The Honorable who represented Ibadan North West State Constituency under the platform of the Peoples’ Democratic Party in 2003 to 2007, who is currently the Special Assistant to Governor Seyi Makinde, Hon. Olufemi Josiah gave an account of what transpired between them and their boss, whom they supported putting their lives on the run.
Hon. Olufemi in chapter 13 of his book, titled: A Walk On The Razor Edge, a yet to be published book, where he narrated the ordeal of the State Honourables who were against what many classified as an unlawful Impeachment of High Chief Adewolu Ladoja in 2006.
The Honourable accused the former Governor of been selfish, self centered, and concerned less about the growth of his followers.
It reads in part: “Ladoja was not ready to challenge the power of PDP and Baba Adedibu in the state, he was always looking for the path of least resistance. With that mindset, how can growth happen?
As a result of Ladoja’s self-centeredness and fearful mindset, we lost two party tickets; PDP and AC. Honourable Deolu told us about a meeting which Obasanjo had with Ladoja and Adedibu, which confirmed my earlier assertion.
It seemed that Obasanjo wanted to redeem himself and see if he could help Ladoja get the PDP governorship ticket. Although the PDP primary had been held weeks before and Akala had won, Obasanjo could have disqualified the primary. Then, leaders were more powerful and important than party decisions.
However, Baba Adedibu refused and said Ladoja should be appeased in another way but he couldn’t get the governorship ticket. They decided to cut Ladoja a deal; he would nominate the deputy governor and they would also allow us to contest again for the state house of assembly on the PDP platform.
This was a fairly good arrangement, since we have suffered for him, fought for him, even had our lives threatened for his cause, we felt he could have nominated one for us for deputy and allowed the rest to contest for the state house, but Ladoja refused both offers.
Because he couldn’t get his governorship ticket, he decided that we too won’t get anything. This was an ambitious leader who cared less about the political fortune of his followers”
The Honourable also explained how the re-installment of their former boss was also frustrated by the power that be.
Read full Chapter below.
A WALK ON THE RAZOR EDGE.
Chapter 13
On the path to success, support is usually minimal, because many people do no not believe in your dreams or even if they do, they are busy chasing their own goals to care much about yours. However when you attain your goal and success comes, the amount of congratulations and claps at the back is staggering and overwhelming, because now that people have seen that your plan works, they would want to associate with you. Success indeed loves company.
That was exactly our story as we came back from Cotonou after the supreme Court affirmed Ladoja’s win at the court. When we got to Imeko around Seme border, our phones started to pick back the Nigerian network signals since we were back on Nigerian soil.
Immediately my phone became reachable, I started receiving congratulatory messages from people in Oyo state. Calls also started entering; I received more than thirty phone calls. People were greeting us, praying and celebrating with us, and I wasn’t the only one. My other colleagues were also experiencing an inflow of congratulatory messages. That was a gracious moment for us.
It was one of the highlights of my political career. As young people, we took a risk to return the governor, ensure democracy rules the day. Few people believed in us because what we tried to achieve had no precedence in the history of Nigeria. But we finally achieved it against all odds and threats.
We had a merry making night when we arrived in Lagos that night. By the next morning, we were at Lagos toll gate, waiting for Ladoja, so that we can drive in convoy into Oyo state. The Supreme Court had given a order to Ladoja to return to Ibadan the next day and claim his rightful seat, and we needed security.
Although it was a supreme court order, we heard that the forces of Adedibu and Akala were looking for alternatives to make sure they do not hand over power. After the supreme Court victory, their thugs and supporters carried out riots and protests just like they did during the court of appeal victory. Based on the account of our lawyers, who were in Ibadan for the court of appeal verdict, getting out of Ibadan was a miracle for them. Adedibu’s thugs went on rampage looking for them.
In order to stall the implementation of the supreme court judgement, they summoned the services of an high court judge whose act was a slap on the Nigerian fundamental constitution and the judiciary- Judge Iyabo Yerima. Because she had the backing of the presidency and some politicians, she allowed herself to be used. She asked the lawyer to come and present an application for interlocutory injunction stopping the police from enforcing the supreme Court
judgement. However, their efforts were futile, as Ladoja’s victory was like a moving train, that they could not stop.
Although majority of PDP leaders at the national level were against Ladoja like Bode George, Amodu Alli, Teslim Folarin and the President himself, there was nothing much Obasanjo could do anymore. The international community and opposition were watching him keenly to see his next move and he reluctantly permitted that Ladoja should be reinstated.
The security we had on the day we were scheduled to move was provided by one AIG Alapinni coupled with the DSS operatives. He led Ladoja from Lagos in a convoy, to enforce the judgement. Although there had been several resistances in the morning, when we got to Ibadan in the evening, the DSS had already cleared the miscreants.
Ladoja had a triumphant entry into Ibadan. I can never forget that day. The only person who has had that kind of reception in the city of Ibadan was Awolowo. I was young then, in 1979, when he came to campaign. People came in their thousands and waited for him on the road side, that was the kind of welcome Ladoja received.
However, it seems that day we came to the climax and peak of our positive relationship with Ladoja because immediately he took over power, he started making mistakes again. Our relationship also started taking a turn for the worse.
On his return to Ibadan, Yekini Adeojo was one of the people that received Ladoja. Although he had been part of his impeachment, he switched sides when baba Adedibu betrayed him. In politics, there is no permanent friend and no permanent enemy.. isn’t that how the saying goes?
Yekini Adeojo’s ambition for governor had not died with the last election held. He had thought he would get the PDP governorship ticket to contest in 2007 but Adedibu supported Akala against him.
By the time we got back to Ibadan, several important events had happened politically. It was 6 months to the end of Ladoja’s tenure- although he went to court to request for the lost year, he was told that his deputy already ruled in his stead, since the governor and deputy shares the same ticket.
PDP had had their primary and also Akala had emerged as the party’s governorship candidate. When we were in Lagos, we thought Ladoja was in talks with Tinubu, and he actually did. We thought when we got back to Ibadan, we would automatically switch to the new Action Congress, transformed from AD. We also believed that Lam Adeshina AD structure will join with Ladoja structure and create a powerful AC that would win elections and debase the rule of PDP and Baba Adedibu’s grip on Oyo state politics
However, to the surprise and chagrin of I and my colleagues, Ladoja started going towards PDP and PDP’s ticket. It was that point we started having issues with him. At that time, we had a political destiny together and I felt it would be difficult to leave a leader you have braved the odds together and achieved.
However, I was wrong, I should have left him when he chose that path. I consider my loyalty to him and stay in his political network after the impeachment saga a mistake.
Ladoja was not ready to challenge the power of PDP and Baba Adedibu in the state, he was always looking for the path of least resistance. With that mindset, how can growth happen?
As a result of Ladoja’s self-centeredness and fearful mindset, we lost two party tickets; PDP and AC. Honourable Deolu told us about a meeting which Obasanjo had with Ladoja and Adedibu, which confirmed my earlier assertion.
It seemed that Obasanjo wanted to redeem himself and see if he could help Ladoja get the PDP governorship ticket. Although the PDP primary had been held weeks before and Akala had won, Obasanjo could have disqualified the primary. Then, leaders were more powerful and important than party decisions.
However, Baba Adedibu refused and said Ladoja should be appeased in another way but he couldn’t get the governorship ticket. They decided to cut Ladoja a deal; he would nominate the deputy governor and they would also allow us to contest again for the state house of assembly on the PDP platform.
This was a fairly good arrangement, since we have suffered for him, fought for him, even had our lives threatened for his cause, we felt he could have nominated one for us for deputy and allowed the rest to contest for the state house, but Ladoja refused both offers.
Because he couldn’t get his governorship ticket, he decided that we too won’t get anything. This was an ambitious leader who cared less about the political fortune of his followers.
The AC ticket was also there on the platform of gold for him. Although the governorship ticket had been picked by Alhaji Oyedeji Alidodo, but we all knew he was a dummy candidate. Ladoja could have gotten the ticket anytime he wished and given us the opportunity to contest for the state house on the platform of the AC too but he was too afraid of Obasanjo to use the AC ticket and we lost out on that chance too.
However, at that moment, we still stuck with him. Funny enough, when we got back to Ibadan, even after the supreme Court judgement, the Adedibu pro honorables still tried to impeach the governor again, even when his rule remained only six months!
They brought their thugs and supporters to the State Assembly and occupied it for days. They sang songs and even cooked food at the state assembly building. We couldn’t access the house, so we had to start using the government house for our proceedings. We also passed the 2007 budget at the Government house.
However, after some time, the pro Adedibu honorables got off Ladoja’s case. This is because they became busy. Almost all of them had gotten a rerun ticket and they were busy campaigning for the 2007 election. They and their supporters later left the house for us.
To “compensate” us for being loyal to him blindly, Ladoja decided to give us each an opportunity to appoint the caretaker chairman of our respective local government for two months. Ladoja demanded register from INEC but he was not given in time. Before the time he received it, the tenure of the chairmen had expired. So we had two months to choose a caretaker chairman before the local government elections which happened to be in the same period with the general elections.
However with the experiences we faced with Ladoja, some of the leaders in his camp were still against us, especially the Sarafa Alli camp. They felt Ladoja had no business giving us the chance to appoint local government chairman caretakers.
“After all didn’t he take care of us in Lagos?” They said but they forgot we risked our own ambitions to bring him back. They started plotting against us and wanted to be the camp that installed the chairmen. Through their allies, they were able to get the House of
Reps to give an order which stated that the Oyo state honorables must sit as one or the house of reps would take control. They knew that if that happens, we won’t able to sit over and affirm the names of chairmen the governor sent. Then the offer of installing our own candidates would be lost to the Sarafa Alli camp.
We and the Sarafa Alli people were counting days to the implementation of the house of reps order. About three or four days to when the order would have effect, I and my colleagues decided to reach out to the Adedibu honorables. We needed to recoup our own efforts from the Ladoja struggle and we knew once the national assembly takes over the house, it would be very difficult for us to do so.
Although we had chosen different sides and strategize against each other in the past, some of them still remained our friends and we were able to get the assurance of other honorables.
It was not a fight between Ladoja and Baba Adedibu anymore. We saw our individual interests being threatened and we decided to come back together. On a day before the house of reps order will become effective, we were able to have a meeting together in the presence of newsmen; about twenty-six of us. The House of Representatives order became null and void.
That would be the last time and only sitting we would have together since August 2005, we were also able to ratify the names of the caretaker chairmen we had nominated. It was a win for us and a loss to the Sarafa Alli camp.
The day after the house of reps order became invalid, I met and supported engineer Seyi Makinde as a senator on the platform of ANPP. That would not be the first time I would be meeting him.
I had a first meeting with him on December 2006, based on invitation by Muyiwa Olaniyan. Then, they were next door neighbors. We met at his sitting room at Idi- ape, Oluwokekere’s axis before he moved to his present house.
He told me his ambition, and said he was interested in farming too. At that time, I didn’t know I was talking to a rich man. I liked his person instantly and promised to support him.
I later learnt that he was a member of the Fortune group. The group consists of members of Oyo state indigene from different parts of the state. Muyiwa Olaniyan, Late Hon Kehinde Ayoola,Femi Babalola Jogor, Muyideen Ladoja were also members of the group. Their meetings was held at Fortune Chinese restaurant from which I think the group got its name. At that time, the group was called Ladoja’s fortune group because the members supported Ladoja.
We became friendly afterwards and during his campaign for the Senate post, I led him into our camp. I introduced him to Chief Odubiyi, where he also met other leaders and supporters in the company of Wasiu Adeleke, I also took Seyi Makinde to my supporters at Igbejo in Oganlas Compound. By that time, I was the most important factor and decision maker in Ibadan North West. I was the honourable representing the local government at the house and my PA cum the manager of my political group was the caretaker chairman.
However, Seyi Makinde lost the election against Adedibu’s son Kamoru. Looking back, I believed he was rigged out. Although he challenged the election in court, efforts to reclaim his lost mandate was almost impossible. Only few judges have the guts to rise above the political force of Obasanjo and Adedibu then.
This just goes to show that Seyi Makinde had a humble beginning politically, he has had a dogged and rugged ambition for over 16 years before he achieved what he is today. If he had given up, he probably won’t be where he is today.
The National Assembly election was held on a Saturday. The day after, Chief Odubiyi called me to his house, and I went in the presence of Fatai Adetunji- My PA and the local government Chairman caretaker.
When we got to his house, chief told me he wanted to demand something from me, and I responded that I would give it to him if it’s in my power and possession to do so.
Chief Odubiyi told me “Josiah, I want you to contest for the Ibadan North West Chairmanship.”
