From left - Jubril Martins-Kuye, Olusegun Obasanjo and Gbenga Daniel
Wale Adedayo
Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu Villa,
5 Tajala Road, Okeliwo, Oke Ife,
Ijebu Ife, Ogun State, Nigeria.
24 August 2012.
His Excellency,
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo,
Hilltop,
Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Your Excellency,
Re-inventing Ogun State PDP
The Ogun State public is anxiously waiting for a re-invented Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to return to office in 2015 and continue from where it stopped in 2007 for genuine development. Unless the PDP wins the 2015 gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections this would not be possible. Unfortunately, it is clear from the body language of some PDP leaders in Ogun State that appointments and contracts from Abuja are more important than electoral victory in the State. Currently, I do not consider myself an active member of the PDP, but being a former Director of Organisation of the Party in Ogun State, I feel one should point out a few holes in the party’s walls.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State today is not substantially different from its Lagos State counterpart, lacking a clearly acceptable leadership, which is a definite insurance for electoral victory – the goal of any political party. President Olusegun Obasanjo, as Icon of the Party in Nigeria today, needs to step away from all the factions and carefully work on modalities to reposition the PDP as an organisation capable of claiming electoral victory in 2015.
The challenges
Managing the egos of the party’s many leaders is the major challenge facing the Ogun State PDP.
The leaders mentioned above are persons who can be credited with having credible political structures in one or more divisions of the State. These divisions are: Yewa, Egba, Remo and Ijebu. These leaders, for good or for ill, have definite influence over the fortunes of the party. And until all, or a substantial number of these leaders, get under one umbrella can the Ogun State PDP return to its pre-2008 position as a credible platform for electoral victory.
The leaders with egos
1. Otunba Gbenga Daniel: Following his re-election in 2007, the former Ogun State Governor envisions himself as a reincarnation of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. He wants to be seen as Yoruba Leader, thus those in Ogun State are way below him.
2. Senator Jubril Martins-Kuye: A fall from an acknowledged position of ‘Leading Leader’ since June 2007 has ‘forced’ JMK away from active politics. Unfortunately, instead of ‘fighting’ to reclaim his place, JMK remained passive (June 2007 – December 2010), submissive (January – June 2011) and later passively-active (July 2011 – Till date).
3. Prince Buruji Kashamu: Unexpected ‘beneficiary’ of JMK’s fall and unintended instrument of OGD’s emasculation. After spending billions of naira to support OGD, JMK and Ogun State PDP - in that order, Kashamu believes he has earned a place as the major stakeholder in the Party in this part of Nigeria.
4. Hon. Dimeji Bankole: Having occupied the seat of Nigeria’s Number Four Citizen, and still actively involved in the politics of the lower chamber of the National Assembly, DM merits this list. Currently, he is very passive where PDP is concerned believing that the topmost leadership of the party was responsible for his electoral defeat in the 2011 elections.
Ogun State today
Despite arguments about the quality of projects executed under the PDP-controlled OGD Government, there is certain nostalgia almost all over the State about a need to return to that era. Even in Abeokuta, where a few quality projects by the current Government are going on, ordinary people are not happy that the economy of the town is not being positively affected by such projects unlike what obtains under the PDP.
But a clear distinction seems to have been made between OGD and PDP with the results of the last local government elections despite the heavy rigging done in favour of the ACN. Most local governments recorded more votes for the PDP than PPN. Ironically, PPN was better organised and worked more among the grassroots than the PDP.
What the above shows is a love for the PDP by the average voter in Ogun State, which can readily translate into electoral asset IF and only IF the leadership of the PDP can put its house in order.
The way forward
You should convene at least three meetings to ‘seek opinions’ and chart a way forward. But before you even initiate these meetings, a phone call about the desirability of peace in Ogun State PDP should have been made to each of the four leaders identified above. Let them know you’ll be convening meetings, which will later involve them, with the rank and file of the party.
The meetings:
1. Ward Leaders: Five carefully selected leaders from each of the State’s 236 Wards should be invited for a meeting in Abeokuta. But you may also want to break the meetings into Divisions (Yewa, Egba, Remo and Ijebu), thus travelling to each area to interact with its leaders. Open the meeting. Invite brief responses. Respond to every issue. Tell them the process of reconciliation has begun. End meeting.
2. Local Government Leaders: 25 leaders from each of the 20 local governments should be involved. This should be held centrally in Abeokuta. Same approach as in Ward.
3. State: Five leaders from each Division. Venue should be Abeokuta. Same as in Ward.
A final meeting with the Big Four identified above should be held after a review of the previous meetings has been done by you.
It is my sincere belief that this organisational approach can assist you to get facts with which to persuade each leader to embrace peace and return the Party to the path of honour.
Yours sincerely,
Wale Adedayo
* Adedayo, the Publisher of Uhuru Times was a former Chief Press Secretary to former Ogun State Governor - Otunba Gbenga Daniel; former Director of Organisation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ogun State; and Assistant Editor (Politics) of Punch Newspapers Nigeria.