Understanding the political drama in Ogun

YINKA OLUKOYA picture of the political drama playing out in Ogun State, declaring that the drama is becoming an all-consuming fire in the leading parties.

 

The political stage in Ogun State, in the last few days, has been full of drama by actors in the arena with the show of strength and intrigues. This drama is not peculiar to the ruling All Progressives Party (APC); the various opposition parties are also involved.

True be told that the happenings in the state have caught the attention of political watchers who are quite worried about the goings-on. Various calculations and intrigues have been playing out in various political parties as regards the conduct of the various primaries held within the state.

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For the APC, the battle is raging. The gladiators within the party are outsmarting another in who gets what and how. In the build-up to the party’s governorship primaries, a lot of issues played out which were not in the best interest of the party.

The party’s position on zoning the governorship slot to Ogun West senatorial district, which is yet to produce a governor in the history of the state, was indeed a noble move. Unfortunately, however, this move was not well accept by those who believe that Ogun East Senatorial district should produce the sixth governor of the state.

The argument by agitators from Ogun East was that the state has a tradition of rotating the governorship slot based on two provinces: the Egba/Egbado and Ijebu/Remo axes as against the three senatorial districts recognised by the nation’s constitution.

However, this argument was countered by those who believe that the nation’s constitution is clear on each state having three senatorial districts for equity, justice and fairness. In Ogun, two senatorial districts have been producing the governor of the state since its creation. The Ogun West has never succeeded in its quest to produce a number one citizen of the state.

Those who have administered the State are the late Chief Olabisi Onabanjo (East); Chief Olusegun Osoba (Central); Chief Gbenga Daniel (East) and the current governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun (Central).

Several past efforts had failed to yield any positive result. It is a general belief that this senatorial district has been marginalised for too long hence the resolve of the APC with the strong backing of Amosun that it is the turn of the Yewa/Awori people to administer the state.

This development received commendations from political watchers who were of the opinion that the people of Ogun West should be supported by the other senatorial districts so as to achieve a long-term dream.

However, people from Ogun East have kicked against the fact that it is the turn of Ogun West. They felt it was a slap on them, insisting on the arrangements that the rotation of governorship slot resides within two provinces.

They argued that the current governor of the state had used the slot of the people of Ogun West with his re-election for second term in office in 2015.

No fewer than 11 aspirants showed interest in occupying the exalted seat of the governor from Ogun West in APC.  They were said to have been pruned down with the current serving member of the House of Representatives, Adekunle Akinlade, emerging as the consensus candidate of the party. The process of selection was long just as the selection of Akinlade enjoyed the support of Amosun who openly endorsed his candidature. But to some of the aspirants, the process of selection was faulty. They could not come out to challenge the process but have maintained their plans.

While Abayomi Hunye, who is from the same council area with Akinlade, jettisoned the position of the party on the choice of Akinlade to purchase intent of expression and nomination forms, his kinsman, a three-time member of the lower house, might have abandoned the struggle of the Yewa people by supporting Dapo Abiodun, who is being recognised by the leadership of APC as the state standard bearer of the party.

It is a matter of fact that all is not well within the party. The APC state executive announced Akinlade as the winner of the election not supervised by the panel mandated with the responsibility to conduct governorship primary in the state.

The party leadership had its primary and was said to have been monitored by relevant agencies that matter ,and subsequently announced Akinlade as the winner. They accused the eight-man panel chaired by Mohammed Indabawa of compromise.

The party directed its members not to turn up for the primary election slated for the following day by the panel. They stayed away from the electoral process having elected the governor’s choice.

Meanwhile, the panel announced Abiodun as the candidate of the party while Abiodun’s election was accepted by the NWC of the party.

This is nothing but power play between Amosun and some forces who detest his alleged imposition of the governorship candidate on the party without allowing fair play to take its course.

Amosun had vowed to disgrace all those opposing his moves and that of the party in ensuring all the 38 candidates for all elective posts. He has also been insisting that his anointed candidate will surely succeed him. The party equally said there is no going back on its choice, having accused the national chairman of having been compromised.