Dapo Abiodun sent out of Tinubu’s Meeting with Obasanjo
Femi Ajibola
The Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, on Wednesday was sent out of a meeting in former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s home, NigerianEcho has learnt. Abiodun who had accompanied the Presidential Candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to Obasanjo’s home was asked to leave the venue of the meeting. Tinubu was in Abeokuta to meet with Obasanjo.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, former Governors; Gbenga Daniel, Olusegun Osoba and Bisi Akande also accompanied Tinubu to the meeting. Obasanjo who received the team later demanded that some people should leave the room as the meeting was about to begin.
A source at the meeting informed NigerianEcho that when others were going out; Abiodun, who is the Chief Security officer of the State, was still on seat when Obasanjo told him to stand up as he was not part of the meeting. A bewildered Abiodun could not say a word but quietly left the room.. Even the guest, Tinubu, could not make a case for him to be at the meeting.
However, former Governor Olusegun Osoba was part of the meeting as well as Gbajabiamila and Olubara of Ibara, Oba Omolade who is a close friend of Obasanjo. Governor Abiodun had to wait outside for three hours while the meeting lasted.
He was visibly angry and made attempts to leave Obasanjo’s house. He was prevailed upon by his former Chief of Staff, Shuaib Salis, who is the Senatorial candidate of the APC in Ogun Central. He was made to realise that it was against protocol to leave.
NigerianEcho reliably gathered that Abiodun was excused from the strategic meeting because he was part of the issues that were discussed. Governor Abiodun has been having issues with various sectors of the society including the Civil Servants and the traditional institution as well as the political class.
Ogun State APC had not known peace since 2018. Some people who were denied tickets in the run off to 2019 elections left for another party; Allied People’s Movement, APM. These people who are loyal to the former Governor Amosun later went back to APC but still peace didn’t return. It was reported that the National Working Committee of the party waded in and proposed a sharing formula for the two camps. Governor Abiodun however rebuffed the intervention and insisted that Amosun and his team should be expelled from the party.
Speaking on the matter, Tolu Odebiyi, Senator representing Ogun West said Abiodun is a rigid man who sees the party in the state as his property. He mentioned that all appeals for unity by leaders were ignored by the Governor.
Tunde Oladunjoye, the State Publicity Secretary of the party however lampooned Odebiyi saying he was not fit to be a representative of the people. He accused Odebiyi of being economical with the truth. He said Abiodun was a man of peace who had brought development to the State.
The crisis took a new dimension recently when Amosun told press men that Abiodun should be voted out. Former Governor Olusegun Osoba, at the 50th anniversary of Abeokuta Club, had alleged that ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo rigged him out of office in 2003 and that Amosun was in cahoots. Amosun while responding to this allegation said he was not aware of the issue raised by Osoba. Amosun however told the gathering that the current Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, was a product of rigging in 2019. He added that those who perpetrated the act had apologised and he has forgiven them.
The Governor is also not having it easy with some Obas in the State. Abiodun’s government had taken seventy five Obas that were installed towards the end of the last administration to Court. His predecessor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, installed 75 Obas towards the end of his administration but Abiodun has been having a protracted issue with them. The Obas approached the Court and won at the High Court. The Government also lost at the Appeal Court when it sought for a stay of execution which was not granted. Abiodun has now sent emissaries to those Obas so that they can support his reelection bid. NigerianEcho learnt that the meeting with the Obas was held at the Palace of Olu Itori, Oba Akamo while former Commissioner of Local and Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief Jide Ojuko represented the Governor.
