Posted by By CHRISTIAN ITA, TAIWO AMODU and AKEEB ALARAPE (Ibadan) on
The coalition that unseated Senator Rashidi Ladoja Thursday as governor of Oyo State appears at war with itself already over the choice of the new deputy governor.
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The coalition that unseated Senator Rashidi Ladoja Thursday as governor of Oyo State appears at war with itself already over the choice of the new deputy governor.
This is coming just as the new governor, Otunba Christopher Alao Akala, issued a stern warning to his tough-talking predecessor, Senator Rasheed Ladoja, to keep off the Government House, saying 'I'm now in charge."
Ladoja, who was impeached as governor on Thursday, had Friday vowed to return to the Government House Monday, insisting he remains the governor.
Sunday Sun exclusively gathered that Chief Lamidi Adedibu's choice of his Personal Assistance (PA), Hazeem Bolarunmi, to become the new deputy governor, has polarised the coalition that comprises Chief Yekeen Adeoja and Governor Akala.
Bolarunmi, who is said to possess only a school certificate, it was gathered, is considered unfit to be deputy governor by Adeojo and some other lieutenants of Adedibu.
Despite the opposition, Adedibu is said to have stuck to his guns, claiming that his choice of Bolarunmi was to ensure religious and ethnic balance. The current governor is a Christian from Ogbomoso while Bolarunmi is a Muslim from Ibadan.
A meeting that was called to iron out the differences at the weekend, Sunday Sun learnt, ended in a fiasco with Adeojo reportedly walking out of the meeting which a source said 'was stormy and rancorous."
A subsequent meeting that was scheduled for the residence of the National Vice-Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, could also not hold.
Adedibu, who is expected to submit a list of nominees for political appointments to President Olusegun Obasanjo, is also said to have nominated his son, Hakeem to oversee the Justice Ministry.
While it could not be ascertained whether Hakeem has a degree in Law, the acclaimed strongman of Ibadan politics is said to have ruled out any objection to his son's nomination.
Other nominees of Adedibu include the parallel secretary of the PDP in Oyo, Ashimiyu Ado. He wants Ado to head the Works Ministry.
Addressing a news gathering in Ibadan yesterday, Governor Akala warned Ladoja that he would be 'playing with fire" if he makes good his threat of showing up for work at the Agodi Government House tomorrow.
His words: 'Anybody coming to work on Monday or going about his or her lawful duty will be protected. So, I am appealing to everybody to come to work. There is nothing. I don't want to join issues with anybody. We will see who is on the ground. You can see who is in charge. I just want to tell you that I am in charge. If there is anybody who wants to play nonsense, he will be dealt with according to the law of the land."
In another development, two local government councils' chairmen who were loyal to former governor Ladoja have been removed from office by their councillors.
They are Ademola Akeem Ige and Gbolagade Basiru Abiade of Ibadan South-East and Ibadan South-West respectively.
Ige's impeachment was announced yesterday through a letter dated 13 January 2006, signed by eight of the 12 councillors in the council area and copied to the Speaker Oyo State House of Assembly.
According to the councillors, Akeem was guilty of 'various allegations of misconduct and mismanagement of public funds."
The council's legislative arm, therefore, directed that the Vice-Chairman of the council, Hon. Femi Adebisi, be sworn in 'as Executive Chairman of Ibadan South-East Local Government with immediate effect."
Contacted, Ige dismissed the development, saying that it was far from the truth.
"It (impeachment) did not happened at all. No meeting was held yesterday. You can talk to my honourable members including the Majority Leader. All the councillors were with me throughout yesterday. The Clerk of the House was not there.
"They used Baba's (Chief Lamidi Adedibu) name to go and impeach me but I have talked with Baba and he said he did not say anything like that. The Chairman, House Committee on Information, has also dismissed their claim of impeachment."