Senator Rasheed Ladoja, an Ibadan High Chief and former governor of Oyo State is a political colossus in the Pace Setter state. During the last general elections, he led his party, Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) to a coalition of four political parties to help Engineer Seyi Makinde of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), win the gubernatorial contest thereby making ZLP a force to reckon with. Two years after, ZLP is more or less in disarray with members pitching their tent with the two major political parties, PDP and All Progressives Congress (APC). KEMI OLAITAN reviews the situation.
Immediately after the last general election, Senator Rasheed Ladoja provided leadership not only for the Zenith Labour Party but for the coalition that produced Governor Seyi Makinde. While the agreement between the parties and the governor was not made known to the public, however the sign that all was not on well emerged when Makinde announced the composition of his cabinet and other appointments.
Some parties in the coalition including the gubernatorial candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator Femi Lanlehin, accused the governor of reneging on the agreement signed with the coalition. Lanlehin subsequently pulled out of the coalition, dumped his party and defected to the APC.
There was no love lost relationship between the government of Governor Makinde and the ZLP as apart from rejecting his membership of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), the gubernatorial candidate of the party, Barrister Sarafadeen Alli, continued to distance himself from the government.
This position of Alli, who is seen as political godson of Senator Rasheed Ladoja, to many political watchers represents the view of the former governor concerning the government of Governor Makinde.
That the frosty relationship may not end soon came to the fore February 12, when Barrister Alli led other prominent members of the party to a merger talks with the APC at the Premier Hotel, Ibadan. Ladoja’s loyalists at the meeting include former Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Adeolu Adeleke; as well as Messrs. Bimbo Adepoju; Waheed Akanbi; and K.K. Raji.
The APC team at the crucial meeting include the Caretaker Chairman of the party in the state, Chief Akin Oke; Chairman, Senate Committee on Local Contents, Senator Teslim Folarin, representing Oyo Central Senatorial District; two serving members of the House of Representatives namely Hon. Segun Odebunmi, representing Ogo-Oluwa/Surulere Federal Constituency, and Hon. Akeem Adeyemi, representing Oyo Federal Constituency.
Others are 2019 APC governorship aspirant in the state, Dr. Olusola Ayandele; Minority Leader of Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Asimiyu Alarape; former PDP chairman in the state, Yinka Taiwo; Secretary, APC Caretaker Committee in the state, Hon. Mojeed Olaoya; Secretary, APC Registration/Revalidation Committee, Olawale Sadare; and a chieftain of APC, Wale Ohu, who is a staunch loyalist of former governor of the state, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, who is the Chairman of the APC Elders’ Forum.
The former Speaker of the state House of Assembly and a chieftain of ZLP, Hon. Adeolu Adeleke, speaking on the outcome of the meeting, said, “We are in the period of consultations. So, we came together to consult on the political future of the two political parties. While it is true that ZLP and APC met, I can say this rightly that it is Bodija; which is the umbrella of ZLP, is bigger than the party. There are many people that belong to Bodija, both in APC and PDP. So, it is just a conglomerate of ZLP and other loyalists of Senator Ladoja. So, we came together to consult. We have not taken any decision to that effect. Then, in a couple of days to come, I believe the meeting will also come up with other political parties, that is PDP.”
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On whether Ladoja sanctioned the meeting, Adeleke said, “It will be extremely difficult for me to answer that question. But one thing that I can tell you authoritatively is that I can never engage myself in such a meeting without the consent of Senator Rasheed Adewolu Ladoja. So, I cannot tell you whether he gave the directive or not, but one thing I know very well is that I cannot involve myself in such a meeting without his consent. So I am neither confirming nor denying it. All I know I cannot engage myself in such a meeting without his consent.”
On why the ZLP held the merger meeting with APC, and not PDP that Ladoja supported to power in 2019, Adeleke stated, “This is a period of consultations. We are not members of PDP. We have met with APC at the state level. In a couple of days, we are going to meet with PDP also. The final decision would be taken on a particular party we will work with. So, we are just meeting ourselves. So, this will not be the last meeting, I can rightly say.
“We have not taken the final decision. We are going to meet other political party and that is PDP. But one thing I can tell you on a good note is that, at least, for now, from human perspective, it is either we belong to the PDP or we belong to APC at the end of the day.”
On his part, an APC chieftain, Mr. Wale Ohu, speaking after the meeting, said there was nothing new about the meeting. He said, “This is a season of consultations, party consultations. The ZLP symbolises by the Ladoja group and the APC led by our own party chairman, Chief Akin Oke, are here for deliberation and consultation. That is why we are here.
“It was a nice one. We are looking at a possibility of working together as politicians that we have been in Oyo State. The faces are not new. We know ourselves. We look at a possibility of making Oyo State better if we can now work together; that is the paramount thing in our mind and that is the essence of the sitting. So, that’s what we did today (Friday).
“I think we are progressing. The meeting was a very nice one. Old hands met, threw banners and we did consultations. We discuss on how to move this party forward to move the state forward and the signal are very impressive.The meeting is not about Alao-Akala and Ladoja. The meeting is about the APC as a party, which happens to have former governor, Alao-Akala as a member, and ZLP, which happens to have former Governor Ladoja as a member. So, the meeting was strictly between the APC and the ZLP. But the APC might be symbolic with Akala while the ZLP is symbolic with Ladoja.”
While political watchers were still expectant of possible outcome of the talks, the situation took another dimension five days after when some members of the ZLP led by the state Chairman of the party, Comrade Wole Abisoye, held a meeting with Governor Makinde and the Chairman, Governor’s Advisory Council, Senator Hosea Agboola a.k.a. Alleluyah, and subsequently defected to the PDP.
Abisoye and the other defecting members, apart from pledging allegiance to Governor Makinde and the PDP, sang his praises and commended his welfarist policy to workers and the pensioners in the state. He lauded Agboola for facilitating their return bid to the PDP, stating that he deliberately stayed away from the meeting held with the APC and led by Alli.
He said, “PDP is a better home. I can’t go back to the progressive that I left since Lam Adesina days. Senator Ladoja is aware of this meeting and that’s why you can see Lambash (Ladoja’s Media Aide), Alhaji Lanre Bashir and a host of others from across the state.”
Makinde while welcoming them to the PDP, insisted that he has been faithful with the agreement signed with the coalition, disclosing that a number of the members of the ADC and ZLP have been integrated into his government. He said, “Unknown to many, I am in constant touch with Baba Ladoja and we have exchanged messages this morning (Wednesday). Many don’t know and would carry unfounded rumours.I want to implore you to go back to your local government and am assuring you that there would be reward for your labour. I have simplified governance.
“I am not perfect but I am human who is fallible like every mortal. I have been trying my luck on the political turf since 2007 and it didn’t work until God said it was time. On 2023 and the future, let the will of God be done. Even before I became the governor, all I have always prayed for was that the will of God be done in my life. Whatever God has in store for everyone, it would come at His appointed time.”
A day after the meeting between Abisoye and others with Makinde, the state Secretary of ZLP, Hon. Bimbo Adepoju, said Abisoye and his co-travellers are on their own as the only meeting Senator Ladoja authorized was that held with the APC, with Alli, himself and others in attendance, stating that if the former governor would have anything to do with the PDP, he would not have sent any of those who attended the meeting with Governor Makinde.
He said, “Apart from Evangelist Suberu, from Egbeda Local Government, who is hiding his face in the picture and Adedokun from Ibadan North East, as the state secretary of the ZLP, I cannot identify any other party LG chairman who followed Comrade Wole Abisoye to the meeting. The woman there, Bola Olaniyi, from Ogbomoso is a civil servant and none of those in the picture are ZLP party officers. Alhaji Lanre Latiwo represented himself and not High Chief Rasheed Ladoja. You can please confirm the telephone conversation between him and our highly respected leader, Ladoja. Let Lambash tell the truth. As far as ZLP and our leader is concerned, Comrade Wole Abisoye is on his own because he never discussed the meeting with Governor Seyi Makinde with any party leader. Who represented Ibarapa, Oyo, Oke Ogun, Ibadan City and less city zones chairmen apart from the two people mentioned above at the meeting? The answer is NO.
“This is Abisoye who saw nothing good in Governor Seyi Makinde, even up till last week, until they met few days ago. He resigned his position as state chairman of the ZLP immediately the coalition parties adopted Engr Seyi Makinde as governorship candidate in 2019; he left and worked for APC. The Ladoja loyalists are still intact and transcend ZLP alone. For clarity, let those that attended the meeting show the photographs taken there and those that receive them. As far as ZLP/Ladoja loyalists are concerned, it is bye bye to liability and self centered people.”
