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Adedibu vs Ladoja:
The intrigues, power play
Following the recent expulsion of Alhaji
Lamidi Adedibu and Yekeen Adeojo by the Oyo State chapter of the ruling Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), Senior Correspondent WALE FOLARIN writes on the
likely implication of the sanction for the state.
The political intrigues and power play
between the Oyo State Governor, Rashidi Ladoja and his estranged political
godfather, Alhaji Lamidi Ariyibi Adedibu took the centre stage in the nation’s
political scene last week.
With the intervention of the National
Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Part (PDP) led by its national
chairman, Chief Audu Ogbeh, political watchers had thought that the end of the
protracted feud between the two political actors in Oyo State was in sight.
Hence the decision of the state PDP to
expel both Alhaji Adedibu and Chief Yekeen Adeojo, a one time National
Vice-Chairman of the party, to many, was a big surprise. More- so, when the plot
was hatched and clinically executed barely three days after the Ogbeh- led peace
team had left the state with a prouncement that the NWC will come out with a
final verdict, expected to put an end to the political logjam which had engulfed
the state shortly after the inauguration of Governor Ladoja’s administration
last year.
While party members were awaiting the
Ogbeh’s verdict, in what seems like a pre-emptive move, Ladoja, the state PDP
chairman, Alhaji Dokun Adegbite, former Special Duties Minister, Chief Wole
Oyelese, one time Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Chief Dejo Raimi,
members of Ladoja’s kitchen cabinet and a host of others met and decided that
the only panacea to the crisis was the expulsion of Adedibu and Adeojo from the
party not minding what the NWC will come out with.
It was gathered that the Ladoja faction
considered the expulsion of the duo from the party as very imperative because
the expelled chieftains are unarguably, powerful politicians in the state.
They felt that the best that the NWC could
do was to reel out some do’s and don’ts for the feuding parties and direct that
the parties maintain the status quo. But knowing Adedibu for what he is, the
Ladoja camp felt that the earlier they got rid of him and Adeojo, the better for
Ladoja.
The fact that Adedibu almost single
handedly made Ladoja the governor of the state was indubitable. Adedibu had in
the past played prominent role in the determination of who becomes what in the
state and even at Federal Government level.
His political followership is unequal in
the state. In fact, he could be seen as the only politician in Oyo State who has
the largest followership. Not just followers, but very loyal and committed.
During elections the pendulum always swings to where Adedibu is, except in 1999
when the South-West voted for the Alliance for Democracy (AD).
Adedibu is one grassroots politician,
versed in political permutation and well grounded in political intrigues and
manoeuvring.
He invests heavily on elections to win
votes for his candidates. Visit his house any day and you will see scores of his
supporters who feed him day and night.
Perhaps, these are some of the virtues
that Governor Ladoja saw in him when he decided to join the Adedibu school of
politics. It is a known fact that Ladoja being a product of Adedibu’s political
school, had benefitted immensely from Adedibu whom he adopted as his political
godfather. Despite the current political wranglings between them, Ladoja still
refer to Adedibut as his ‘father.’ It is on record that Adedibu was instrumental
to Ladoja’s becoming a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the Third
Republic. It was Adedibu who nominated Ladoja for a chieftaincy title in Ibadan
and it was Adedibu that became Ladoja’s campaign arrowhead in the last election.
Inspite of his old age, Adedibu, it was,
that led the PDP campaign train to all nooks and crannies of the state. Daily
Champion gathered that at a point in time where the campaign was on, both
President Olusegun Obasanjo and Chief Ogbeh expressed doubt on the ability of
Governor Ladoja to deliver the state for PDP. They were said to have suggested
that Ladoja be dropped for a more acceptable candidate, but that it was Adedibu
who insisted that he would deliver the state and ensure that Ladoja become the
governor.
One can then imagine the joy of Adedibu
when Ladoja eventually won the election and subsequently became the governor of
the state. According to analysts, Adedibu perhaps thought that he Government
House has finally shifted to his Molete residence where he will be passing
instructions to Senator Ladoja who will always be willing to obey his godfather.
He totally fell for Ladoja’s gentle look, not knowing that beneath that
submissive look was a steel and determined personality.
Adedibu was so much carried away by
Ladoja’s loyalty and submissiveness, that he told newsmen last week that "when
Ladoja was looking for the governorship seat, if I ask him to open his month and
eat my faeces, he would gladly and quickly do it without hesitating".
It is now an open secret that Ladoja is
not a yes-man, he only stooped to conquer. He took the bow, to get what he
wanted and he got it. Soon after he became governor, Ladoja showed his true
colour. He stopped the regular pilgrimage to Adedibu’s Molete, Ibadan residence.
He declined to take instructions from his political godfather, especially when
he picked his political aides. He began to show people that he has a mind of his
own. He even went to the extent of giving appointments to non-PDP members.
During the state PDP Congress last
Thursday where Adedibu and Adeojo were expelled, Ladoja openly declared that
Adedibu wanted him to run the government in his (Adedibu’s) sitting room.
"The only question I faced during the
election was, will Adedibu allow Ladoja to work? He (Adedibu) thought he can
dictate to me. He thought I am a kid, but I disappointed him. This Ladoja is not
a kid but a father and a grand father. I have a mind of my own. I am not out to
spoil my name and I will do what I am suppose to do and nobody can force me to
do what I should not do", he declared.
Governor Ladoja even read the riot act to
his political godfather, when he said that "anybody who disturb the peace of the
state will henceforth be made to face the wrath of law."
According to him," light and darkness can
not be together, hence they (Adedibu and Adeojo) must be expelled, and now that
the trouble makers have gone there will be peace in the party and people can now
join PDP".
If Adedibu was expelled because he "organises,
train and uses thugs to intimidate’ PDP members in the state, then why was
Adeojo expelled? Until when the expulsion plot was carried out, nobody had given
a thought to a possible animosity between Ladoja and Adeojo. The story had been
Ladoja and Adeibu.
Ladoja and Adeojo fell apart not because
he (Adeojo) wanted to enclipse the governor like Adedibu was alleged to have
done, but for a different reason. Adeojo and Ladoja became best of friends when
the state PDP finally decided to field Ladoja as its gubernatorial candidate
last year. It was an open secrete that Adeoja has been nursing the ambition of
becoming the state governor, even before Ladoja became a Senator. He (Adeojo)
lost the PDP candidature to Ladoja last year. Daily Champion gathered
that, there was a gentle man’s agreement between Ladoja and Adeoja when the
former was picked. They were said to have agreed that Ladoja will not go for a
second term, while Adeojo will be presented by PDP in 2007. This made Adeojo to
give his itotal support to Ladoja during the April 19, 2003 governorship poll.
However, the duo fedll apart when it
became apparent that Ladoja had reneged on the agreement and was nursing a
second term ambition. Adeojo was said to have consequently withdrawn into his
shell, leasving the baattle for 2007.
While Adeojo and Adedibu were knot known
to be goold friends, both now find a common enemy in ladoja, hence their new
union. While Adedibu was lambasting Ladojna and engaging his (Ladoja’s)
supporters ikn fierce war, kAdeojo was said to have been supporting Adedibu in
the background.
The Ladoja camp also see Adeojo as a
threat to the governor’s second term ambition. They are of the opinion that
wsith adeojo inb PDp and with the agreement on ground, it will be difficult for
Ladoja ato kcome again in 2007. Hence, they decided to kick Adeojo out of PDP in
order to thwart his (Adeojo’s) second coming.
The opportunity eventually came last
Thursday, when the Ladoja faction plotted and executed the expulsion. Adedibu
has described his expulsion as a huge joke adding that the battle continues,
Adeojo said that the said expulsion was null and void. Both claimed to be in
controlof the party in the statte.
Although the national body of mthe party
has condemned the process emplouyed jby the state PDP in expelling the two PDP
chieftains, Daily Champlion gathered that the expulsion saga may not be
entirely unknown to the NWC of the party befdore it was carried out.
It was gasthereds that the decision to
expel Adedibu was taken at the Prermier Hotel, Ibadan after the botched peasce
meeting. Adedibu was said to hasve shocked members of mthe NWC when he openly
lambasted Governor ladoja and vowed in the presence of the presence of the peace
team, to fifght Ladoja to a standstill.
As if that was not enough, Adedibu’s
supporters clashed with Ladoja’s faction while the peasce meetiong was on.
Ladoja’s faction was said to have suffered a lot of casualties during the
fracas. These werer said to havfe incensed the NWC who viewed Adedibu’s action
as a disrespect to party authority.
Sources hinted that it ws there and then
that the decision to expel the duo of Adedibu and Adeojo was taken. Alahji Ogbeh
toldnewsmen that the party will come out with its decision on the matter this
week, he roundly condemned the act of violence, insisting that the party will
not kcondone such acts.
Ogbeh declared Governor Ladoja as the
leader of kthe party, a position which Adedibu and Adeojo were claiming. He also
turned down Adedibu’s rerquest thaat both the Secretary to the State Government,
Alhaji Sarafadeen Ali and the Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Wahab Akanbi be
removed while the state executives of the partyh be dissolved.
According to Obeh, the party structure
cannot be changed without following due process. Ogbeh also declared the state
chairman of the party as the chief excecutive kof the party, contrary to
Adedibu’s request.
With the dangerous dimension now
introduced into the crises, with the hardline posture of the actors in the
expulsion saga, political watchers are expressing fears over continued peace in
the state. Definitely where two elephants fight, the graszs will suffer.
Adedibu has declared that the battle
continuies, Ladoja has threatened to bring the fuoll wrath of the law on adedibu,
Adeojo is also embittered. Definitely, somebody must blink first. The NWC of the
party must act fast before the bubble burst, in the interest of the nascent
democracy.
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