It seems when historians finally get around to writing about the unpredictable nature of Nigerian politics, one of its overall themes is surely going to be the mind-numbing, head spinning, info-overload tenor of the polity.
The game, the players, the facts of the matter and the moments move so fast that it is at times impossible to keep up. Every day there seems to be at least one story or update in the news about about Nigerian politicians. They come. They go. Moments in time. Blips on the TV screen.
This past weekend the news came and went fast and furious, just as it has done every week. Here is just some of what we learned from the polity and the escapades of our “LEADERS”:
Ondo Deputy Governor Trades The Broom For the Umbrella
When it rains it pours and apparently it’s the rainy season not just for all Nigerians but also
for Ondo State Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi who has resigned his membership from the broom wielding party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and his pitch his tents with the Peoples Democratic Party, a party that has the umbrella as its symbol.
Ajayi resigned his membership of the APC on Sunday at his country home in Kiribo, Ward 2, Apoi, in Ese-Odo Local Government Area of the state.
This happened few hours after Mr Ajayi was allegedly prevented by the Commissioner of Police, Bolaji Salami from moving out of the Government House in Akure the state capital.
Ajayi also used the opportunity to immediately pick his membership card of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at his ward. He also vowed that he won’t resign as Deputy governor despite leaving the party under whose platform he was elected.
Divided Kingdom?
Questions of the union of the of the legacy parties that founded the All Progressives Congress have been raised before, but the events of the last few days have indeed shown that the ruling party is in disarray. Things took a turn for the worst on the 16th of June when the Court of Appeal affirmed the suspension of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, The National Chairman of the party by his ward in Edo state. The court order against Mr Oshiomhole was based on his earlier suspension by the APC leadership in his ward in Edo State, which apparently was instigated by Governor Obaseki.
24 hours after the Court of Appeal ruling on Mr Oshiomhole was an indication that the APC crisis has just moved on to the next leveShortly after the court ruling, the APC announced the Deputy National Chairman (South), Abiola Ajimobi, as the acting chairman of the party.
The next day, the deputy national secretary of the party, Victor Giadom, backed by a court order, declared himself acting national chairman of the party.
And then, like a game of ping-pong, majority of the members of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) came out to ratify Mr Ajimobi’s appointment as acting chairman.
But since Mr Ajimobi, a former governor of Oyo State, has been very ill and hospitalised, the NWC asked the party’s National Vice Chairman (South-South), Hilliard Eta to stand in for him, because he (Eta) is from the same geo-political zone with the suspended national chairman.
Obaseki Seeks Refuge in PDP
Governor Godwin Obaseki has pitched his tents with the People’s Democratic Party in order to realize his bid for a second term as governor of Edo state. He resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC) a few days ago and joined the PDP after he was disqualified from the APC governorship primary.
Mr Obaseki left the ruling party after months of acrimonious political tussle with his predecessor, Adams Oshiomhole, the now-suspended chairman of the APC. After he was disqualified by the screening committee of the APC, Obaseki embarked on shuttle diplomacy, meeting prominent members of the opposition party in order to get a soft landing.
After days of consultation and negotiations, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, cleared the way for the safe landing of Governor Godwin Obaseki.
Apart from picking, filling and submitting a PDP membership form in his ward in Edo State, the governor met other conditions, and the PDP is willing to give him the opportunity of seeking a second term on its platform. Also, the opposition party has shifted its governorship primary from June 19 and 20 to June 25 to accommodate the governor.
Nobody quite knows what drama will unfold as we enter another week. The country is still battling with its response to the Coronavirus pandemic but it looks set to be another busy week and one full of scheming and plotting by our politicians. They would disobey social distancing measures that they themselves put in place, flout their own ban on interstate movement and all this is about the way to move forward with their interests. For the latest top stories throughout the week, follow glazia on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. We got you covered
