BAYO AGBOOLA in Ibadan writes that political parties in Oyo state have been hit by indiscriminate defections and cross-capeting by aspirants in their quests to clinch positions
The political atmosphere in Oyo state like in many other parts of the country seems to be unpredictable in the last three weeks with the unfolding gale of defections in the political and cross-capeting from one political party or the other.
Cause of defectors
Arising from parties’ primaries for their choice of candidates for the 2023 general elections from the State House of Assembly, Representatives and the Senate, some of the aggrieved and unsatisfied aspirants and their supporters pitched their tent with other parties.
In Oyo state, it has been an avenue for politicians seeking elective political offices migrating from one party to another in protest of what they mostly referred to as usage of “fake or doctored ” delegates list for the conduct of primary elections.
This time around, the gale of protests cum migration from one party to another cuts across the major political parties, particularly, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the main opposition party in the state, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
Till date, all the major political parties in the state have been in one way or the other affected by the defections with the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the main opposition, All Progressives Congress (APC) presently taking the lead.
The defectors
In the last few days, prominent figures in these parties have been criss-crossing, defecting from their party to another for one excuse or another, particularly, aspiring lawmakers to Red Chamber, House of Representatives and the State Houses of Assembly.
The most recent of the defections in Oyo state was that of the deputy governor of Oyo state, Engineer Rauf Olaniyan who dumped the ruling PDP to join the opposition APC in the state by resigning his membership of the ruling PDP .
It is no longer news that for over
two years, there has been glaring political differences between Governor Makinde and his deputy, Engineer Olaniyan with none of them ready to make any public statement on their differences.
The deputy governor while speaking on his defection to the APC declared that despite dumping PDP, he still remains the deputy governor of Oyo state as he did not resign the job he was sworn in on May 29, 2019 to do.
He added that the only thing that has changed is in political matters and that he “is leaving the PDP with all his supporters from across the state” and stressed that the “news of the decampment is also in response to the yearnings and aspirations of his supporters who have been asking what the next line of action would be.
“Based on our last discussion on the happenings, people have been asking me what next about my political move. I am bold to inform you clearly that as from this moment, I am porting to the All Progressive Congress (APC). You have been asking me what next politically because everybody is already taking positions, what to contest for, under what party and like I had always told you, when the time is ripe, I will make it public.
“Even as at this morning, some political parties still called me to come and take their tickets to come and contest with. I don’t want to mention any name because I don’t want to de-market any party because we meet to part and part to meet.
Not less than three parties have called me today (Sunday) alone and as at yesterday (Saturday) I had about eight political parties offering me their platforms to contest, but is that what I wanted? Am I looking for governorship by all means? No. Do I want to contest governorship at just any party? No.”
Engineer Olaniyan stressed, “So, if that is not, then my aim remains the same, that I am into politics not because I want to make name nor any pecuniary gains. I am there because in the society of today, if you know you want to make meaning to your people, you have to make meaning through political process by joining a party. Some people will say, you don’t have to join a political party, to make impact; yes, but you should not complain when some people are ruling and you cannot rule without joining a political party.
“I have considered the pros and cons, I have seen it all. I was elected as a deputy governor, sworn in May 29, 2019 to run up to May 28, 2023, so the time is still there but as you can see, everyone has already showed interest in the position they aspire to contest for.I had told you ab initio that, God will show us the way to go. For a journey of one thousand kilometres, it starts with a step.
“First and foremost, I, Engineer Rauf Aderemi Olaniyan, I am porting to the APC. I am not resigning as the deputy governor, I am still the deputy governor of Oyo state, Engineer Seyi Makinde is still my governor, but there is no aspect of the constitution that says the governor or his deputy cannot part ways politically.
“This aspect, I am interested in the law court. It came down to be a hard fact, that it is possible for us to part ways. For the act of governance, I am still the deputy governor of Oyo state, under the leadership of the governor of Oyo state.
“It is only the party maters that changed. And I am not going alone, I am going with my teeming supporters in all the 33 local governments. They have been asking me what next and I kept telling them to wait. As at today, they just finished a meeting in Iseyin, the Oke Ogun caucus and they wanted to know what next.
“And I also asked them to go and decide the next thing too. Before I joined the PDP, they all decided that we should join PDP and so if I am going to do anything otherwise, I asked them to decide and get back to me.
“People have been coming from all parts of the sate asking me what next, what I keep telling them was that they should let consultation go round and wide because, in politics, you don’t have to go it all alone.
“Few minutes ago, some leaders were here in my office and we decided to do what we are doing now. So, that is the update and I have already ported to the APC.”
Also another major defection happened in the camp of the main opposition party(APC). The party’s governorship candidate in Oyo state in the 2019 general election, Chief Adebayo Adelabu few weeks ago announced his defection from the APC to Accord Party.
While defecting, he said, “Accord Party is the political platform upon which my gubernatorial ambition shall be pursued to actualization.”
Chief Adelabu in a statement personally signed by him entitled: “Change of Political Party,” maintained, “it is needless to restate in details, reason for relinquishing my APC membership on the point that such reason is public knowledge”.
He added, “a time exists in the life of a sincere aspiring man of the public when events and circumstances lessen the operation of his mind onto new decision; new desire and new determination.
“Such time now finds expression in my political career which necessitates vital change, fundamental decision and refreshing determination”.
“It is therefore on this basis that I hereby declare the withdrawal of my membership from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to Accord Party of Nigeria.
“This is the political platform upon which my gubernatorial ambition shall be pursued to actualization by the guidance and grace of the Almighty Allah. It is needless to restate in details, reason for relinquishing my APC membership on the point that such reason is public knowledge.
“The man dies in him who keeps silent in the face of blatant injustice and the life of a lie is a matter of little time. Evil people struggle in vain in their conspiracy against their innocent fellowman because malice is a poor match for destiny.”
He continued, “What is important above all, is that my leaders, supporters and teeming people of Oyo state are hereby assured of my determination never to disappoint them in the pursuit of my gubernatorial ambition.
“By the will of God, I wish to present my humble self for the Political Liberation Movement to rescue our pacesetting state from the bad oppression of clueless and inept people in government and in the other Party.
“We shall together inaugurate a new era of peace and progress in our dear state in line with my 7-point agenda when I become the executive governor by God’s Grace in 2023. There is accord for our Vision in the ACCORD PARTY of Nigeria. We hereby move to therein accordingly”, he said.
However, these defections, especially, that of the deputy governor as expected has been generating issues with the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo state.
What the PDP told Olaniyan
The ruling party in the state has been asking Engineer Rauf Olaniyan to resign immediately having defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to PDP, the deputy governor willfully abandoned the political party and the votes that produced him, and therefore any attempt to keep his position will amount to stealing Oyo people’s mandate through the backdoor after the last ruling party was utterly rejected at the 2019 governorship poll” will be resisted legally.
According to PDP, the defecting deputy governor “should not pretend not to know what is right next to do after leaving the political platform that sponsored him and Makinde on the joint ticket if truly he has any atom of the Yoruba ‘omoluabi’ toga he always ascribed to himself” and that the people of Oyo state “did not vote for a PDP/APC joint ticket, they voted entirely for a PDP mandate”.
“While section 40 of the constitution of Nigeria guarantees freedom of association of any person, the deputy governor ought to be enlightened by the same Constitution when it stipulated that the ticket upon which he (Olaniyan) contested the 2019 governorship election alongside Governor Makinde as a deputy was not an independent candidate ticket. Our position is simple and very clear on this matter and as a matter of legal implication, the votes in any election in Nigeria are to political parties, and not candidates”.
And it is on this note that the PDP as the ruling party in the state is advising the Deputy Governor, Rauf Olaniyan, not to be carried away by the lies and deceits told him by a political neophyte such as ‘Mr jagba’ and be bamboozled into self delusion of thinking he can be used a tool to steal Oyo people’s mandate through the backdoor”, it said.
PDP added, “failure to follow this advise and adhere strictly to it from the PDP which is the legitimate owner of every single vote casted by the electorates in the 2019 governorship election, the PDP shall not hesitate to immediately deploy every constitutional means to prevent this daylight robbery. It is only when you contest election as an independent candidate and win and then decides to move to any political party of your choice that you become the owner of the votes cast by the electorates, unfortunately for Olaniyan who wants to eat his cake and still have it.”
“The Oyo PDP, which is the rightful owner of the mandate will retrieve it back in no distant time using every available legal means if Olaniyan fails to humbly resign as a gentleman with his new move. We are determined and resolved to retrieve the party’s mandate being withheld illegally and unlawfully by the deputy Governor, Engr Rauf Olaniyan because it belongs to the people of Oyo state who have handled same to the PDP.”
Other reactions
The APC governorship candidate in the state, Senator Teslim Folarin, on his part said the ruling PDP in the state should perish the impeachment agenda or further victimisation in any form of the defected Deputy Governor Engr Rafiu Olaniyan saying with the exit of the deputy governor from the party, PDP has lost a great asset and as such, the party in Oyo state will suffer electoral humiliation in 2023 general elections, adding, ” I want to state that His Excellency Olaniyan’s position as validly elected deputy governor of Oyo state is secured and constitutionally backed.”
“His tenure ends on 29th of May 2023. Therefore, the ruling PDP must perish the impeachment agenda or further victimisation in any form. APC has zero tolerance for harassment, humiliation and victimisation of any of her members.H.E Olaniyan and his teeming supporters will not be the last to join the Oyo APC Rescue Mission 2023, many more PDP political office holders and their chieftains will announce their transfers in no distant future”.
Though the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed the 2023 general elections in the country to start from February next year, political observers are of the view that there will still be lots of manoeuvring, skimming and display of tactice in the political circle in Oyo state.
