One of the unique selling points of Governor Gbogbonse during the 2019 governorship electioneering was his claim of not having any political godfather. Having being bereft of salient issues of government and misgovernment he could nail the APC, its governorship candidate and its government with, the now governor resorted to casting aspersions on the ruling party then to the effect that the godfather in Lagos was milking Oyo state dry by the state’s funds being siphoned to Lagos/Bourdillon. On several political fora, the current governor of Oyo state referred to the immediate past governor as ‘Ajele’ who was only planted at Agodi to do Lagos/Bourdillon’s bidding. The then PDP governorship candidate went on to promise Oyo electorates that he was not going to have any godfather to whom he would have to siphon the state’s funds.
Fast forward to 2020, nine months after the current administration was inaugurated in the state, Governor Gbogbonse Ajebiidan, true to his promise, has no political godfather, in the PDP! Let me digress here to observe a minute’s silence for the late PDP of Lamidi Adedibu era.
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May the corruptible soul of the late PDP not ever find rest!
What we have now as PDP is a disingenuous reincarnation of the late infamous PDP. None of the so-called current leaders of the reincarnated party is politically savvy, bold, brave, ingenious and financially competent to clip the current governor’s pompous wings.
The governor appears too red-eyed for the leaders to look in the face. He had stuffed bundles of naira into their mouths during last electioneering and sealed the mouths with the tape of total silence and subservience.
Unfortunately enough, those at the receiving ends of this ‘Needle without Thread in his Tail’ are the members of the reincarnated PDP and members of other parties which formed alliance of mischief to win the last governorship election. It’s sad that, in spite of the members’ unquantifiable efforts (deploying charms, propaganda, lies and character assassination) at ensuring that the party won, they’re yet to begin to reap sweet fruits of their political electioneering sweat. It’s sadder still that there’s no political leader or godfather the members can cry to for succour.
I refresh our memory about Ladoja-Adedibu saga when, after fighting tooth and nail to install him as the governor in 2007, Senator Rasheed Ladoja decided to sideline the leaders and the members of the then PDP from the scheme of political and governmental largesse. Lamidi Adedibu who was the overall leader and godfather of the PDP in the state then dipped his legs into the same trousers with former Governor Ladoja. The governor’s seat was too hot for Ladoja to sit on as Lamidi Adedibu rose to defend the teeming members whom Ladoja wanted to cheat. Before Ladoja was eventually impeached by the ‘legislative’ arm of NURTW inside the ‘hallowed’ chamber of Oyo Assembly, the mammoth members of the PDP did not feel left out as Lamidi Adedibu took care of them in terms of distribution of monies and food items.
Current PDP leaders like Ismaila Ashipa, Olopoenia and other prominent leaders have unsavoury stories to tell about their experiences in the hands of their ‘bigger-to-scold’ governor. Even to the rank and file of the PDP, their situations have become the fart released by a masquerade under his regalia and which the masquerade must endure. Had the PDP had a godfather like Lamidi Adedibu, the fate that befell Adigun Ibadan for lying to paint his governor in glowing colours wouldn’t have befallen him. Had Atobimonseebawi Gbogbonse had thread by his rampaging tail, he would not have sacked by fiat his former Commissioner for Education.
Who will come to rescue the PDP members in the hands of the governor who is his own godfather?
