By Olufeemi Benjamin
Let's not dwell too much on inanities, let's go straight to the point.
Late Sen. Isiaka Adeleke moved to APC in 2014 with his entire political structure, that single move cost the PDP the gubernatorial election and condemned the party to another 4 years in opposition a journey which has now been extended to 8 years.
Sen. Isiaka Adeleke of blessed memory could not sacrifice his ambition for the sake of the party and the suffering masses. He went ahead and picked the Senatorial ticket of the APC an offer he had hitherto rejected in PDP.
Fast forward to 2018, we lost Sen. Isiaka Adeleke, PDP as a family mourned the death of a man we saw as a great leader despite that he had abandoned the party a little less than 4 years before then. When the party they belonged to rejected and turned them away in their quest to replace Sen Isiaka with his younger brother the PDP extended a branch of love, accepted them wholeheartedly and conceded the senatorial ticket APC had denied them to the younger brother Sen. Ademola Adeleke despite his deficiencies.
2018 gubernatorial election comes and Sen. Ademola Adeleke clinched the PDP ticket after defeating his closest rival Dr Akin Ogunbiyi by 7 votes, even on a controversial results, the closest margin ever in Osun PDP primary elections history. This however did not deter the Adeleke family from taking the position of Alpha and Omega.
Immediately after they got the gubernatorial ticket they sought to make Ede the home of Osun PDP, they became too big to go to the party secretariat for anything, if the party has anything to be done they had to report to Aisu first. Well, nobody objected to it at that point because they had rightfully earned such arrogance with the gubernatorial ticket in their hands, however the moment the election was over and final judgement passed at the supreme court one would have expected that they relinquish the power bequeathed to them by the party back to the custodian trusted by party members to hold the structure in place and quietly go back to preparing for the next election if they still had any ambition to pursue.
This however has not been so as they have reverted to all manner of crude, dirty and nauseating politics just to take hold of the party structure to give Sen. Ademola automatic ticket for the next election.
Never in the history of politics have I seen or heard of where automatic ticket is forcefully given to a candidate without a general consensus.
It is sad that because of the deep pockets of Dr Deji Adeleke the conscience of many leaders of the party has been bought while some sold their voice.
It is public knowledge that Dr Deji Adeleke himself rejected the offer of an automatic ticket which was proposed by Elder Peter Babalola and seconded by Chief Banddy from Osogbo LG, at the county home of the Adeleke's, an offer which could at best be personal as they had not been given such assignment by the party, however Dr Deji Adeleke still rejected and made it clear that he was not a member of the party and his family especially his brother Sen Ademola be left alone to rest.
The truth however is that Dr Deji Adeleke might truly not have considered himself a member of the PDP but as a core capitalist which he obviously is he was seeing the PDP as an investment that must yield profit.
All fingers as of today are pointing to Dr Deji Adeleke as the mastermind behind the crisis enveloping the party in the state.
Ever since the temporary takeover of the party by the Ede cabal Democracy has been replaced by Autocracy and the party is now ruled via fiat & order as opposed to the constitution and rule of law. Any gathering of PDP members that isn't in the interest of the Adeleke's is declared illegal and participants suspended from the party, the latest being Hon. Gbemi Olufiade and some of his gallant comrades from Area Office Modakeke who rose to challenge the absurdity being perpetrated under the party's umbrella.
It is also worthy of note to point out that you're allowed to throw incentives on anybody including party leaders like Baba Olu Alabi, Baba Shuaib Oyedokun and the rest but the moment Dr Deji Adeleke is mentioned you're issued with threats even by party leaders and if its on PDP WhatsApp groups you most likely will earn an automatic expulsion except the admin of such groups is independent minded
Dr Deji Adeleke at this point ought to reconsider his ways, he should think of not too far ago when Adagunodo gave them all they wanted, Up Adagunodo, Chairman alubarika was the shout all over Aisu, what changed?
Same Adagunodo was party chairman when Sen. Ademola emerged gubernatorial candidate in a fair primary election which Hon. Adagunodo oversaw and which they emerged victorious.
That you funded your brothers election which was lost at the supreme court does not mean the party owes you anything. If you have ambition you can't force people to support you lobby, attract them with what you have to offer. This is 2020, Adedibu style of politics can only apply to an extent before crumbling these days.
If Hon. Adagunodo had given another candidate the automatic ticket in 2018 like they seek now would they have had the opportunity to participate and win the election? Would they have accepted that decision without any qualms?
The cabal in Ede should get off the neck of the party and allow it breathe. PDP is not APC that one man can control, we are too big for a godfather imposition politics.
PDP has never lacked candidates or funding and would never lack it, PDP survived without anybody's money.
Dr Deji should also caution supporters of the country home against vile attacks on party members when they express dissenting views as opposed to the Ede agenda.
The overzealous members of the state working committee that have resorted to rule by fiat and now order ward chairmen to suspend party members for pursuing interests against that of the Ede cabal. It is not just embarrassing but shameful to see the SWC in the pocket of an individual and placing the ambition of an individual far above party interest, a situation which had being impossible before now under the leadership of Hon. Adagunodo.
The inability of the acting chairman to condemn this act points in the direction of tactic support which has now degenerated to the point of where the leaders now send thugs to disrupt meetings being held by members an act which took place in Modakeke which yours truly was participating in. The good part of the story is that the thugs were resisted and dealt with by those at the meeting.
Every day dissent keeps growing against the negative developments in the party, the ordinary party members express concerns everyday to the leadership which have turned deaf ears to all reasonable pleas of sound reasoning and good conscience.
Party supporters have been echoing that with the current trend we are set on another journey of opposition which has consistently featured the Adeleke family since 2014.
I expect that at the end of the constitutionally stipulated time of 90 days, Hon Adagunodo is reinstated as party chairman and sanity restored to an extent in the party.
Olufemi Benjamin ✌🏾
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