Aftermath of President Goodluck Jonathan’s visit to Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, the Awujale of Ijebuland and the subsequent refusal of the highly respected royal father, to publicly, endorse Jonathan for second term, it has been revealed that the president is not happy with the way the event turned out.
Competent sources within the presidency disclosed to The ELITES that, after the meeting with the Awujale, President Jonathan and members of the PDP inner caucus felt humiliated and became miffed with some of the party leaders from Ogun State, who made the presidency believe that they were popular in the state.
It was further revealed that the presidency, particularly, directed its anger towards the former governor of the state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, whom it accused, of being grandstanding with his control and structure in the state. Sources disclosed to The ELITES that the president was however shocked at the public and blunt refusal of the Awujale to endorse him, after the former governor had assured him of preparing the ground for a positive endorsement of his re-election bid.
According to the source, “These so-called influential PDP South West leaders have been siphoning millions of dollars from the president into their pockets. They gave him the false impression and hope that he would be accepted and endorsed by the royal fathers in the South West. The only politician, who seemed to have kept a ‘dignified’ distance from this dollar jamboree, and has proven to be on ground is Prince Buruji Kashamu.”
The ELITES gathered that an emergency PDP caucus meeting was however called after the visit to the Awujale, with a view to accessing and managing the situation. In attendance, were both former governors of the state- Otunba Gbenga Daniel and Aremo Olusegun Osoba. At the meeting, Gbenga Daniel was alleged to have proposed that the Awujale should be threatened with dethronment, a suggestion, which Aremo Osoba was reported to have opposed, with strong vehemence.
Daniel, reportedly, explained to the meeting that it was just a threat, which he had used against Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, the Alake of Egbaland, when he complained about bad roads during his regime. He reminded the meeting that, twice, the threat of dethronement had been used to intimidate the Awujale. According to him, the first time was in 1982, while the second occasion was during Abacha regime. Daniel was alleged to have said that the mission to return President Jonathan to office must be accomplished, even at the expense of the gubernatorial election in the state. He was reported to have urged the president to reduce the state’s monthly allocation to the incumbent governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun.
Osoba was said to have told the gathering that, the situation could still be salvaged before other prominent Yoruba obas decide to toe the Awujale’s line. He was vociferous in his rejection of the dethronement option and expressed his angst that such a suggestion could be tabled in a gathering where he was in attendance. However, he suggested that a huge financial war chest should be earmarked for rebranding. Osoba affirmed that his role is to spoil the re-election bid of the Governor Amosun, but he advised the PDP leaders to work on ensuring that President Jonathan is returned to office. He asked the president not to forget their agreement if he wins. His request was said to have warned the opposition of major PDP leaders in he state. They declared that Osoba would not be in charge of such war chest since he is not a member of the party.
The ELITES learnt that President Jonathan was the last person to speak. He expressed his dissapointment at the handling of party politics in the state. He lamented that the developmental projects, executed by Amosun’s administration are too visible to be ignored. He promised an immediate release of the sum of $2.5m for the “rebranding”, out of which $500,000 would be made available to Osoba. Jonathan was alleged to have promised that the sum of $1m should be released to some other Yoruba paramount, who would be persuaded, through the Afenifere group, to move for massive public endorsement of President JonathanTheElite .
|
