The Deputy Governor, of Ogun State Segun Adesegun, as well as former
State Governor Olusegun Osoba have defected from the All Progressives Congress
to the Social Democratic Party.
A reliable source, who made this known on Wednesday, also said
that the three APC senators from the state and six members of House
of Representatives had joined the SDP train.
The Senators are Adegbenga Kaka, Gbenga Obadara and Akin Odunsi, who
represent Ogun East, Ogun Central and Ogun West respectively.
The members of the House of Representatives are Kunle Adeyemi, Babatunde
Olabode, Olumide Osoba, Abiodun Abudu, Odeleye Kehinde and Bukunola Buraimo.
News of their defection coincided with the resignation of Governor
Ibikunle Amosun’s Senior Special Assistant on Environment, Abayomi Odunowo.
Adesegun had on October 24 sent a stinker to Amosun, accusing him
of starving his office of funds, and allocating old vehicles to
him.
In the letter personally signed by him and published on
October 29, the deputy governor advised Amosun to fear God
and warned that he might not win the next governorship poll in the state.
A part of the letter read, “Your Excellency, while writing this letter,
my thoughts race to my university days in Ile-Ife, Osun State where I joined a
group of bikers travelling around the country out of youthful exuberance.
“During this period, one of my pastimes was reading inscriptions on cars
and buses to amuse myself. In 1978, I witnessed a fatal accident
near a big tree at Alakia Junction in Ibadan on the way to Ile-Ife involving a
white Peugeot 504 station wagon. Nearly everybody in the car died; shockingly
there were several amulets hung over the car that had the word “I shall return”
boldly inscribed on both sides. Unfortunately, it did not return. I
therefore conclude that we all must fear God.”
Kaka and Obadara confirmed the defection of the politicians during
separate telephone chats with our correspondents.
One of our correspondents had asked the Senator if the
Osoba group had left the APC, he replied “Something like that.”
When asked to be specific on Osoba and Adesegun, he said, “All of us; we
will soon have a formal unveiling.”
Kaka also disclosed that Osoba
and the National Assembly members loyal to him had started
consultations and sensitisation visits to the Local Government Areas in the
state.
He said, “What we are doing currently is that we are going about to the
local governments to sensitise the people of the need to register and get their
permanent voter cards.
“But we have not formally defected. You know that if someone wants to
defect to another party, it must be done formally, so we need to do that.”
On his part, Obadara said, “Yes, I am in the SDP. But it has
not been made formal; we are in the process of making it formal. In fact, all
the senators and members of the House of Representatives are also in the SDP.
“We are out to rescue Ogun State from recklessness and provide good
governance. We are not going to run a government of my friends, my school mates
and my family.”
When contacted , Adesegun said he would always be in a party where his
leader(Osoba) belonged.
He said, “Osoba is our leader, I am talking about politics in
Yorubaland. Nobody can create leaders for us in Ogun State.”
Efforts to speak with Osoba did not yield any result, as he
neither picked a call made to his telephone line nor responded to the text
message sent to him on the matter.
When contacted, the state commissioner for Information and
Strategy, Yusuph Olaniyonu, said, “It is purely a party
affair.”
But the national leadership of the APC expressed shock over the
defection, saying the party would restrategise to
cushion the effect of the defection of the politicians.
It said through its National Publicity
Secretary, Lai Mohammed, that it was inching towards
reconciling the factions in its Ogun State chapter.
“We read it only in the newspapers like you read it. We thought we were
making a breakthrough in our reconciliation talks. So, it was a shock to us,”
the APC added.
It admitted that the defection might affect its chances of retaining the
state in 2015, but said it “will go back to the drawing board and
redouble our efforts.”
On what would happen to the deputy governor of the state, the APC said,
“The party in Ogun State will decide what to do with the deputy governor. Right
now, our own is to face the new challenge.”
Just as news of the defection of Osoba and others gained ground, the SSA
on Environment to Amosun told The PUNCH that he had resigned. His
resignation came barely two months after the Special
Adviser to the governor on Environment, Abimbola Lanre-Balogun,
quit.
Odunowo, in his resignation letter dated October 31, 2014
and addressed to the Secretary to the State Government, Taiwo
Adeoluwa, said he wanted to pursue a new opportunity, which has ‘‘presented
itself.’’
Part of the letter read, “This is to inform you that an opportunity has
presented itself that will enable me to work in the area of my stated
preference.
“I believe the reasons leading to this decision are known to you and I
will therefore leave them unsaid at this time.
“I am therefore tendering my resignation letter and wish to inform you
that 5th November, 2014, will be my last day in employment.”
Odunowo thanked the governor for the opportunity given him to serve,
describing it as a ‘‘truly outstanding experience.’’
Odunowo said that he resigned to pursue his senatorial ambition,
stressing that he wanted to effect a change for the people of Ogun East.