G5 Governors’ Visit to OBJ: The Politics, The Intrigues By Segun Adeleye

Governor Aliyu speaking to journalists on behalf of the governors

 

But when Aliyu was asked whether the G-7 Governors were in Abeokuta to bid farewell to Obasanjo, from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Babangida Aliyu answered: “I don’t know about that. It’s just speculation.”

 

To say that this is an interesting and intriguing times in the annals of the political history of Nigeria is definitely not an overstatement, considering the light-speed and rate of horse-trading that constantly throws itself up on the political landscape.

 

Abeokuta, which is arguably the political capital of Nigeria, on the strength of the caliber and number of people from there who call the shots in national politics, characteristically wore its peaceful mien on Monday, especially amongst news-hunters, until words filtered in like wildfire that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors, who had picked holes in the style of leadership of the Bamanga Tukur led National Executive of the party will be visiting the “Presidential Mansion,” a metaphoric reference to former president, Olusegun Obasanjo.

 

Expectedly, questions kept running riot in the heads of journalists and, of course, the fast-selling story angle began to juggle for positions. Then, a shocker came: Governors Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers, Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Rabiu Kwankanso (Kano) and Sule Lamido (Jigawa), would not be coming again. But it was, perhaps, a ploy to ward-off any untoward security breach, after all, as the five of the seven fighting governors surfaced with an executive driver in the person of Amaechi.

 

Nothing so much surprising, except the fact that almost all, if not all the vehicles in the convoy of the Governors were those of the Oyo State Government, and a couple of officials of the state government in tow. Granted that in politics, like life itself, anything can happen, it would seem incongruous that those who came visiting Obasanjo, with the full complement of the paraphernalia of governance in an opposition state of Oyo, could tell journalists that they were still in PDP!

 

For observers, the question on their lips was, when did Nigerian political tolerance mature to that level of friendship that some influential ruling party governors would ride in the opposition vehicles at it happened on that day? And by extension, the origin and sheer number of the state of the art cars in the convoy was mind-blowing.

 

The Governors came around 11.30am and left at 1.50pm in Oyo State Governor’s official vehicles, including a white Toyota luxury bus marked OY 667 A01 and two black Hyundai space buses. Others were three Toyota Hilux buses without Registration Number, one Toyota Hilux Pick Up Van marked 01A 32 OY as well as two Lexus SUVs, two Toyota Land Cruiser SUVs and one black-coloured BMW SUV, without Registration Number, driven by Rotimi Amaechi, the Rivers State Governor, while other four Governors occupied the remaining sitting spaces in the BMW SUV.

 

Another finding from a source in Ibadan, Oyo State Capital, revealed that the G-7 Governors landed at the Alakia Airport in Ibadan, having a brief contact with Oyo State Officials before some official vehicles led them to Abeokuta Hilltop Mansion of former ex-president Obasanjo with whom they had more than 2 hours of closed-door meeting.

 

Speaking with journalists after a closed-door meeting with the former President, Babangida Aliu, the Niger States Governor, disclosed that they were in Abeokuta to consult with Obasanjo to assess the present political developments in the country and to find out whether their discussion as regards the PDP and 2015 Presidential ambition of the ‘new PDP’ were still intact.

 

He said: “You may recall that when issues started, we consulted our elders; so, this is part of the consultation, moreso that we are coming to the resolution of the matters. We believe that very soon – we’ve been discussing with the president, discussing these matters, and we believe after the lull of the pilgrimages, we are all back, so we needed to consult again to find out if there are any variables that has intervened and we are very happy things are going normal.”

 

But when Aliyu was asked whether the G-7 Governors were in Abeokuta to bid farewell to Obasanjo, from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Babangida Aliyu answered: “I don’t know about that. It’s just speculation.”This visit, after a previous one, appears to have fostered the feeling that ex-president Obasanjo is not completely unaware of the plans of the G7, and that he is a major factor in the political drama being acted within the ruling party.

 

Given this background, it would not be out of place to expect another visit to Abeokuta from President Jonathan soon.

 

 

 

DAILY INDEPENDENT