Photo caption: Umar Ganduje
BOMBSHELL: ‘If Ganduje emerges APC national chairman, Tessy/Buhari/Akala grp loses Oyo party structure’
Khalid ABRAHAM
Sources within the All Progressives Congress APC have averred that if former Kano state governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje emerges as new national chairman of the ruling party, the Teslim Folarin faction in Oyo state will face a contemptuous sidelining and will have the party structure currently firmly in its grip slip.
It is recalled that the national chairman and secretary of the party Senator Ahmad Lawan and Senator Iyiola Omisore respectively recently resigned their positions thereby creating a vacuum that needs to be filled urgently.
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Following this development speculations have swirled that Ganduje will take over the leadership of the party.
Ganduje who completed his term as governor of Kano state May 29 is a close ally of President Bola Tinubu.
“Should former governor of Kano state Ganduje eventually clinch the position of national chairman of the party,” a chieftain of the party in Oyo state who however did not want his name in print posited while speaking with insightonline.com Thursday.
Continuing, the source said, “Forget it if Ganduje alias Gandollar emerges, the Senator Teslim Folarin group will lose relevance. The first calamity that will befall them is that the state exco they put there will be eased out.”
Probed why such scenario will unfold the source unveiled, “The Folarin camp to which the likes of Senators Fatai Buhari, Sarafadeen Alli and Yunus Akintunde (who are representing Oyo North, Oyo South and Oyo central senatorial districts respectively), Hon Lamiju Alao-Akala (representing Ogbomoso North/Ogbomoso South/Oriire federal constituency), and most of the House of Representatives members (except two – Skimeh and Akinremi) from Oyo state belong, pitched tent with former Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo in the run up to the APC presidential primary.”
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Another source who also preferred anonymity said, “The Teslim group took it all – all exco member slots; and towards the general elections their people took all tickets without conceding any to SENACO and Lam factions. It was winner take-it-all approach.”
He said that explained why those two groups SENACO (Senator Abiola Ajimobi) and Lam (Lam Adesina) groups worked for Governor Seyi Makinde during the governorship election in the state against their party’s candidate, Teslim Folarin.
“Folarin and his people will be frozen out in the new dispensation, they won’t be in reckoning. Do you recall Senator Tinubu asking Folarin when he visited Oyo state as the election approached to reconcile with various interests in the party? But he shunned the advice. Their rivals had been in the cooler they will soon exchange positions,” it was added.
The appointment of Chief Bayo Adelabu, former Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria and who contested Oyo governorship but failed on two occasions, as ministerial nominee from Oyo state is cited as a pointer to what will happen.
Many had thought Folarin would be named minister from Oyo state as compensation “but l told people it can’t be. And now Adelabu has taken the slot.
“Likewise Mr. Zacch Adelabu Adedeji appointed by President Tinubu as Presidential Adviser on Revenue belongs to SENACO. ”
Recall also that none of the legislators from Oyo state is so far named as principal officer or as chairman of any juicy committee “even Buhari a third term senator did not make the cut.”
Nonetheless the journey is still long, in the meantime let us see how events unfold in the ruling party.
