Posted by By AKEEB ALARAPE, Ibadan on
Immediate past Governor of Oyo State, Senator Rasidi Ladoja, has urged Nigerians to keep hope alive, saying nemesis has caught up with those responsible for the present political logjam across the country.
Immediate past Governor of Oyo State, Senator Rasidi Ladoja, has urged Nigerians to keep hope alive, saying nemesis has caught up with those responsible for the present political logjam across the country.
Ladoja, who addressed newsmen at his Bodija, Ibadan residence, Thursday, however, stated that Nigerians should not expect free and fair election from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as it is presently constituted.
'You can see what is happening to him (Obasanjo) now. I mean, under him Siemens scandal, Wilbros, Iyabogate happened. There was enough money to give us good roads, potable water but instead, he was gallivanting, chasing shadows and behaving as an emperor.
'Anybody who does any act of betrayal will pay for it. It is like the law of Karma. Nemesis is catching up with him. Whatever happens, this is my home and I have decided to dedicate the rest of my life to fighting for democracy until Oyo State people get democracy and good governance", the former governor stated.
Ladoja also flayed the former president for jettisoning the ideals of brotherhood, which bound the founding fathers of PDP together with his recent pronouncement of Adedibu as the father of the party, saying the title was strange to the rank and file of the party.
He urged Nigerians to place their hopes on President Umaru Yar'Adua and be vigilant, saying their prayers were being answered while pointing to the failure of the former Chairman of PDP, Col Ahmadu Ali, to install a puppet to succeed him in office.
The former governor, however, dismissed insinuations that he was engaging in anti-party activities with his recent endorsement of his former Chief Media Officer (CMO), Alhaji Lanre Latinwo, to contest the by-election into the Lagelu Federal Constituency on the platform of the Action Congress (AC).
Explaining the rationale behind his action, Ladoja said he had no other choice looking at the qualities of his aide compared to other contestants, and more importantly, in view of the fact that he (Latinwo) was de-registered by the Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu-led faction of the PDP in the state.
'As far as an outlaw like Adedibu is father of the PDP, I don't belong to them. We subscribed to the ideology of the PDP until the re-registration exercise. Akala and Adedibu came to destroy the PDP because they were not with us from the beginning. As far as Adedibu is the father of their PDP, we don't belong together.
'Obasanjo handed over PDP to Adedibu and pronounced him father. PDP has no father but Obasanjo coined father and leader of the party. In a free and fair contest, Adedibu will never be in control but the party was handed over to him by Obasanjo, who also gave him the title: ‘father of PDP'. But today, is there anybody in Oyo State who is proud of Adedibu? For that one now to be called the father of PDP", Ladoja added.
On his former Special Adviser on Security Matters, Chief Bola Alphonso, who has returned to Adedibu's camp, Ladoja said he was not bothered as the development was not strange in politics.
'Alphonso is a human being; he has a right to take a decision the way he likes. You know human beings behave differently under stress. I think that is what has happened… Barrister Sarafadeen Alli has adequately covered that ground that he Alphonso has gone back to his vomit. It happens in politics. Some people believe it is better to stay where the action is. So, I am not bothered."
Asked to assess his successor in office, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, the former governor said there was nothing to assess other than the witch-hunting records of the administration. He said the poor state of roads in the state, huge pile of refuse and lack of potable water, which was running during his tenure, were all pointers that the Akala government was yet to start work.
On the posting of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further studies, Ladoja said he would also back the rule of law, which showed that Ribadu has his employer, who was the Inspector-General of Police while the police itself has its own working method.