Ladoja Vs Adedibu: Who Holds the Ace?
An end to the muscle-flexing between Governor Rasheed Ladoja and Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu does not seem to be in sight. Last Thursday, the Oyo State chapter of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) slammed an expulsion order on Adedibu alleging gross anti-party activities against him. However, a dramatic twist was introduced into the expulsion when barely 24 hours later, the National Secretariat of PDP, reversed the order on grounds that the expulsion was an illegality. In the days ahead, there strong possibilities that muscle-flexing would continue between the two gladiators, writes Olawale Olaleye
Either by accident or by design, what started like a child's play in Oyo State, shortly after the government of Senator Rasheed Ladoja assumed office in May 2003, may gradually be a replay of the July 10 experience in Anambra State. It would be recalled that it was on that day that Chief Chris Uba, the self styled godfather to the Governor Chris Ngige attempted to forcefully remove the governor,on grounds that he had earlier signed a letter of resignation.
Ironically, while the Anambra experience was unfolding, that of Oyo State was simmering. But with the pace at which events are unfloding, it appears the Adedibu/Ladoja face-off has taken a turn for the worse.
The long standing rivalry between the two party leaders assumed an interestingly dangerous trend last week, when the state chapter of the party, led by Chief Adedokun Adegbite expelled Adedibu.
If the Adegbite led party executive thought that Adedibu's expulsion would bring about lasting peace to the embattled chapter, its national secretariat became its kill joy. Barely 24 hours later, the expulsion was however overruled by the national secretariat of the party which described the action as a nullity.
With this newest of development, the stage may again be set for a long drawn war of attrition between the godfather and his God son.
A Background
The roadmap to the sour relationship between Adedibu and Ladoja was drawn when, soon after the elections, Adedibu reportedly chose to determine the composition of Ladoja's cabinet, a development the governor was said to be uncomfortable with. Adedibu, according to reports, had formulated the sharing formula of the yet-to-be composed cabinet, insisting as usual that it was the part of the agreement reached on the road to his making Ladoja governor". Adedibu had maintained that he was responsible for making Ladoja a senator in the past.
Ladoja said as the governor, the buck naturally stops on his table, and that it was inappropriate for him to allow his godfather to impose total strangers on him as his cabinet members. For Adedibu, his godson new found freedom was a declaration of war. The supposed gentlemanly disagreement over cabinet compositions later formed the bedrock for the major crisis threatening Oyo State today.
The Morning After
With the battleline drawn between the two political gladiators, each side prepared for the eventual showdown. Unlike the Ladoja camp, Adedibu appeared prepared for the inevitable showdown. He continually insinuated that he must make the governor pay for his sins.
Last March, when initial signs of trouble started, Adedidu described Ladoja an ingrate alleging that he was "highly disappointed by Ladoja's betrayal. As soon as I made him governor, he turned the table against me".
Adedibu, who was obviously uncomfortable with the trend the polity had just begun to assume, explained further that "when he (Ladoja) wanted to vie for the senatorial and governorship seats, he came to me and I made every effort to get him into office. He was very loyal to me then, but now, the same system I used to make him succeed is no longer good. I leave everything to God to judge.
"But all I know is that those who betrayed the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo paid dearly for their act of treachery", he stated, adding that "I am accustomed to this type of situation but I can assure you, that the war has just started". With that, Adedibu spelt out clearly what was to be expected in the days ahead.
But Ladoja, who appeared not to have heeded the early warning signals and the imminent war declared by his estranged godfather, merely earned himself more hatred by dismissing Adedibu's threat as "an old man crying for attention".
His words: "Adedibu is my father. There is no way a father can fight his son. You know Baba is an old man, that is why he is crying for attention. But I can assure you that there is no problem between us, even as he admitted that "we had problems at the party level but competent authorities at the national level are already looking into them".
The Presidential Peace Move
Perhaps, because President Olusegun Obasanjo understood the nature of Ibadan politics and its probable consequences on the generality of the polity, he, a couple of months ago 'brokered a peace parley between the duo with a view to bringing an end to the seemingly intractable.' The meeting was slated to take place at his home in Ota farm. Notable politicians, both within and outside the region had been invited to join in resolving the matter. Obasanjo was said to have shown genuine interest in resolving the crisis even when a national strike, proposed by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) loomed.
On his part, Adedibu was reported to have arrived at the meeting venue early enough with the enthusiasm of using the medium to advance his positions. But those who came for the meeting were disappointed: The governor failed to show up. His simple reason for staying away was that he did not receive any invitation to the meeting.
The development did not go down well with some of the politicians present who felt the governor appeared ready for war rather than peace. With that initial unsuccesful effort, the President is said to have since shut his eyes to subsequent developments, although he is uncomfortable with them.
After some time, the party moved to work out some peaceful resolution. The former Minister of Special Duties, Elder Wole Oyelese, expressed regrets over the dimension the rift had assumed. He noted that "the rift is not pleasing to the party because members have been divided into two camps; the feud has been allowed to drag for too long. It is unfortunate that we found ourselves in the present situation". Yet, no significant success was recorded in all efforts presumably made.
When Adedibu and his men took to Town
As awaiting the failure of the Obasanjo brokered meeting, Adedibu's supporters and his henchmen, immediately took to the streets, perhaps to test and reassure themselves that the powers and political leverage of the godfather were for real.
To start with, they were said to have effectively limited the governor's movement around the state to only within certain parts of the state beyond their control. Where it was inevitable, there were several instances of the Adedibu boys waylaying the governor's convoy resulting in catastrophic results.
For instance, sometime last month when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had its South-west zonal meeting in Abeokuta, Ogun State, supporters of the two players took their anger beyond their frontiers.
Early traces of the clash manifested at the Ogun State government house venue of the meeting. According to sources, supporters of Adedibu who came in busses chanting anti-Ladoja songs had assembled initially at the second gate of the government house. The supporters who appeared set for a violent encounter reportedly chanted anti-Ladoja slogans and telling the governor "you have not done well, you are a disgrace to Yoruba race. See your colleagues in other states".
The Ladoja Lessons
In spite, of all theseprovocations, Ladoja kept to his words of accommodating Adedibu, though, he rarely attended peace parley. Recently, after a peace parley in Abuja, Ladoja told newsmen that "the misunderstanding between PDP members in Oyo State has been settled and at the end, there is no victor and no vanquished".
He however reiterated that as the governor, there would be no change in his mode, style and structure of administration. "As the Chief Executive of the state, the buck stops on my table and I would take responsibility for all my actions", adding that "I have learnt a lesson that patience and perseverance pay that is why I never said or abused anybody throughout the period of the crisis.
"The position of the leadership of the party is that we should respect ourselves, we should respect age, (age for Adedibu) and position (position for Ladoja). While I respect age, they don't want to respect my position and the party made it known to them that if we have a boy as our governor, we should respect him", Ladoja said: "I believe everybody was happy with the outcome of the Abuja peace parley. We are now members of the same family", he added.
The Final Clash?
Apparently, nothing appeared to have worked as far as the Adedibu/Ladoja peace parley are concerned. Worst still, the two factions did not appear ready to sheathe their swords. Although, a glint of hope for possible peace was sustained for a short while, the clash-happy supporters could not give peace a chance as not long after they showed their true colour at yet another recent peace meet.
Last week at a meeting summoned at the instance of the National Chairman of the party, Chief Audu Ogbeh, another clash ensued. The mid night clash so shocked the party chairman that he described it as "uncivilised and barbaric".
According to reports, the clash which left two of Ladoja's drivers seriously wounded had begun around midnight when people suspected to be thugs, invaded the Premier Hotel, venue of the peace meeting, chanting war songs against Ladoja. It was also reported that the protesters attempted to remove the official flag in front of the governor's official Peugeot 607 and that the drivers' resistance sparked off violent attacks. In the ensuing confrontation, Lati, the official driver to the governor was injured just as the spare driver lost four of his front teeth.
Between the State and National PDP
While all these lasted, the leadership of the party, both at the state and national levels appeared to have tolerated, what they described as the excesses of the godfather. Soon after the meeting, wherein the supposed final clash ensued, the party had examined critically, the situation and subsequently condemned the Adedibu group. National Publicity Secretary of the party, Venatius Ikem who spoke with journalists after the meeting said the party condemned the actions of the Adedibu group.
He maintained that the "party wasn't impressed with the attitude of the Adedibu group. Definitely, not impressed. May be, they have their own bottled up frustrations, but certainly, their method was crude to say the least. I think no civilised political party or organisation will not frown at that. We will definitely frown at the attitude".
Ikem, who gave details of the crisis explained that "apparently, some leaders of the party in the state are so dissatisfied that they are not being involved in governance and all that. They also insist that they must have some input in the party rather than allow the governor take complete control of both the party and governance. I think basically, that is what I can draw as the dividing line".
Yet, a not-too-satisfied PDP at the state level went further to pronounce Adedibu expelled. This time, Alhaji Yekini Adeojo, the former governorship candidate and Deputy National Chairman of the party was not spared in the penalty. The expulsion was announced at the enlarged meeting of the state caucus held at the party's secretariat on Elizabeth road, Ibadan. The party chairman who presided over the meeting, Chief Adedokun Adegbite said since the beginning of the present government, there has been series of socio-political crisis plaguing both the government and the state branch of the party.
Adegbite said: "I have answered several questions from Abuja on the fall of Awo's statue in government house, on the fight at NUJ centre, on the impeachment bid against our governor, on rumours of uncivilised political outings characterised by thuggery, shooting and looting. It has all the while been a period of joy and sorrow mixed together. Joy for having the government and sorrow for not having peace", he said even as he listed several futile intervention aimed at restoring peace.
He stated that "the climax of the crisis was the attack on the governor's official car during which his two official drivers were badly injured right in the presence of Chief Audu Ogbeh and his executives. No matter the depth of personal grudges, self-centred expectations and self-seeking sycophancy, the party shall not only move forward but continue to win in the future elections".
Quickly, Oyelese and Dr. Dejo Raimi moved a motion for the expulsion of Adedibu and Adeojo and the motion was immediately adopted.
Speaking after the well attended meeting, Ladoja said if the duo were allowed in the party till 2007, PDP would lose in the state. "We have been tolerating them. We thought they will tread the path of reason. We ignored them because their antics could not stop the government from implementing the welfare programme for the people".
On the contrary, Adedibu who was not present at the meeting described the step taken as a "huge joke". He said "Nobody can remove me. We own the party together, they are joking". Adedibu who spoke through one of his aides, Azeem said. "Has Baba been called to any disciplinary committee and he refused to come? Or has he been found guilty of any offence by any committee of the party? So, it is a huge joke. It is a kangaroo meeting. have you ever had such a thing? They are like Baba Sala (Comedian Moses Olaiya)", he stated.
And just as Adedibu (Baba) said, the expulsion later turned out a monumental joke as the national leadership of the party through a statement from the office of Ikem said the action was ill-conceived, hasty and that due process was observed in the expulsion.
The PDP spokesperson contended that the expulsion, coming at a time the national leadership had begun to hold peace meeting was ill-conceived and would be counter-productive. He called on the state party executive to have a rethink and expand the umbrella of the party rather than reduce the number of members.
He also argued that before any such stern measure would be taken against any individual, all peace avenues must be seen as having been explored, adding that the party has a constitution which is greater than any single individual. He therefore called on members of the state chapter to maintain their cool pending further directive from the national secretariat.
Conclusion
From all indications, it is clear the last is yet to be heard on the Oyo PDP crisis even as peace, despite the supposed expulsion and counter order from the national secretariat, is elusive. However, what is unfolding in Oyo State would eventually toe the line of infamy in Anambra state where the party announced the expulsion of Chris Uba and a few others considered central to the acclaimed civilian coup, but months after, the same party is organising peace meeting between the expelled and bonafide members of the party.
Certainly, Adedibu understood what he was saying when he described the action against him as a huge joke. For a man with such political leverage and clout, expelling him does not appear the solution to the crisis as he rightly predicted and foresaw the intervention of the national secretarita in the matter.
For a few days, may be, the atmosphere is likely to put up some peaceful outlook, however, it may not absolutely be well with the party in Oyo, let alone the main actors.
Based on the understanding that except a lasting solution is found, peace may elude the state for the rest of the years the governor is to spend in office.
There is no gainsaying the fact that Adedibu has over played his hand in the political affairs of the state, put differently, his leverage as the presumed godfather in the state politics is becoming increasingly counter productive.
Expectedly, once an executive in the capacity of governor or president emerges in any given social unit, it is expected that such leaders assume the position of active party leadership, especially in a presidential system like ours.
Therefore, given all the respect that have been accorded Adedibu, he would have been more relevant if he had allowed the baby whom he presumably made King to carry out his kingly functions and falter before he would have cause to interfere.
It is therefore time Adedibu makes a remarkable shift from assuming the political notoriety of the strongman of Ibadan politics, because this showmanship has become an albatross for delivering of democracy dividends to the people.
Even as the national secretariat of the party has enacted its usual one step forward and hundred steps backwards, nobody is fooled, the reversal of the expulsion nothwithstanding, onus is now on Adedibu to reintegrate himself into the mainstream of PDP in the state as no amount of grandstanding will change the impression that he is fast losing grip to Ladoja at home that is why he now derives his powers from Abuja.
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