By Hameed Oyegbade, Osogbo | Late Isiaka Adeleke, who died few months ago, was elected on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC...
By Hameed Oyegbade, Osogbo | Late Isiaka Adeleke, who died few months ago, was elected on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC) but immediately after his death, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) launched frantic efforts to snatch the seat from the vacant ruling APC.
Different tricks by APC, PDP ahead of Osun Senate by-election
The three parties have already produced their candidates through primary elections which, however, brought to the fore the level that politicians can go to outsmart one another, all in an effort to grab power.
Senator Mudasiru Hussain, said to be the god-son of the state governor, Rauf Aregbesola, emerged as candidate of the APC.
But what seemingly attracted the attention of political analysts is the emergence of Mr Ademola Adeleke, the younger brother of late Isiaka Adeleke, as candidate of the PDP.
Also, Mr Ajibade Falade has emerged as candidate of the SDP and from all indications, the ground is now set for the July 8 by-election as scheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The three strong contenders emerged victorious at the primaries of their parties after a period of politicking that made the political atmosphere in Osun tense.
While Hussain and Falade were former members of the National Assembly, some pundits presume Ademola as a greenhorn, on the grounds that he never held any political position in the state.
They therefore said he was only basking in the popularity of his late brother. However, for the fact that he wanted to replace his late brother at the Senate on the same APC platform but suddenly moved to the PDP at the heat of the primaries, is indicative that he might not be a pushover.
Prior to Ademola’s sudden defection to PDP on the eve of the APC primary election, his ambition had caused internal crisis in the APC.
For some obvious reasons, the Osun State chapter of the party did not recognise Ademola as a member of the APC and this probably explained why he had to go to the National Secretariat of the party, in Abuja, before he could obtain nomination form.
Before the primaries, shortly after the internal politicking, the Osun APC leadership had advised those aspiring to contest for the senatorial seat to cede it to Hussain.
Expectedly, all of them conceded except Ademola, who insisted that the primary election must be conducted to determine the candidate of the party.
Those that stepped down for Hussain included Prince Dotun Babayemi, a business mogul, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mrs Olubunmi Etteh, and Alhaja Lateefat Giwa, the Commissioner for Women Affairs in the state.
Babayemi said he stepped down for Hussain because of his firm belief and respect for party supremacy above personal interest.
He added that Hussain was only about reaping the fruit of his obedience and loyalty to the party.
He said: “As we are all aware, Senator Mudasiru Hussain submitted the Senate ticket to the party to compensate late Senator Isiaka Adeleke after his defection to APC prior to the last governorship election in which our governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, was re-elected for his second term.
"Therefore, giving the ticket back to Senator Hussain at this moment is not out of place,” he said.
But Adeleke also believed that it would not be out of place for the APC in the state to allow him replace his late brother.
Now, with the coast clear ahead of the APC primaries and with Adeleke on his own and Hussain with ample support of the state chapter of the party, and by extension Governor Aregbesola, another round of crisis has erupted.
This came to the fore when the committee set up by the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, to conduct the primary announced the disqualification of Hussain.
The committee claimed that Hussain was disqualified from the race because of his failure to resign from his position as commissioner in the state.
The Speaker of the Zamfara State House of Assembly, Alhaji Sanusi Garba Rikiji, who was the chairman of the committee, explained that the disqualification of Hussain was in line with a guideline that stipulated procedures for candidates seeking elective positions.
But Hussain claimed that he resigned before the screening but did not present the resignation letter to the Rikiji-led committee because they did not ask for it.
The state executives of the party, who have the nod of Governor Aregbesola, also backed Hussain and faulted his disqualification.
For instance, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Dr. Ajibola Basiru, who served as Hussain’s agent for the primary election, said the committee was not fair in its decision.
Also, the spokesperson of the party in the state, Mr Kunle Oyatomi, told journalists that disqualifying their candidate would not be in the interest of the party in the by-election.
However, some members of the party in the state are insinuating that the disqualification of Hussain was as a result of the crises between Governor Aregbesola and the national chairman of the party.
They alleged that Oyegun was not happy with the role played by the Osun governor during the last governorship election in Ondo State.
While the intrigues continued, the Rikiji committee could not go ahead with the primary election, which would have been a walkover for Ademola.
Hussain, therefore, ran to the appeal committee so as to upturn the decision of the screening committee but he met a brick wall.
However, the influence of some top politicians saved the situation, and the National Working Committee (NEC) of the party eventually cleared Hussain to contest the primary.
But, while preparation for the conduct of the APC primary was at the final stage, an angry Ademola sent a letter to Oyegun, in which he announced his withdrawal from the primaries and also resignation from the party.
Instead of showing worry, however, the APC in the state, in a press statement signed by its Director of Media and Strategy, Mr Kunle Oyatomi, said Ademola was never a member of the party and that his resignation was needless.
“Let me make it clear at the onset that Otunba Ademola Adeleke has been riding on mischief all along, concocting false and irrational explanations as a subterfuge for his failed attempt to destabilise our party in the state.
"Available records now reveal that Ademola was never a member of APC in the state, as there is no evidence of his registration as a member in his Abogunde/Sagba Ward 2 in Ede North LGA. There are also no records of his involvement in party meetings at all levels,” Oyatomi added.
According to Oyatomi, “At best, Ademola’s only affiliation with our party were his occasional appearances with his late brother, Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke, at party functions, particularly the campaigns. The fact that he is a member of the Adeleke family therefore cannot and does not confer membership of the APC on him,” he said.
While APC was busy demystifying him, Ademola had already moved on to the opposition PDP where he was given automatic ticket to contest the by-election.
He got the ticket when a former Minister for Youth and Sport, Senator Akinlabi Olasunkanmi and Lt.-Col. Olayiwola Talabi (rtd) stepped down for him.
But this did not stop the committee set up by the APC national headquarters from including his name in the APC primary.
At the end of the election, Hussain got 2,412 votes while Ademola scored only one vote.
Meanwhile, the chance of Ademola in the PDP seemed problematic because a faction loyal to Senator Ahmed Makarfi is bent on frustrating him.
Members of the party have already moved to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to work for another candidate, Mr Ajibade Falade.
Falade enjoys the support of a political giant in the state and PDP chieftain, Senator Iyiola Omisore.
Political observers in the state, therefore, posit that the Senator Ali Modu Sheriff’s PDP faction alone may not be capable of helping Adeleke to defeat Hussain who has Aregbesola’s sophisticated force.
An Abuja-based former chieftain of the PDP, Malam Olawale Rasheed, who hails from Iwo, the headquarters of Osun West Senatorial District, said Hussain is a better choice for the senatorial by-election.
"When all factors are taken into account, Mudashir is better qualified. We need a senator who will enter the Senate as a ranking member and be well positioned to assume critical position,” he said.
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