PDP: Makinde’s Journey Like The Tortoise | Sola Abegunde

It was the tortoise who embarked on a journey and when his neighbors asked him when he would return from the trip, he replied, ‘not until I have been disgraced ‘.

When Governor Seyi Makinde decided to swim against the tide by going ahead with a jamboree organised at the Adamasingba Sports Stadium on Saturday, I thought he didn’t know about the story of the tortoise, or perhaps, in his trademark stubbornness, he chose to embark on a journey that leads towards absolute disgrace.

Honestly, the signs were there.

It could only end up in a disaster and that was why Saraki fired a strict warning and beautiful advice but Governor Makinde is too full of himself to consider the advice of ‘ men of yesterday ‘.

A new Sheriff is in town and everyone must be told exactly who is in control.

By now, the Governor of Oyo state should be seeing the reasons why people always say that there is more to the world and the affairs of men.

I don’t know why he thought that he could apply the rough tactics and double standards he is known for in Oyo state on the National stage and get away with it.

How on earth could he have thought he could gather whatever remains of his colleagues Governor inside the Adamasingba Sports Stadium and began to play tricks on them just because he was awarded the hosting rights for the Convention.

Maybe he thought that the plates of Amala and Gbegiri he offered them would make them throw away the fact that they are colleagues and not his subordinates.

Like I said, the Convention was doomed to fail from the beginning.

Governor Makinde’s strategists, if he has any, are failures and incompetent ignorants.

Immediately the judgments of the Federal High Court in Abuja were delivered, the road to a successful National Convention was effectively closed and I said so.

Those who advised Governor Makinde to approach the Oyo state High Court on the same subject matter are his enemies and I am surprised he himself fell into such a trap.

Anyway, those ones might want to just cash out from him.

I read a view from someone yesterday in the morning about whether the INEC would be at Adamasingba or not.

That person was of the view that INEC, for fear of being slammed with contempt proceedings would definitely be at Adamasingba to monitor the exercise.

He was of the opinion that once the Commission was represented by their Counsel at the proceedings before the Hon. Justice Akintola on Friday, they were bound to be at Adamasingba or they would risk being slammed with contempt proceedings.

I knew he was wrong.

Before the Hon. Justice Akintola extended the ex parte order he had granted, directing the INEC to monitor the exercise, a preliminary objection, challenging the jurisdiction of the Court to hear the matter was argued and the court didn’t rule on the motion on that day.

When I heard that the court adjourned ruling on the preliminary objection challenging its jurisdiction to a latter date and yet, extended the ex parte order, I felt uncomfortable.

I do not want to go deeper than this because the ruling is yet to be delivered and the substantive suit itself is also pending but in INEC’s shoes, I would also boycott the exercise.

I do not know how anyone would rationally blame INEC for choosing to comply with two full judgments of the Federal High Court against an ex parte order of the Oyo state High Court, whose jurisdiction to hear the matter is yet, being challenged by INEC.

Having said that, Governor Makinde also goofed by not marking the spaces very well.

I think in his excitements, he forgot the fact that not only him but everyone, most especially, his brother Governors are entitled to have and protect their interests.

There are no senior boys amongst Governors but I agree that some might choose to respect some others for several reasons.

If he could face up to Nyesom Wike despite what they had together, who told him others couldn’t do same to him?

Naturally, I thought that the disgrace would begin when Governor Makinde and the other jesters introduced the outcome of the exercise to INEC but the disgrace started from inside the Adamasingba Sports Stadium.

First, Governors Kefas and Adeleke of Taraba and Osun were conspicuously absent at the occasion.

Infact, by the time the Drama was going on, pictures of Kefas, rocking the APC attire was circulating online.

I do not blame Adeleke for taking Saraki’s advice.

Governor Makinde is completing his own second term and could afford to take risks, Adeleke doesn’t enjoy such luxuries.

Apart from the absence of INEC and those two Governors, several prominent Leaders like Turaki and others were also absent.

However, for me, the most painful part of the whole show is the speech delivered by the Governor of Adamawa state and Chairman of the National Convention Planning Committee, Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Fintiri.

I will quote Fintiri, he said, ‘ with the absence of INEC and the various litigations for and against this Convention, it is not within my prerogative to continue with this exercise. I leave the Convention delegates to decide ‘.

Not only that, both Fintiri and the Governor of Plateau state, Muftwang have dissociated themselves from the expulsion of Nyesom Wike from the PDP.

According to Fintiri, the decision is not in the best interest of the party.

Isn’t that something?

Wike was somewhere enjoying himself and yet he still got prominent Leaders, Governors for that matter, who are saying, no, we are not supporting his expulsion from the party.

I will not talk about the validity of the whole exercise for now.

It’s just a matter of time. We will all see the futility of the whole thing.

So, exactly what has Governor Makinde gained from the exercise of yesterday?

The whole of Ibadan was almost on a partial lockdown yesterday.

Commuters, road users and business people went through hell just because a National Convention was holding in Ibadan.

While the exercise was going on, those protesting against Governor Seyi Makinde’s position on the Circular road were all over town, protesting against the Governor.

Governor Makinde has jettisoned his primary duties of seeing to the welfare of the citizens of Oyo state because of the PDP National Convention.

He has damaged his so called street credibility because of his insensitivity to the plights of the people.

All he has concerned himself with is the PDP National Convention as if that would guarantee him the presidency.

When I heard that he visited the TCTC earlier this week, I was curious until I learned that he actually visited the place for the purpose of seeing how far the rebranding of TCTC Buses were going.

Those Buses were rebranded to wear PDP outlook for the Convention and their services were withdrawn during the period of the Convention.

The 3SC was supposed to play their League game this weekend but the game was postponed due to the fact that the Adamasingba Sports Stadium was being used for the Convention.

I listened to a sports programme on Radio yesterday and the analysts were complaining bitterly about the fact that the main bowl of the Stadium was being messed up by the Convention attendees.

Now, the Convention has come and gone, what exactly has Governor Makinde benefitted from the exercise?

In my last piece, I talked about the Elephant that was dancing towards the bottomless pit.

‘ A o merin joba….’.

Sola Abegunde.