A Chieftain of the of the People’s Democratic Party in Oyo State, Bola Akinyemi has alleged that the State Executive Council of the party led by Alhaji Kunmi Mustapha is not helping Governor Seyi Makinde to succeed saying the Governor is only being told what a cabal feels he should hear and not the truth.
Akinyemi who was Aanuoluwapo Omorinde’s guest on BOTTOM LINE – a political programme on IBR 92.5fm Ibadan over the Weekend expressed fear that should the situation continue unchecked, the party may have itself to blame in the long run.
In his words, “ordinarily, it is a failure of political calculation if we have people in Oyo State who will not queue behind Governor Seyi Makinde and that is why I tell you that infrastructurally, Governor Makinde is doing wonderfully well but politically, he is not getting things right”.
“They make the Governor hear what they want him to hear and not what he should hear”.
“One of the success stories of Governor Akala is Doctor Saka Balogun. He would meet him in the evening and tell him Bayo, all you did in the morning are yours. Things cannot go that way and he would explain things to him. Unfortunately, there is nobody in this government that is helping my brother the Governor to do that. Everybody is just saying this is what Oga wants no! It is not everytime that it should be about what Oga wants”.
On how the State Executive Council is not helping the Governor, he made reference to the perceived lukewarm attitude of the Council to genuine reconciliation within the party.
“There is the Constitution of the party and let me tell you, members of the State Executive Council are not helping Governor Seyi Makinde at all. When pressed to be explicit he asked “what have they done to bring the aggrieved juggernaults within the party together to settle the crisis in the party?”.
When reminded of the role the State Executive Council of the party played in the Saka Balogun led reconciliation Committee, he dismissed the claim saying “the report of the reconciliation Committee has been submitted about five months ago, what has been done to it?”.
He also faulted the suspension of Elder Taiwo Iyiola, the Chairman of the PDP in Ibadan North East Local Government area of Oyo State.
According to him, “Is the State Executive telling us that those people who sacrificed all to ensure that the Governor emerges should be thrown away from the party simply because he had a photograph with Eddy Olafeso? Is Eddy Olafeso not a member of the PDP?”.
Continuing he said ” that Taiwo Iyiola took a photograph with Eddy Olafeso is not an affront on the Governor. It behoves my brother the Governor to open up. For now, he is not and I am afraid for him. He is not opening up. These days, there is a cocoon that is covering up the Governor that you cannot talk to the Governor as you wish. What is wrong if the Governor calls his Chairman (Iyiola Taiwo)?”.
“That he took picture in the sitting room of Alhaji Bisi Olopoenia with Eddy Olafeso is it an anti party activity? Is Alhaji Olopoenia not in the PDP? Is Eddy Olafeso not in the PDP? I am not concerned about the personal grouse of Alhaji Olopoenia and Governor Makinde. I don’t know how and when it started and it will be stupid of me to want to interfere in what I don’t know when it started but we are saying is that this person attended a meeting in a PDP Chietain’s house, has the Governor called these Chairmen to tell them this is where we are going?”.
“It was this same Eddy Olafeso that the Governor used to hijack the PDP structure few years back and that made former Governor Ladoja to leave the party then so, if the Governor has an issue with the same man today, they should resolve it”.
He suggested the Governor reshuffle his cabinet urgently to accomodate experienced Politicians.
“As I said on this radio, I wish the Governor has someone who is versatile as his Special Adviser on Political Matters, a lot of problems will be taken off his neck”.
On the street credibility claim of Governor Makinde, he advised him not to be carried away pointing out that former Governor is known to be popular but that he lost election twice. “How many of those who are hailing the governor on the street have Voter Cards,” He retorted.
