This is not the best of times for followers and lovers of former governor Rashidi Ladoja, OYO INSIGHT can report.
Less than three months to the 2019 general elections, they are not sure of the party they would support.
Only few months ago, Ladoja led his supporters out of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the newly formed African Democratic Congress, ADC. Last month, Ladoja, who is allegedly angry with the selection process in the ADC, is reportedly dumping the party for another newly formed Zenith Labour Party, ZLP.
Sen. Olufemi Lanlehin, Ladoja’s ‘godson’, had secured the ADC gubernatorial ticket only for the former governor to say he had no hand in how he emerged. Though the 12 other governorship aspirants of ADC are on court, they accused Ladoja and others of imposing Lanlehin on them. On Sunday, OYO INSIGHT reported how Barr. Sharafadeen Alli, secured the ticket of ZLP, a party believed to be led by Ladoja. Before now, some loyalists of the former governor, especially those who couldn’t get tickets under the party, had ported to ZLP.
A close associate of the former governor, Bimbo Adepoju, had over the weekend told reporters that Ladoja had instructed him to address reporters on his movement to ZLP.
Another impeccable source, however, told OYO INSIGHT that one of Ladoja’s wives, Barr Rashidat Ladoja and Adepoju are coordinating the plot to get Ladoja to dump ADC
The duo, according to the source, had begged Ladoja last Friday to call Sharafadeen and give him the ZLP ticket.
The sources, who preferred anonymity, however told this newspaper that Ladoja refused to do so. “Nothing like that happened. Though there is pressure on the old man to so do. He has shrugged off the request.”
OYO INSIGHT, during a visit to the Ondo street, Bodija, Ibadan residence of the former governor, observed posters of candidates of the ADC and ZLP on the walls of the one-storey building.
Not long ago, Ladoja’s supporters who are in ADC prevented those in the ZLP from using a rented facility at Samonda, for their meeting. The building, which was Accord secretariat for many years, was rented by Ladoja. They later converged at Ladoja’s house for the ZLP’s inaugural meeting.
OYO INSIGHT learnt that another wife of the former governor, Alhaja Mutiat Alli, who was First Lady, is rooting for Engr Seyi Makinde of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. She was said to have prevailed on some of the supporters of her husband, who are close to her, to return to PDP.
However, many of the old man’s supporters, especially members of the state assembly, have reiterated their support for the ADC and its governorship candidate, Lanlehin.
But only yesterday, Lanlehin and Alli paid an unscheduled visit to the Apapa, Lagos residence of Ladoja. Both gladiators were said to have arrived Ladoja’s house unannounced.
Sources at the meeting confided The Punch that Lanlehin arrived ahead of Alli as their host held separate meetings with both of them before bringing them to the table afterwards.
Ladoja thereafter encouraged both Lanlehin and Alli to see each other as fighting the cause of liberating the masses of Oyo State from the current leadership and enjoined them to refrain from statements capable of inflaming the already tensed situation in their camps.
Lanlehin and Alli later embraced and agreed to continue consultations to see the possibility of working together “since they both are concerned about sending the APC government packing from Agodi Government House in 2019”, the source added.
Many of Ladoja’s loyalists who spoke with OYO INSIGHT said the former governor would need to address a press conference personally to let people know where he belongs.
