Unknown to many people, especially keen political observers, Governor Seyi Makinde was at the Ondo Street, Bodija residence of former governor Rashidi Ladoja last Wednesday, a week to Ladoja’s 75th birthday.
The Belgian trained engineer and politician turned 75 today, September 25, 2019.
Sources told OYOINSIGHT.COM that Makinde who came with his entourage later breezed into the former governor’s living room after which others were excused.
Makinde, sources who were privy to the meeting said, was not comfortable with posture of the old politician especially since he assumed office.
That was Makinde’s second visit since he took the mantle of leadership. The first visit was less than 48 hours after his inauguration. Ladoja, OYOINSIGHT.COM had absented himself from the inauguration. He would later explain that he couldn’t make it as the date coincided with the remembrance of his late son.
This newspaper understands that all has not been well between Makinde and members of the parties who formed coalition against the All Progressives Congress, APC, before the March 9, 2019 governorship election in Oyo State.
Ladoja, OYOINSIGHT.COM recalls, was instrumental to how Sen. Olufemi Lanlehin, Barr. Sharafadeen Alli and Chief Bolaji Ayorinde, who are candidates of the African Democratic Congress, ADC; Zenith Labour Party, ZLP and Social Democratic Party, SDP, dropped their ambitions for Makinde of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Before and after the coalition was formed, it was learnt, agreements were reached.
Though it cannot be confirmed as at the time of filing this report, rumours have it that the ADC, ZLP and SDP were promised 30, 15 and 5 percent respectively.
OYOINSIGHT.COM gathered that while Ayorinde who is of the SDP has been compensated, the same cannot be said of Lanlehin and Alli.
Quoting some sources, Newspeakonline had reported how ZLP leaders are unhappy with Makinde over distribution of political appointments since he was sworn in on May 29. It was gathered that the party’s governorship candidate, Sharafadeen Alli, had indicated his interest in the position of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) but the governor did not oblige him.
Instead, Makinde appointed Alli as a member of the Governor’s Advisory Council, a position the latter rejected, thereby marking the beginning of a silent tussle between him and the governor. Some ZLP members are accusing Makinde of reneging on the alliance agreement of giving 15 per cent of all positions to their party.
“Ladoja, initially, had wanted Barr. Abiodun Abdu-Raheem to withdraw when he didn’t see names of nominees of other coalescing parties on the list. Sharafadeen Alli had to prevail on him to let it be. But at last Wednesday’s meeting, Ladoja stylishly forced Baba to talk. And he expressed displeasure with the way the governor has handled the whole thing. Ladoja told him how members of the ZLP are feeling betrayed over the turn of events. And he promised to make amendments,” another source added.
OYOINSIGHT.COM also spoke with a top chieftain of the ruling party, though on the condition of anonymity. According to him, “we are also managing the governor. Can you imagine that we have just 3 of our members among the 17 commissioners working for him? We are waiting for him to constitute the local government executive before we know the next line of action.”
A chieftain of the ADC who also didn’t want name in print also felt betrayed, saying that Makinde shouldn’t be trusted again.
“Don’t be fooled. He may have appointed 3 of our members as commissioners but did he do it the way it should have been done? We have a leader, that we assigned to negotiate on our behalf. He just ignored them and acted the way he wanted. Rather than deal with us collectively, he went over to receive nominees from individuals. Well, it is a matter of time,” he added.
Only yesterday, while speaking to journalists ahead of his birthday, Ladoja had said that he would not intervene in the ongoing crisis between his party and Makinde.
This is just as the Ibadan high chief revealed that other leaders of his party restrained him from intervening in the crisis, saying they insisted on handling it their own way.
Political watchers had expected Ladoja to intervene but the former governor said Makinde treats him as an individual political leader, and that he respects the governor’s decisions and those of the ZLP.
Related
