Why Governors Blackmail Federal Government

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 .