There are strong indications that President Goodluck Jonathan and the
Peoples Democratic Party are wooing a group, led by a former governor, Chief
Olusegun Osoba, in Ogun State’s All Progressives Party to the PDP.
Investigations on Sunday in Abuja revealed that since the crisis in Ogun
State’s APC remained intractable, the Presidency and the PDP had intensified
efforts to convince Osoba’s group to defect to the ruling party.
It was gathered that the calculation of the PDP was that the defection
of the former governor and his supporters would shore up Jonathan’s chances in
the 2015 presidential election in the state.
Besides, the ruling party also thought that Osoba’s group defection
would assist in neutralising the influence of former President Olusegun
Obasanjo, who had not hidden his opposition to Jonathan’s 2015 presidential
ambition.
The crisis in Ogun APC worsened on Friday when Osoba, the state Deputy
Governor, Prince Segun Adesegun, who is a political godson of the former
governor, and all members of the National Assembly from the state, boycotted
the APC national convention in Abuja.
Osoba’s group had disagreed with the state Governor, Ibikunle Amosun,
over the conduct of the congress of the party in the state.
Osoba and his loyalists had, on May 29, 2014, rejected sharing of party
offices with Amosun’s faction of the APC.
The former governor hinted at the possibility of leading his supporters
out of the APC.
Addressing his supporters, he said, “As I stand before you, I swear
before God and Jesus Christ, my Lord, I promise you all that the issue of
forgiveness is no more. If you stand firmly as a warrior, that is enough for
me; if you are ready, there is no more room for reconciliation. If thousands of
people prostrate; it is what you want that I will do; it is what you say that I
will say; I will stand where you stand; I want to appeal to you, don’t be
distracted.”
A member of the PDP National Working Committee, who pleaded anonymity
because he was not permitted by the party to speak on the issue, confided in
one of our correspondents that the PDP and the President wanted Osoba and his
loyalists to defect to the PDP.
He said, “I can tell you that the Presidency and the PDP have been
reaching out to the former governor and his group. We believe that Osoba is
strong politically and he will add value to our party. We need him and his
group to win Ogun and neutralise Obasanjo’s influence.”
But when contacted, the Senator representing Ogun East, Adegbenga Kaka,
said, “For now, I can only speak for myself. I am sure we (in the Osoba
faction) will meet, harmonise our position and make it known at the appropriate
time.”
Kaka, who has been speaking on behalf of the group, confirmed that the
PDP was among the political parties which had made overtures to him.
The senator, in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents in
Abuja on Sunday, said he was not speaking for other members of the group.
He, however, said that he was confident that the group members would
soon meet to harmonise positions.
According to him, what he is after is what is best for his people,
adding that he will not be stampeded out of the APC.
Asked if the ruling PDP had made overtures to the group, he said, “Not
only the PDP, everybody has been approaching me; all parties have been
approaching me.
“I am a progressive to the core, even the Labour Party, the UPN,
everybody but I am looking out for what is in the best interest of my people so
those who are thinking that I am going to leave the APC for them are kidding.”
“I am not moving to any party. I am still in the APC. I am not moving to
any party, let alone the Peoples Democratic Party.
“What we are fighting for is justice and democracy, PDP does not
represent that for anybody to say I am sure the person is being uncharitable to
me. I remain in the APC and I don’t run away from a fight. We will fight until
justice is done. We will fight until what we believe is just is done.”
When contacted the Chairman of the PDP in Ogun State, Chief Bayo Dayo,
confirmed that the party was discussing with the APC group led by Osoba.
He stated, “Negotiations are always going on in all political parties.
It was going on in the APC when our people were defecting to them. We have
their people defecting to our party in a very large scale now.”
Dayo said that the PDP was planning a mega rally in Ogun State to
receive defectors from the APC.
He said that no fewer than 50,000 APC members had joined the PDP.
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