Makinde, on Monday presented an exit gift and a welcome gift of two brand new Toyota Land Cruiser Jeeps to the outgone chairman of the Oyo State PDP in the state
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State amid a plot to remove his deputy, Rauf Olaniyan, on Monday presented two vehicles worth millions of naira to the immediate past chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state, Alhaji Omokunmi Mustapha, and his successor, Dayo Ogungbenro.
According to a statement released by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Taiwo Adisa, the vehicles, both Toyota Land Cruiser SUVs, were presented as an exit gift and a welcome gift to Mustapha and Ogungbenro at the Government House, Agodi, Ibadan.
“Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Monday presented an exit gift and a welcome gift of two brand new Toyota Land Cruiser Jeeps to the outgone chairman of the Oyo State PDP in the state, Alhaji Omokunmi Mustapha, and the newly-elected PDP chairman, Dayo Ogungbenro, respectively.
“The chairman, Oyo State Advisory Council, Senator Hosea Agboola, who made the presentation at the Government House, Agodi, Ibadan, on behalf of the governor, charged the duo to work together for the success of the PDP.
“Agboola described the governor as a kind-hearted man who cares for the party and the masses in the state. He also used the occasion to urge other governors in the country to emulate the uniqueness of Governor Makinde.
“He also called on Mustapha and Ogungbenro to collaborate for the progress of the party, adding that the gesture from the governor is commendable and unprecedented in the history of the state.
“In their various reactions, the duo of Hon. Ogungbenro and Alhaji Mustapha thanked Governor Makinde for his magnanimity. The duo promised to remain focused and to protect the party from the threat of external forces.”
There are, however, concerns about the governor’s lavish spending as the source of money used to purchase the vehicles remained questionable.
A civil servant, who asked not to be named, described Makinde’s action as a “misplacement of priority.”
The donation comes a few hours after SaharaReporters exclusively reported plot to impeach the state Deputy Governor by the PDP/dominated State House of Assembly.
Olaniyan would soon be impeached by the lawmakers, a source privy to the move had said.
Just last weekend, a petrol station and bakery belonging to the Deputy Governor were vandalised in Ibadan.
There were suspicions in some quarters that the Chairman of the Motor Park Management System in the state, Lamidi Mukaila, popularly called Auxiliary was behind the vandalism.
The vandalised petrol station and bakery are managed by the wife of the Deputy Governor, Prof. Amdalat Olaniyan.
Before then, thugs had, twice on the same day, unleashed terror on aggrieved PDP members who had converged for a parallel congress at Jogor Event Centre, Ibadan.
Though this is not the first time, previous impeachment attempts have been thwarted by the lawmakers who feel Olaniyan has been good to them, a source in the state House of Assembly said.
To make it work this time around, all members have been scheduled to travel to Ghana, a neighbouring West African country.
SaharaReporters gathered that the trip was coordinated by Makinde’s closest ally, 48-year old Seye Famojuro, who hails from Osun and lives in Ibadan.
In Ghana, they will be joined by Makinde who would introduce to them, the need for the impeachment process.
The chairman of the Oyo State House of Assembly Service Commission, Musah AbdulWasii, who is also the immediate past Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, has been pencilled down as a replacement.
Though he contested and lost the last election on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), he is now in PDP and revers Hosea Agboola, a former Senator popularly called Alleluyah as his leader instead of Monsurat Sunmonu, a former Senator and his former leader in the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Musah’s preference of Alleluyah to Sunmonu is not far-fetched as the former is closer to Makinde than the latter.
Though both Makinde and Olaniyan are engineers, sources told SaharaReporters that it has been rough since the beginning of the administration.
“In a bid to win the 2019 governorship poll, many people had suggested the names of Engr. Raufu Olaniyan to Engr. Seyi Makinde. Olaniyan was then a governorship aspirant on the platform of the ADC. He hails from Igboho, one of the numerous towns in Okeogun, the second-largest geo-political zone in Oyo State, after Ibadan, the state capital. Parts of the reasons why Makinde considered him was because of his experience as a former top civil servant,” a source told SaharaReporters.
“He was permanent secretary of the Oyo State Road Maintenance Agency (OYSTROMA). Secondly, he is acceptable to the Muslim population beyond Okeogun. And he has a deep pocket, though he doesn’t flaunt it. He is also close to former governor Rashidi Ladoja. All these were what Makinde considered.
“But Olaniyan’s acceptance was at a great cost. His closeness to the former and incumbent governors of Osun, Rauf Aregbesola and Gboyega Oyetola and Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, all of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was almost ruined. They didn’t ‘bless’ the move. He accepted it and worked tirelessly to ensure PDP wins. Meanwhile, Makinde promised to, unlike his immediate predecessor, make use of his deputy governor if they won.
“Governor Makinde initially wanted to fulfil his promise but was soon misled by the likes of Alleluyah and co. Initially, Makinde conceded Olaniyan’s Oorelope local government area to him. Alleluyah and Olaniyan are both from Okeogun and he feels threatened by the emergence of Olaniyan.
“Soon, the governor started ignoring his deputy. In a clear show of hatred, the governor awarded the renovation of the deputy governor’s lodge and till date, it is still at the plastering stage. It is by the road and everyone can see it. So, the deputy governor makes use of his house. When critical issues are to be decided, he prefers to use his chief of staff, secretary to the state government or any other trusted ally. In fact, the deputy governor has been reduced to nothing.”
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