The uncertain peace mission to Oyo PDP
From Iyabo Sotunde, Ibadan
O YO State citizens had sighed with relief when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national leadership declared a readiness to wade into the crisis between Oyo State Governor Rashidi Ladoja and his estranged political godfather, Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu.
The intervention was seen as a concrete step in the restoration of peace in the state, after over a year of battle for supremacy between the two politicians. However, rather than reconcile the two gladiators, it looks like the peace parley has aggravated the situation.
However, the misunderstanding came to a head when some aggrieved party members loyal to Adedibu ambushed the governor's convoy while the governor was travelling to Abeokuta for a PDP zonal meeting. The incident was considered an embarrassment by the PDP leadership who decided there and then that a stop must be put to it. They resolved at the meeting that the two must be called to state their grievances and for the party to find an amicable solution.
The governor and Adedibu were subsequently invited to Abuja on July 16, 2004. According to sources close to the meeting, Adedibu restated his position that the government was being run as a private enterprise. He said that members of the State Executive Council and other appointments were made without due consultation with him, and that appointments into board and parastatals were left open a year after assuming office. He told the other party chieftains that Ladoja and his men had hijacked the party structure in the state. They did this he said without regard to those who contributed to the success of the party and the governor at the polls.
Though the meeting was inconclusive, both parties, The Guardian learnt were directed to sheath their swords and tow the line of peace.
However, an indication that the crisis was not over emerged when Ladoja arrived from Abuja. He told reporters that the party leadership resolved that the governor was the leader of the party, and that the office must always be respected, no matter how young the occupant was.
Ladoja pointed out that there was no victor, no vanquished at the Abuja parley presided over by the PDP Chairman, Chief Audu Ogbeh. The party he said had told them to forget the past and work for the progress of the PDP.
Said Ladoja: "It was resolved that we were all right, there was no winner and that you only quarrel with the person you like. It was also resolved that the office of the governor must be respected.
"We were called to Abuja and the reason was to have a smooth sailing PDP so that there will not be distractions. The problem was narrowed down to whether government was on course and to the broader issue of whether everybody was happy in terms of patronage, consultation, and decision making. It was discovered that some of the problems were because of lack of communication and some people mixed governance and politics. At the end, all of us left satisfied."
The governor admitted that the misunderstanding between him and his godfather had disturbed the business of governance. He however expressed gratitude to the party leadership for resolving the matter amicably. He pointed out that henceforth, all meetings will be held at the party secretariat while all leaders of the party PDP in the state will be involved.
Despite the governor's claim that all was well and that the issue has been resolved, his supporters were still seen singing anti-Adedibu songs. Some of the supporters even claimed that all the proposals made by Adedibu at the Abuja peace parley were rejected. In fact, from the airport to the Agodi office of the governor, his supporters, who had assembled in about 15 vehicles, sang his praises about how he overcame his so-called enemy.
This drew the ire of Adedibu who viewed the response of Ladoja and his supporters as a ploy to show off and give people the impression that they won in Abuja. Since both parties were warned against taking the misunderstanding to the pages of newspapers, Adedibu had refused to speak with reporters. However, an angry Adedibu addressed the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP led by Ogbeh who paid him a visit at his Molete residence.
Adedibu who had gathered his supporters to receive the PDP delegation said he would fight Ladoja to a standstill. His grouse was that the governor has pocketed the party in the state and this, he said was unacceptable to him. He said the governor could not control the government and the party at the same time. Before the party leaders, he announced the dissolution of the party executive in the state and named Chief Bayo Bankole, a former Commissioner for Health as the party's new state chairman.
Ogbeh sued for peace and explained that the NWC was in the state to resolve the crisis so that they can forge ahead. He however declared at the end of the meeting at the Premier Hotel on Monday night till the early hours of Tuesday that Ladoja as the state governor remains the party leader.
He confirmed that the meeting was not too successful, as it was marred with violence. He however admitted that their visit afforded them the opportunity to see things as they were so that they can take a decision when they get back to Abuja.
The peace parley was disrupted midway during a violent clash between supporters of the two factions who had gathered at the venue apparently to know the outcome of the meeting.
The peace process collapsed after supporters loyal to Adedibu went wild, beating up aides of the governor who were waiting outside the hotel. The supporters beat up the governor's driver, and made to take away the PDP flag on the official car of the governor on the claims that the flag belonged to them. They dared a detachment of policemen who came for reinforcement after the violence broke out. They were later dispersed by policemen with teargas.
Shortly after he assumed office in May 2003, Ladoja fell out with Adedibu who was believed to be instrumental to the electoral victory of the governor. The crisis had started when Ladoja allegedly refused to honour the list of politicians sent to him by Adedibu as members of the State Executive Council. It was learnt that in the list submitted to the governor by Adedibu, only two persons were picked. This angered Adedibu, who is reputed to be the strong man of Ibadan politics. He was said to have felt slighted when the governor did not seek his consent before he announced the name of the secretary to the state government.
It is believed that the battle line was drawn between the governor and Adedibu after the appointments were made. Adedibu proclaimed that Ladoja had bitten the hand that fed him.
The relationship deteriorated and at most occasions and public events in the state, the signs became obvious. One such event was the visit of members of the State House of Assembly to Adedibu at his Molete residence, as part of activities to mark their 100 days in office. The lawmakers had also gone to express their appreciation for Adedibu's support towards them.
It turned out to be an occasion for Adedibu to describe how he had been badly treated by Ladoja. In an address to the lawmakers, Adedibu said the governor used him to get to office, dumped him, and vowed to make the state ungovernable for the governor.
In the heat of the crisis, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Moroof Atilola believed to be a loyalist of Adedibu was removed by those sympathetic to the governor. It was said that Atilola and some other principal officers of the House were being sponsored by Adedibu to impeach Ladoja. However, the table was turned against the principal officers and the speaker who was replaced with Azeez Alarape.
In the main, Ladoja never admitted that he had any grudge against his godfather. He insisted that Adedibu was his father, and that a father does not fight his son. At other times, he would admit that what people termed crisis, was a minor misunderstanding, which would be settled amicably as a family.
After the meeting in Ibadan, Ladoja told reporters that the necessary machinery would be put in place to foster peace in the party. He assured that all the aggrieved parties would be involved in the efforts to find peace. `
However, the misunderstanding came to a head when some aggrieved party members loyal to Adedibu ambushed the governor's convoy while the governor was travelling to Abeokuta for a PDP zonal meeting. The incident was considered an embarrassment by the PDP leadership who decided there and then that a stop must be put to it. They resolved at the meeting that the two must be called to state their grievances and for the party to find an amicable solution`
