PDP Nat’l Convention: Makinde and the Desolate Town | By Sola Abegunde

When a man continues to chase shadows, knowingly or unknowingly, Yorubas used to refer to that person as someone who is waging a war against a desolute town. ( Ilu to ti tu lo nyinbon si).

After the judgment of the Federal High Court which directed the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to stay away from the proposed National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP slated for Ibadan this November, it became certain that the Governor Seyi Makinde led faction had lost the battle against the Wike faction for good.

You will recollect that the Supreme Court had earlier ruled that the Makinde faction of the PDP could not replace Senator Anyanwu, a loyalist of Wike as the National Secretary.

If you know the implications of that, most especially, if you know the powers ascribed to the National Secretary of the PDP, you will agree with me that Governor Makinde have been losing grounds to the Wike faction for some time now.

I wrote a piece where I highlighted the options open for Governor Makinde and his followers immediately after the judgment of the Federal High Court which went against them.

Naturally, I didn’t expect Governor Makinde to thank me for giving him the advice but, honestly, he and his followers are left with no better options.

Why did I say so?

It is obvious that the greatest challenge faced by Governor Seyi Makinde and his followers is time.

They are running a race against time.

The proposed ( factional) Convention ought to come up in a matter of days.

A judgement with far reaching consequences have just been delivered against them.

They obviously do not have the luxury of time to ventilate their case on Appeal, with a view to overturning the unfavorable judgment.

So, what options are left for them but to either eat the humble pie or leave the Party for Wike and his people if their ego will not allow them to stoop and perhaps see if they might conquer?

Our fathers have a saying that a man who has a hot temper shouldn’t labor because whatever he gathers with his hands, he will eventually scatter with his legs. ( Eni ti inu re ba le, ko ye ko se ise tori gbogbo ohun to fi owo kojo, ese ni a fi daa nu).

So also a man who is full of ego shouldn’t labor.

I have come to understand Governor Seyi Makinde like the back of my hand.

I knew he would do everything possible not to appear like someone who lost out in a battle of wits against Wike, whom he had once boasted he won’t roll in the mud with.’

Unfortunately for him, this battle has been lost before it started and the Governor could only make things worse for himself and his followers if he keeps chasing shadows.

At this point, desperation has set in and it is not too good.

When a man is drowning, he clings to every straw on the surface of the river.

I foresee a lot of people going down on this matter and that is not a positive attribute of a Leader.

A good Leader must learn to accept defeat in good faith.

Life is all about winning some and losing some.

I saw a report which claimed that an Oyo state High Court, presided over by the Hon. Justice A. L Akintola had allegedly granted an ex-parte order directing INEC and the PDP to go ahead with their proposed National Convention slated for November in Ibadan.

It was reported that one Folarin Malomo Adelabi had approached the Oyo state High Court to obtain the ex-parte order which was allegedly granted, pending the hearing of the substantive matter.

I have read the reaction of former Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti state to the order of the Hon. Justice Akintola.

I must say that I do not subscribe to certain aspects of his reaction, most especially, his personal attacks against the Hon. Justice.

However, I must say that I totally agree with him that the filing of that application is an act of desperation by the Makinde faction.

Secondly, I am curious, to say the least, that the Court actually entertained the matter and granted an order ex-parte on such a very sensitive matter.

Why did I say so?

I think the judgment of the Federal High Court delivered a couple of days ago on the same subject matter should be notorious for anyone, including the Hon. Justice Akintola to take cognisance of.

I have to admit that I do not know the material facts placed before him to have warranted the granting of an ex-parte order and I will give him the benefits of the doubts as a result of that.

Yet, I am curious and not comfortable at all.

When the Supreme Court of Nigeria ordered that the former Governor of Oyo state, now the Olubadan of Ibadan Land, Oba Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja should be returned as the Governor of Oyo state, having declared his impeachment null and void, an attempt was made to stop the then Governor Ladoja from returning to the seat of the Governor of Oyo state.

An application almost similar to the present one was filled.

The aftermaths of the actions I am taking about here was not palatable.

Worse still, the application and the order gotten, failed to achieve the desired results.

I deliberately decided to be brief about the incident for personal reasons but those who are familiar with the incident will remember what I’m talking about.

You might want to say that in that instance, it was the judgment of the Supreme Court which was final.

I agree with you but the High Court in Nigeria, both the state and the Federal, is considered to be one, having coordinate jurisdiction and no High Court can sit on Appeal on the decision of another High Court.

Let me say this and emphatically so, the judgment of the Federal High Court which directed INEC not to participate in the proposed National Convention is still subsisting.

It has not been overturned by the Court of Appeal and I am not aware that a stay of execution of that judgment have been obtained.

That Judgment was delivered after all the Parties involved including the Governor Seyi Makinde faction have placed their facts before the Court.

Having lost out in that process, the only option legally open for Governor Seyi Makinde and his followers is to file and Appeal against the unfavorable judgment and ask for a stay of execution of the judgment pending Appeal.

I do not see how on earth the alleged ex-parte order of the Oyo state High Court would help their course.

I do not see how INEC would legally jettison the judgment of a Federal High Court and comply with an ex-parte order of another High Court.

Effectively, the Hon. Justice Omotoso of the Federal High Court had put the matter of the participation of INEC in that Convention to rest at the High Court level.

He could be wrong but only the Court of Appeal has the jurisdiction to say that he was wrong or right.

Like I said, I do not support the personal attacks against the Hon. Justice Akintola by the former Governor Ayo Fayose but I am also not comfortable at all.

When politicians fight their dirty fights, I think the Judiciary should be above Board and should refrain from entering into the arena.

My simple advice for those who are still following Governor Seyi Makinde on this journey to nowhere is for them to take a pause and ask themselves if it is worth it.

Honestly, the game is over and that is the plain truth.

With due respect to Governor Seyi Makinde, his masquerade has entered into a blacksmith workshop and he is already taking too long to retreat.

His regalia is bound to catch fire.

I know that he values his ego very much, but I want him to sit down and think, how many peoples’ ego has he trampled upon?

There is no champion who will not kiss the canvas one day.

It does appear that his time on the canvas has come and the earlier he accepts that fact, the better.

Only God knows where Governor Seyi Makinde was when some great men and women conceived of the idea to form the PDP.

Some of those men and women are still alive today, relegated to the backgrounds through the activities of people like Governor Seyi Makinde.

It is not always easy, for someone, who used to sit at the front table to find himself amongst the crowd but these front men of yesterday accepted the principles of Nature.

Governor Seyi Makinde shouldn’t see himself as better than them.

The end has come for the PDP and Governor Makinde must accept responsibilities for playing a major role in the disaster that has befallen the Party.

I can see Governor Makinde learning some lessons in the hard way after he has exhausted his tricks.

Some of the few people who are left with him knows the futility of locking horns with Wike and are only after the benefits they’re reaping from the face off.

Governor Makinde hasn’t seen defections at all.

Not many will be traveling with him on the perilous route he has decided to take.

Perhaps, when the House eventually becomes totally empty, he will realise that he has only been lucky and not special.

I listened to the Wike interview on Monday and I was seriously amused when he made reference to the ‘fresh meat and a crab’!

Crab?

Who is the crab?

Sola Abegunde.