A. T. Ahmed said that nobody could dictate to him whom to meet and whom not to meet. He wanted to eat his cake and still have it. It is only a stupid man that would empower a man who fights him for no just cause.
"In his magnanimity the governor went ahead to give contracts to those who contested against him, but Senator Ahmed rejected his own," the statement concluded.
