With the out-blown squabble between Governor Abiola Ajimobi and Minister of Communications, Alhaji Adebayo Shittu, the Oyo State All Progressives Congress is fated to find itself in an awkward situation as the clock ticks for the 2019 general elections.
The two party heavyweights, going by the ongoing brickbats, may be playing out a scenario similar to what happened in Rivers State before the 2015 elections, when the governor of the state, Rotimi Amaechi, and then Education Minister, now governor of the state, Nyesom Wike, overheated the polity. Amaechi-Wike tiff, no doubt, resulted in various violent acts culminating in the defection of Amaechi from the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party.
The governor was said to have been shocked by my acceptance of the chieftaincy title of Agba-Akin Afiwagboye from the Olubadan of Ibadanland, whom he regarded as an arch-enemy
According to watchers of political events in Oyo State, if the Ajimobi-Shittu differences are left to fester without being addressed, especially by party leaders, political crisis would be inevitable. Already, Shittu has drawn the attention of party leaders in the state to his disagreement with the governor.
Following the friction which sources attributed to ego fights between the two bigwigs, Shittu reported Ajimobi to President Muhammadu Buhari and the national chairman of the, APC, Chief John Odegie-Oyegun, over alleged “high handedness by the governor”.
Shittu had petitioned the party leaders, claiming that his offence to the governor, which led to the demolition of his Computer Based Test Centre under construction, by the agents of the state in Shaki, was as a result of his intention to take over from the governor.
The minister said he decided to draw the attention of the national leadership of the party, the President and the APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to the alleged manipulations of the governor, early enough, in order to save the party from total disintegration.
Shittu in the petition, stated, “I am constrained to bring to your notice the unsavoury development in our great party in Oyo State and the unbecoming behaviour of Governor Abiola Ajimobi, who is expected to provide sound moral and exemplary leadership to the citizens of our dear state.
“This line of action becomes imperative in view of the sad turn of events in Oyo State APC. It is an open secret that the fortunes of APC has nosedived in the state due to Governor Ajimobi’s undue arrogance, grandstanding, nepotism, caustic and unguarded utterances, and creating unnecessary divisions among party leaders and members, thereby balkanising the party along group lines.
“Worse still, the traditional media and the social media are awash with various commentaries of the negative impact of Governor Ajimobi’s degeneration behavior in the fortunes of our party.
The party ought to have reacted to the case by now because the governor has left the case to them
“It is on the basis of these facts and some decisions of the Ajimobi’s government as it affects the generality of our people, that I have had cause in the past to criticise him and insist that the overall interest of APC as a political party in power should be paramount, rather than the egoistic feelings of the governor and his co-travellers.
“In doing this, I don’t have anything personal against Governor Ajimobi, but to stress the importance of him not destroying the very platform that made him governor.
“The signs that Ajimobi is set to destroy the party are glaring to political watchers, as the voting population in the state is becoming disillusioned more than ever before.”
Meanwhile, the minister had said that when it was clear to him that the governor was harbouring some form of animosity against him, he arranged a meeting at the Oyo State Government House, Abuja, where the two of them met to resolve their disagreements, adding that the governor assured that the differences were resolved.
But he said he noted with consternation that just a day after the meeting, the CBT Centre, which was part of the issues discussed with the governor, was demolished.
He said, “At the meeting, I also mentioned to the governor the outstanding issue of a Computer-Based Test Centre under construction in Shaki, which has become a subject of dispute between me and the local government.
“I requested for his kind intervention to see to the success of the project, which to all intents and purposes, would not only assist examination candidates in my hometown but would also be a boost to our party.
“The governor promised to intervene and lay the matter to rest, for which I expressed my appreciation for his brotherly promise.
The meeting ended on a good note with the hope of a better working relationship.”
He said few days after, he called the governor on phone to thank him for the reception and understanding on all the issues discussed.
“During the telephone conversation, it was amazing that the governor, on his own, reassured me that he was soon going to provide me with official documents to revalidate my ownership of the land on which the CBT Centre was being constructed.
“Shockingly, the following day, I got information that agents of the state government invaded the site with a bulldozer, a pay loader and people suspected to be thugs, uprooted the on-going CBT building project and demolished over 2,000 blocks on site,” he alleged.
He said efforts made to draw the attention of the governor did not yield anything as the governor neither picked his calls nor replied to his text message.
He further claimed that the governor’s grouse against him was also because he (Shittu) frustrated the governor’s attempts to “unjustifiably” remove the APC chairman in Ido Local Government area of the state, one Pastor Akintokun, who Ajimobi felt allowed the minister to have too much access to the political apparatus in the local government.
He added: “Besides, the governor was said to have been shocked by my acceptance of the chieftaincy title of Agba-Akin Afiwagboye from the Olubadan of Ibadanland, whom he regarded as an arch-enemy.”
Meanwhile, Governor Ajimobi, in his response, has said he would leave the issue to the party to mediate upon.
The Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Media, Mr. Wale Sadiq, while speaking with our correspondent, said, “The governor has left the case to be determined by the state chapter of the party.
“The party ought to have reacted to the case by now because the governor has left the case to them. Moreover, the governor’s Special Adviser on Communication and Stratergy, Mr Yomi Olayinka, will also respond to the issue. By then, everyone will know the governor’s take on the issue.”