This may not be the best of time for a three-time governorship candidate in Ogun State, Gboyega Nasir Isiaka as his staunch supporters are dumping him in their numbers.
THISDAY learnt that Isiaka’s political group, The Believe Movement, has lost many of his coordinators across the state.
But Isiaka said the defection of a few, “inconsequential number of individuals,” from his camp is nothing to worry about.
Findings by our correspondent confirmed that the Ogun State Youth Coordinator for The Believe Movement, Fatai Adesegun; State Women Coordinator, Mrs Moji Fatoki; Ogun West Coordinator, Akeem Akinbo have all defected to the Ladi Adebutu faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Also, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Chairman in Isiaka’s Imeko Afon Local Government, Hon. Kayode Elegbede; the Ogun West GNI Campaign Coordinator, Boye Adesina and the ADC state Youth Leader, Taiwo Akinde are now in Ladi Adebutu’s political family.
A diehard supporter and very close ally of Isiaka, Dejie Rowlands, has equally dumped him to pitch tents with Adebutu.
Their decision for abandoning Isiaka to his fate, THISDAY learnt, was as a result of the Investment Banker’s decision to dump his political party, the ADC, for Gov Dapo Abiodun’s All Progressives Congress (APC).
Our correspondent gathered that majority of Isiaka supporters did not believe in Gov Abiodun’s style of governance, as many of them were originally members of the PDP.
According to investigations, the last straw that broke the camels back was the refusal of Abiodun to appoint at least, a Commissioner from Isiaka’s camp.
Likewise, the Governor did not deem it fit to a lot a slot to Isiaka’s Imeko-Afon Local Government, while there are two Commissionership slots allotted to some local governments like Abeokuta South.
But at a time when his followers were still expressing their displeasure over the ill-treatment they got from Abiodun, Isiaka had come out to declare that he did not align with Abiodun for political appointments, while also promising not to contest against the governor in 2023.
An inner source, who spoke with our correspondent, confirmed that two out of the three lawmakers who won their seats under the platform of the ADC, have refused to join APC, while the remaining one is neither here nor there.
According to our source, who pleaded anonymity, Hon. Jemili Akingbade and Hon. Haruna Egungboun have vowed never to join the APC.
He informed that many ADC members were not happy that GNI dumped the ADC that was launched in about a year ago.
Speaking about why the group was not considered for a Commissionership slot, our source said, “Dapo Abiodun does not trust our camp. We have betrayed former Governor Gbenga Daniel, we betrayed Sen. Buruji Kashamu and teamed up with former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Now we are with Dapo Abiodun. Can you trust someone like that.”
He expressed dissatisfaction that the Imeko-born politician keeps, ‘jumping’ from one political party to another every political season; saying, “political instability is our problem. In 2011, we left PDP for PPN because of the power tussle between Obasanjo and Gbenga Daniel; in 2015, we contested under the PDP; in 2019, we brought ADC and now we have dumped that ADC for APC. Who does that?”
On the widespread rumour that Isiaka was bribed by Gov Abiodun and his godfathers to play a spoiler role against Ogun West agenda during the 2019 general election, our source neither said yes nor no. However, he said, “Even if it is not true, how do we convince people that it is not true? Our actions speak like it was true. We started running after Abiodun like a puppy immediately after the election. What do you expect the masses to say?
Another source, while expressing his concerns, told DAILY POST that: “We begged Oga (Isiaka) then that he should let us negotiate with Adekunle Akinlade of the Allied People’s Movement (APC) but he said no. We should be in power by this time if we had worked with Akinlade; now he said we should join Dapo Abiodun APC group. That is not a good decision. If there is any reason to join the APC, it should be the Sen. Ibikunle Amosun faction, not these ones fighting one another over appointments in less than seven months in power.”
Contacted, Isiaka faulted claims that his supporters are dumping him in droves. He said the rumour is far from the truth.
While acknowledging that some individuals had left his camp for another party, Isiaka said his group remained intact with about 95% of his followers moving with him en masse into the APC officially soon.
Speaking through his Spokesperson, Bolaji Adeniji, on Wednesday, Isiaka noted that those who have left his camp so far are a few inconsequential number of individuals, whose departure could not cause a ‘tsunami’ in his camp.
“There is nothing that has indicated that members of The Believe Movement are defecting in droves. The only one uniform movement that we want to do right now which is ongoing, is our defection into the APC and I’m not aware that there is other defection to another party in droves. Well, it is not impossible that some pockets of individuals have chosen to go to any other party, in which they have the inalienable constitutional right to do so. It is not as if it has got to an extent that we can now begin to say many are going. Even after losing the election, our group has remained intact, even though some individuals are going their ways. That is normal in politics. It is freedom of choice and association. We can’t expect to have 100% of our members following us in our directions. But a larger percentage of our people are still together, up to 95% and we are all in the same boat going to APC,” he said.
Speaking further, Adeniji clarified that: “It is of no worry that the likes of Fatai Adesegun, Moji Fatoki, Dejie Rowland and others who do not have numbers in terms of supporters are defecting. These were individual supporters of GNI and if they have taken their choice to exit, no problem. How many people did Fatai Adesegun, who was just one of our youth coordinators, take along? You talk about Dejie Rowlands, he is just one person; he is one of our younger elements in the Believe Movement structure. Moji Fatoki, yes, she’s a certain women leader within our structure; but the women leadership of our structure remains intact. She is just one individual who has left. Boye Adesina was just one of our leaders. Akeem Akinbo is just in politics by GNI. We made him the youth coordinator in Ado-Odo/Ota as it where; he has only left with two other individuals from that place. So, we cannot be worried about just a certain number of persons against thousands of people who are still with GNI.”
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Adeniji stressed that: “Just two days ago, we held a meeting where we had about 2,000 members in attendance. Are you going to be benchmarking 2,000 people against one Fatai Adesina or one Dejie Rowland? That is inconsequential number of persons.”
“Look at Ado-Odo/Ota where we had a stakeholders meeting of Believe Movement last week with over 200 people, and you are talking of just one Akeem Akinbo who left. So, what I’m saying, in essence, is that these people who we are talking about are so insignificant in number to say that there is a tsunami in GNI’s camp. They are less than 3%.”
THISDAY