Atiku’s Supporters in Oyo Square Up against Makinde

Kemi Olaitan writes that the unyielding position of Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, to turn his back on the presidential candidate of PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, may turn out to be a disaster waiting to happen.

From his comments and body language it seems Governor Seyi Makinde has refused to let up in escalating  the crisis in the main opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as he alongside other four governors have refused to be part of the campaign of the presidential flag bearer of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, with the elections less than four months away.

For political observers in the pace setter state, the statement credited to the state deputy governor, Chief Bayo Lawal, who spoke on behalf of Makinde, at the endorsement of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, by some Yoruba leaders during a parley held at the Akure residence of the former Leader of the pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, speaks volume of what lies ahead before the election.

The crisis in the PDP which has pitched five governors Makinde; Nyesom Wike of Rivers State; Samuel Ortom of Benue State; Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu state against the PDP, has become a source of concern to political watchers with many seeing the governors working towards failing in the elections. 

Lawal while addressing the gathering in Akure, had said his principal, Governor Seyi Makinde, supports Afenifere leaders on their preferred choice of presidential candidate for the 2023 elections, stating that the Oyo governor has always been in support of the decisions taken by Afenifere.

His words: “Since he (Makinde) has become a governor, he hasn’t played with issues concerning Yorubaland. There is no time Baba (Fasoranti) calls him that he doesn’t answer. Whatever they are doing, whether it’s under Afenifere or another group, Governor Seyi Makinde has always been doing.

“Now, we are not of the same party, but we are connected by race. For this reason, the message he (Makinde) sent is that in Yorubaland, whatever you do, he is in support of it.”

The governor while also speaking during a live interview session on a radio station in Ibadan, said he would only support Atiku if the party does the needful, as according to him, the party must demonstrate that it can ensure fairness and justice within its system before seeking to implement same on the nation.

Despite denial from the camp of the governor that his views do not suggest that he was endorsing Asiwaju Tinubu against Atiku who is the presidential candidate of his party, there were swift reactions from prominent leaders of the PDP in the state who kicked against the position of Makinde.

For many of them that include former Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Oloye Jumoke Akinjide and former Minister of Steel and Power, Elder Wole Oyelese, the coming election is for the party to win in the state and that they are supporting Atiku and other candidates of the party all the way.

Oyelese speaking during an emergency meeting of the leaders of the party from the 33 local government areas of the state, said Governor Makinde with the comment coming from him and his deputy, was not speaking for the party in the state but speaking for himself,  stating that PDP leaders would work only work and deliver the state for the presidential candidate of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and other candidates in 2023.

According to him, “A good politician would not speak like that. For Makinde to say he would not work for Atiku doesn’t mean anything. He is on his own! It is an empty threat! If he said we should not vote for Atiku, who are we voting for? We are too sophisticated for that in Oyo state. Makinde is a new comer in Oyo state politics but we shall continue to work for our party. However, we are working for Atiku in a special way. My advise for any politician who wants to win in Oyo State is to come to mainstream. Mainstream is the leadership of the party in the state.

“What is the position of Yoruba on this matter that Makinde is talking about? We don’t have a position. Baba Fasoranti is saying something and Baba Adebanjo is saying another thing. We are not having a position in Yoruba land. Our members remain steadfast and committed. This is our party and we cannot allow it to breakdown.”

Speaking in a similar vein, another leader of the party in the state, Femi Babalola, said the governor is also guilty of the issued he raised against Atiku.

He said, “He that comes to equity must come with clean hands. As an Engineer, I analyse issues. The first question I asked myself was, is it good for a Northerner to take over from a Northerner? And another question is that is it good for an Ibadan man to take over from an Ibadan man that spent eight years? So, for Makinde that benefited from such, why is he now antagonising another person? He didn’t see anything that is wrong in that but when it is Atiku, it is wrong.

“Also, did he distribute key positions equitably, key positions were appointed from the governor’s local government, Ibadan North East, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), the Commissioner for Finace, Commissioner for local government and the only PDP Senator in Oyo are all from Ibadan North East. He is now speaking of equity, that should not come from him.

“We are for Atiku and we are for the PDP, you can see leaders and stakeholders across the 33 local governments here, and we are all ready to win Oyo State for our presidential candidate.”

Akinjide through a group within the party that she is leading in the state, National Mandate Group (NMG), in a statement, opposed the stance of the governor not to support Atiku stating that it is wholeheartedly and unshakeably determined to support the presidential candidate and all other candidates of the party during the 2023 elections. The group insisted that Atiku is the best qualified leader to rescue, reform and restore Nigeria to greatness and that it is vehemently refuting, disowning and denying  any suggestion that PDP in the state will support any other candidate than Atiku.

It also decried any attempt to  denigrate the use of the state anthem which it regarded as the heritage of all the citizens of the state regardless of religious or political affiliation, noting that it is totally unacceptable and demeaning to reduce the anthem in the service of mere partisan politics.

The group similarly maintained that the state anthem speaks of the rich and God given frontline position of the state as a pathfinder and should remain inviolable and unsullied, urging the people of the state to vote for the PDP all the way down the ballot.

The statement read in part, “We give our wholehearted and unshakeable resolve and commitment to support the presidential Candidate of our party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and indeed all other PDP candidates during the upcoming 2023 general elections. We are confident that Alhaji Abubakar is the best qualified leader to rescue, reform and restore Nigeria to greatness.

“The NMG (Oyo State chapter) as PDP leaders and members hereby vehemently refute,

disown and deny any suggestion that the Oyo State PDP will support any candidate other than Atiku Abubakar for the Presidency of Nigeria.

“We deeply abhor and frown at any denigration or use of our Oyo State anthem, of which we are justly proud, and which is the heritage of all Oyo State citizens regardless of religious or political affiliation, to imply support for any candidate whosoever vying for political office.

It is totally unacceptable and demeaning to reduce the Oyo State anthem in the service of mere partisan politics. Our State anthem speaks of our rich and God given frontline position as the pathfinder state and should remain inviolable and unsullied.”

Some political observers believed that the position of Makinde not to be part of the presidential campaign of the party and indirectly throwing his weight behind candidate of an opposition party, may be counter productive for the party in the state.

According to analysts, out of the five aggrieved governors in the PDP, it is only Makinde that is running for second time and given the fact that it is the presidential and National Assembly elections that would hold first, how possible would it be for him to tell voters to cast their vote for candidates of the party for National Assembly and reject the presidential candidate in the same election?

Political analysts are of the view that as the leader of PDP in the state, it is incumbent on Makinde to thread softly and not plunge the party into an avoidable defeat which may consume the governor himself. The present situation in which leaders of the party in the state are singing discordant tunes, they believed is unhealthy and may likely have consequence on other candidates of the party who do not want to be part of the intractable crisis which is already taken its toll on the party which was once at the helms of affairs in the country for 16 years.

With Makinde not ready to shift ground from the position he and other four governors are holding tenaciously to, political pundits are expressing fear that it would be a political wonder how he intend to win the other elections for the party and turning his back against the presidential candidate of the party under which he is running for second term.