The rift between Ogun State governor, Ibikunle Amosun, and his predecessor, Olusegun Osoba, widens, as campaign of calumny gradually creeps into the face-off, writes Assistant Editor (South West), MUYIWA OLALEYE.
A major trend in the engagement is the incidence of accusation and counter-accusation from both parties.
The formation of SDP came about following the movement of aggrieved members from APC to the party, led by Olusegun Osoba former governor of the state.
The exodus, on its own, had stemmed from irreconcilable differences between Amosun and Osoba. The impasse had, somehow, existed between the two even before their political marriage eventually went awry. Osoba and Amosun started off as enemies on the political turf in 2002. The governor was in the then All Peoples Party (APP) that later metamorphosed to All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), which later joined in the fusion that gave rise to APC. Osoba, then, was in Alliance for Democracy (AD).
However, by 2011, tables had turned and the duo bonded in Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) that took power from the departing PDP government of Gbenga Daniel.
They are back to the trenches as foes. The fight stemmed from the battle to control the soul of APC at inception.
While the battle rages, the national leadership of the APC failed to resolve the crisis. Apparently feeling disappointed, late last year, Osoba led his supporters out of APC to SDP.
Analysts in the state believe that if Amosun loses his re-election bid, it would be a direct consequence of that exodus because, performance-wise, they maintained that he has done well.
All parties are campaigning for election and that has provided a platform for politicians to launch attack against their rivals. Osoba threw the first stone recently in his bid to unseat the man he helped to power when he described Amosun as a “sectional governor”.
He went forward to invite the Ijebu to observe the perceived injustice allegedly perpetrated against the deputy governor, Segun Adesegun, by the governor, describing the development as a slap on Ijebu land.
The former governor threw the salvo while meeting with a section of traditional title-holders in Ago-Iwoye, Ijebu North Local Government Area of the state. He accused Amosun of concentrating his projects in Abeokuta and environs to the disadvantage of other parts of the state.
He queried the thinking behind abandoning the Ago-Iwoye Bridge which his administration initiated while Amosun is building bridges at Sapon, Itoku and Iyana Mortuary in Abeokuta.
Osoba also alleged that Amosun’s government had failed the people by denying them dividends of democracy and urged the electorate to send the party packing through the polls. He equally condemned the romance between Amosun and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, describing Amosun as a stooge of the former president. He added that most supporters of Amosun are loyalists of the ex-president.
“Amosun has used his three and a half years to concentrate in a particular area. He is a sectional governor.
“We gave Adesegun as Amosun’s deputy because of his experience as commissioner for works. We had expected that the governor would tap from Adesegun’s wealth of experience in governance, but the governor chose otherwise and started constructing bridges where there is no water.
“Amosun really dealt with Adesegun; he maltreated him. Ijebu people should not see the insult meted out to Adesegun as that of Adesegun alone; they should see it as a collective insult. Therefore, it is time for Ijebu people to fight back with their votes. I’m begging you to stop the maltreatment of the Ijebu with your votes,” Osoba said.
Amosun has, however, responded to the allegation of being a sectional governor as baseless, urging Osoba to play politics of facts. He stressed that he is a governor for all, but admitted that by the fact of being the state capital, Abeokuta belongs to all and should enjoy special infrastructure.
The governor chose similar venue in Ijebuland to reply Osoba during his address before some traditional rulers in Ijebu North, the same local government area where Osoba threw the first pebble.
“I will only urge our leader, Chief Osoba, to let us play politics of facts. I have vowed not to engage in politics of sentiments and frivolities, but, that of facts. But, because that allegation has been made, it is important to clear the air to our people. We should not be playing such politics.
“We have bridges in Abeokuta, Ijebu, Sagamu, Ota. Others are also coming up at Ijebu Igbo and Ilaro. We have our model schools in all the sections. In fact, that of Ogun East is more than other sections. Out of the six in Ogun East, four is now ready. And we are saying, we have not done anything. We have our roads everywhere also, across the four sections. So, where is the discrimination Chief Osoba is talking about? Where is the marginalisation?
“Because we are all members of the state capital where we are going to have headquarters of our industries, we have to improve it. It cannot be the same, but our presence is also felt in other sections, which, Chief Osoba himself had once acknowledged,” Amosun said.
A chieftain of APC, Derin Adebiyi, who commented on the ensuing brickbats, remarked that the issue of accusation and counter-accusation needed not to occur, given that the governor is delivering on his campaign promises.
“Looking at all the activities and the electoral promises made by the current governor and the fact that they have been fulfilled in terms of social amenities, health, education which are on the ground, I can bet with anybody that the people of Ogun State want Governor Amosun back,” he stated.
With the elections drawing close, there are pointers to intensification of the crossfire.