AHEAD of the 2015 general elections the Oyo State
political landscape is astir. Politicians are moving
and cross-moving from one political party to the
other with the speed of light, a development that is
already altering calculations for the polls.
Until recently, the elections were expected to be a
two-horse race between the ruling All Progressives
Congress, APC, and the main opposition Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP). Now the Accord, which is
the prime beneficiary of the raging political
migrations is coming up strongly and altering
permutations.
People have taken flights from the PDP and APC to
the once moribund Accord, which, only few
months to the 2011 general elections, got
revitalized by former Governor of Oyo State and
one-time Senator, Alhaji Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja.
The migrations peaked with two recent mega
rallies that took place at the popular Mapo Hall
Arena in the ancient city of Ibadan and the City
Gate of Aseyin Palace where Senator Femi Lanlehin
and Senator Gbenga Babalola formally announced
their exits from APC and PDP, respectively. They
said they had now found their political destination
in the Accord.
Lanlehin has had frosty relations with Governor
Abiola Ajimobi for quite a while. The fact that the
APC’s remaining senator eventually defected meant
that the protracted political face-off between both
APC strongmen had gone beyond repair.
Senator Lanlehin told the mammoth crowd at the
mega rally to welcome him into the Accord that he
had left the APC for good.
But the APC, in a swift reaction, described his exit
as “good riddance to bad rubbish” adding that the
action was not worthy of being dignified with a
response.
Senator Lanlehin represented Oyo South Senatorial
District on the platform of the APC until August 26
when he defected to Accord. Before then, he had
announced in a statement that he was no longer a
member of the APC and promised that he would
soon announce his next political destination.
Announcing destination on August 26, the Senator
described Ladoja as “my leader and father” and
urged Oyo State people to vote Senator Rashidi
Ladoja as governor in 2015 and Accord candidates
in other elections to ensure that whoever would be
in government at any level from Local Government
through the state to the federal would be of
Accord.
In the same vein, former Speaker of Oyo State
House of Assembly, Adeolu Adeleke, said “The
APC, when they were ACN, said you should not
vote for a party that does not have a Senator.
Today that Senator Lanlehin is now in Accord, I
want to urge you, the people of Oyo State, not to
vote for APC because it is now truly a party that
does not have a Senator.”
APC berates Lanlehin
APC said the rally welcoming Lanlehin to Accord
was a show of shame and demonstration of
political naivety, failure and the expiration of some
political players fond of exaggerating their worth
before the electorate.
The party, in a statement by its state publicity
secretary, said Lanlehin was only putting into
action his well-known political pedigree of “party
flirtation” stating that if the senator had not
abandoned the APC, he would have made news as
acting against what the world knew him to be.
The APC’s reaction was however countered by
supporters, who said, “Won njaporo ni” (APC is
displaying its pains of losing big fishes.)
Letter of intent read at the Senate
Undeterred, Senator Lanlehin, in his letter of intent
read on the floor of the Senate by Senate
President David Mark, recalled that he contested
and got elected into the Senate in April 2011 under
the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).
“The said political party has merged with other
registered political parties and now registered and
known as the All Progressives Congress.
“In exercise of my constitutional right of freedom of
association under the 1999 Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and
pursuant to the proviso contained in Section 68(g)
of the said Constitution, I decided to transfer my
membership of the defunct Action Congress of
Nigeria to the Accord Party, with all the rights and
duties accruing thereto,” the letter read in part.
Adedibu political family breaks
Just as the Lanlehin concern dragged, another
implosion occurred; this time in the PDP where
Senator Andrew Gbenga Babalola, the in-law of
Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu, the late god father of Ibadan
politics, quit the PDP.
Characteristic of Accord Party, the formal defection
of Babalola took place at the ancient city of Iseyin.
The entire community stood still for several hours
as people thronged the city gate of the palace of
Aseyin receiving Ladoja, who was in the town to
receive Senator Babalola, who led several other
chieftains and members of the PDP in his
senatorial district to the Accord Party.
Babalola was immediate past senator representing
Oyo North Senatorial District. Receiving the new
members, Leader of the Accord and Ladoja
observed that governance had gone beyond
whipping sentiments to lure people to support the
government of a malfunctioning party.
Ladoja said: “Now, the time has come, anyone that
has no blueprint of what governance is all about
should steer clear of canvassing for people’s
votes.”
He further stated that ambition to lead people and
to govern should stem from the fact that such a
person has a track record of what he or she had
done before, in leading people or government.
“Governance is a business that should also attract
similar demand from whoever will be the occupier
of that office,” added the former governor.
In his remarks, Senator Babalola said that his
joining the Ladoja-led party was because the PDP
had lost focus on what it set out to do for
Nigerians particularly in Oyo State.
The development, which is believed to be in line
with 2015 permutation, have been viewed in
certain quarters as capable of changing some
political calculations in Oyo State as analysts tilt
towards a possible return of Ladoja to the
Government House.
But to do this, Ladoja has to beat the incumbent
governor, Abiola Ajimobi, who may be comfortable
with the emerging factions in other parties
especially the PDP .
www.vanguardngr.com/2014/10/governors-blackmail-fg/