Ogun Commissioners list: APC battles PDP, ADC other opposition parties for slots

Gov Abiodun 

Analysis

Politicians in Ogun State are currently having sleepless nights as they make concerted efforts to be part of Gov Dapo  Abiodun's kitchen cabinet, African Advocate reports.

Across the 20 local governments of the state, it has been one crisis or the other. - leaders against leaders, groups against groups, youths against women. Sadly, it has been resulting in physical assaults.

Interestingly, the battle to make the list of commissioners in Ogun is not restricted to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as politicians in other political parties like the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). African Democratic Congress (ADC) and others are equally running around to outsmart one another.

This development is currently brewing unhealthy relationship within the APC as members agitate that appointment of commissioners in Ogun should be solely an APC affair; notwithstanding the fact that some opposition political parties worked for the party in the March 9 governorship election. 

Earlier on July 4, the Governor had written the State House of Assembly, requesting for appointment deferment of commissioners in favour of senior special advisers, special advisers, senior special assistants and the likes. However, his recent statement seems to have lifted the deferment placed on the appointment of commissioners.

It was reported that Gov Abiodun, after a closed-door meeting with leaders of the APC in Ogun, told newsmen that his list of commissioners would be ready soon; a pronouncement that has brought about individuals across party lines going caps-in-hand to lobby the governor or his allies for slots. 

Barely a week after the APC caucus meeting, Abiodun met separately with the Chairman of the PDP in Ogun, Bayo Dayo; the governorship candidate of the ADC in Ogun, Gboyega Isiaka and a former Governor of the state, Gbenga Daniel.  

Though neither Abiodun nor his visitors revealed the purpose of their meetings to newsmen, it was learnt their talks might not be unconnected to the submission of nominees for appointment as Commissioners.

Recall that Daniel, few days to the governorship election, directed all his followers to vote for Abiodun. He has since defected from the PDP to the APC after the general elections.

On the other hand, there are speculations that Isiaka of the ADC, Sen. Buruji Kashamu of the PDP and some other governorship candidates in Ogun, worked for Abiodun's victory in the March 9 election in Ogun State. 

As a result, Abiodun, it was learnt, has decided to compensate those who stood up for him during the election by giving them the opportunity to be in his cabinet.

But Abiodun's decision to appoint members of opposition political parties into his cabinet did not go down well with leaders and members of the APC.

Abiodun once hinted that the leadership of the APC are not in support of his decision to run an all-inclusive government by appointing people from other political parties into his cabinet. 

Already, youths and elders of the party are not pleased that appointments that should have come to them are going the way of those in  opposition parties. 

While the elders are keeping mute, the youths have written open letters to Abiodun and their leaders, complaining about the development; telling him not to use and dump them. They yesterday requested for 40% appointment. 

It seems Abiodun has succeeded in appeasing the elders of Ogun APC as he appointed 51 of them into his Governor's Elders Council. This is as some youths have also been fixed into various committees. 

To Abiodun, his cabinet should be one that is made up of technocrats and successful individuals from the private sector, regardless of whether or not they are politicians. 

But a source in the APC told our correspondent that party leaders would not be happy with the Governor if he failed to fulfill his promise to compensate those who worked 'tirelessly' for his electoral victory by giving them appointments into his kitchen cabinet.

"We all know we may not get anything from Abuja as former Governor Ibikunle Amosun is the one holding the ace up there. But we must not open our eyes and watch state appointments elude us. That will be unfair." the source said

It was gathered that Abiodun’s commissioners’ list has in recent time, become subject of controversy within the leadership of the All Progressive Congress, as the party was said to have rejected the quota allegedly allotted to it out of the 20 commissioners expected in the state.

Meanwhile, African Advocate learnt that national leaders of the party like Chief Olusegun Osoba, Chief Bola Tinubu, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Adams Oshiomhole and others are major factors determining what Abiodun's list of commissioners will look like, even as he mulled having 50 per cent of his cabinet allotted to women.