Party Politics: Season of Shocks for Makinde | By Sola Abegunde

At pages 231 and 232 of the book ‘The Travails of Democracy and the Rule of Law ‘ by Obafemi Awolowo, the late sage described the ‘shocking’ effects of the actions of his erstwhile close allies and confidants in the Action Group, AG, who later jumped ship to embrace Awolowo’s rival, Ladoke Akintola’s United People’s Party, UPP at the time.

Chief Awolowo admitted on page 231 of the book and I quote, ‘ during my stay at Lekki, we were daily bombarded with news of well known members of AG having deflected to Akintola’s new Party, the United People’s Party (UPP). In addition, the Morning Post ( now defunct), a newspaper owned and controlled by the Federal Government, had published a number of resignations which it described as ‘ SHOCKS’. In order that these resignations might have maximum adverse impact on the morale of AG members, the Morning Post published them one at a time, every day. The first day, it was ‘SHOCK NO 1 FOR AWO’. The second day, it was ‘ SHOCK NO 2’ and so on. To be quite honest, I felt the effect of the ‘ SHOCK ‘ publication myself on each day its unkind blow was delivered…’.

When a political Leader loses close allies, most especially, in the midst of crisis, no matter how strong such a Leader is, he is bound to be shaken.

It is like the case of an Army General whose best Lieutenants deserted in the midst of a tough battle.

This is the lot of Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state at the moment.

Everyday, he kept losing important allies with whom he set out to take over the structures of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

It started with the loss of PDP Governors, Reps and Senators but it has gotten worse with the loss of critical Stakeholders and Leaders of the PDP in Oyo state.

Oh! The tempest is here. Hunger is yet to defect and would definitely not defect to the APC.

Is Governor Seyi Makinde well?

How well is the Governor receiving the heavy blows of the minute by minute defections of the members of his Party in Oyo state?

Shouldn’t our hearts go out to the Governor at this very trying times?

First, it was the Chairman of the PDP in Ibadan North Local Government.

Then, recently, Hosea Agboola also known as Alleluyah and his Groups left for the APC.

A couple of days ago, Alhaji Bisi Olopoenia said people should stop referring to him as a ‘ Leader of the PDP ‘ as he is yet to decide on his next political moves.

The pictures and videos of Olopoenia’s visits to the former Senate Leader and 2023 gubernatorial candidate for Oyo APC,Teslim Folarin and Chief Mrs. Florence Ajimobi in their London homes had gone viral a couple of days before the statements denouncing his membership of the PDP was made.

That must have hurt Makinde a lot because it was reported that Olopoenia had allegedly collected a car gift from the Governor a few days before he made that hurtful statement.

If it is true that Olopoenia received the gift of a car from the Governor, I honestly do not blame him.

Infact, I congratulate him and I have my reasons for saying so.

I have said it before now, Governor Makinde is in the midst of a Storm and  his political misfortunes are self inflicted.

If you sell to people in sand, you surely will receive payments in stones. ( Eni ba ta oja yeepe, yoo gba owo okuta).

A couple of hours ago, I read the posts of one  Deyemi Adedimeji Saka on Facebook.

The piece is very interesting.

He captured Governor Seyi Makinde very vividly well.

He told him the bitter truth that he doesn’t have the capacity to pocket the PDP.

Infact, truly, the butterfly of Governor Seyi Makinde thinks itself a bird.

Let us even assume there would be anything left of the PDP for him to cling to, has it ever occured to him, the kind of people that would remain under such a carcass?

Even if, as Fayose insinuated, he wants to hold on to whatever is left of the PDP to negotiate his survival after office, what would a rag-tag structure worth at the negotiating table?

Honestly and with due respect to him, the Governor is cornered and it appears like nemesis is catching up on him very fast.

The worst part of it is that while he kept fighting tooth and nail at the top, his home has caught fire.

Unfortunately for him, he did not build anyone strong enough to hold the forth at home while he was away fighting an unending war.

No one. I repeat, no one has the capacity to hold things together at home while Governor Makinde keeps fighting the unending war at the top.

I could be wrong but would anyone point at one rallying figure except Seye Famojuro?

Sadly, this is not a battle the fellow would dare show his face.

This is Oyo state.

I have never seen a man, no matter how powerful, who has won a battle that charged at him from all angles.

That is why otherwise clever generals always choose their battles well.

Governor Seyi Makinde got carried away by the praise songs of his lickspittles and Media propagandists.

I remember how they praised him to the highest heavens, calling him all manner of names in 2023.

They once called him ‘ the poster Boy ‘ of the G-5.

Where is the G-5 today?

He started making reckless and inflammatory comments and instead of them to caution him, they were clapping for him.

He and others publicly destroyed the PDP in 2023 and they did so with gusto and the lickspittles clapped.

He fought almost everyone who helped him win election in 2019 and 2023, yet, the lickspittles said he is the master Chess player!

He started raining insults on Tinubu without provocations, they said he was fighting for the masses.

He started disobeying and reviewing Court Judgments, they helped justify his recklessness.

The one I pity most is the Governor himself.

His present praise singers praised someone yesterday.

Tomorrow, they will praise another person.

It is all about their protruding bellies and they have no shame.

I am not surprised that things are turning this way for the Governor.

It is the way of the World.

People will always leave the outgoing to embrace the incoming and they know that the governor’s luck has expired even though, he seems not to know.

Everyone, including the governor’s allies, even those who are yet to decamp but who will surely do,  know that Governor Seyi Makinde is outliving his usefulness to them.

It’s just a question of time. Many will still jump out of a ship they are convinced is headed for a wreck.

Dear Governor Seyi Makinde, welcome to reality and when you finally make your move to ‘negotiate’, we will surely have words.

Before that time however, keep walking on the road to nowhere which you have opted to walk.

Sola Abegunde.