Only time will tell. Just like I posited in one of my intervention series, it would have been good for Ajimobi to continue with his caretaker style of running councils than this IMPOSITION. It can only last FOUR MONTHS for things to dawn on him. I pray he doesn’t have himself to blame. I cannot pretend not to know the reason why he decided to opt for imposition. It is simple. None of his preferred choices would make it if primaries had held. And as the 2019 election draws near, he wants to have more delegates. In fact, nobody was ready to collect money from him. How Ajimobi arrived at IMPOSITION which he called CONSENSUS baffles me. For consensus to take place, all those who obtained nomination forms should have agreed. Major stakeholders, including elected representatives must be involved. This is not fair at all. So for the close to 7 years that Ajimobi has been in the saddle, he cannot boast of absolute control of the party. That, to me, is shameful. Some people may want to blame Chief Oke. He is ‘unblameable’. If they had rallied round him before now, things wouldn’t have degenerated to this level. Only the court of law can correct this anomally. More than 50 per cent of the IMPOSED candidates did not even obtain nomination forms. His SENACO faction is now more DIVIDED with the imposition.
In fact, the entire process is a rape on democracy.
Read the statement by the governor’s media team.
The emphasis (in capital letters) are mine.
“Addressing DELEGATES at the event, the governor said that the CONSENSUS ARRANGEMENT was adopted in line with Section 20A, Subsection 1,2,3 and 4 of the party’s constitution.
He said that the section empowers PARTY’S LEADERS and STAKEHOLDERS across the state to deliberate and reach a consensus on how to pick candidates for elections, in order to avoid what he called bad blood within the party’s hierarchy.
The governor explained that the desire of the party’s leadership to forestall rancour and the determination to go into the election as a united entity informed the adoption of the consensus arrangement.
“Let us thank God for the peaceful outing. You will see that most election primaries have always been very rancorous, but in our own case, it was very peaceful and was conducted in line with the constitution of our party.
“Particularly, if you look at page 74, Sections 1,2,3,4 of our constitution it was clearly stated that once you have elected members from the wards to the various levels of the party organs, you can have them as a collegiate group.
“They can then become delegates that will participate and vote at a designated location for candidates of their choice; and that is what we have done today.
“We have been able to bring together all elected party members, National and State Assembly members representing the state, including leaders from the local government and ward levels. We all agreed to have consensus candidates.”
I wouldn’t want to call Ajimobi a liar as our culture forbids a young person to refer to an adult in such manner. However, Ajimobi should be bold enough to tell the whole world the names of those party leaders and stakeholders he consulted. I am very sure most of them would have supported primaries instead of IMPOSTION.
Ajimobi is fearful. Is he not Akanji Eru that his loyalists call him? Ladoja cannot say anything against him; he has his dossiers! He has answers for every criticism. He will give you as you give him. Some people once shouted Sheu as he was entering his jeep. He told his driver to stop. And he replied: “Eyin na, Musa Yar’Adua”; a direct reference to late Major General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua.
But what is my own in all these? While I await for the aspirants to go to court, to seek redress, I will like to urge the governor to watch his back. He should remember the Gbenga Daniels, Babangida Aliyu, Emmanuel Uduaghan of this world. Should I congratulate the IMPOSED candidates? Never! That will not come from me. Enjoy it while the offer lasts.
