Ogun Speaker’s Impeachment: A Cursor To 2027 Governorship Race
WITH the recent impeachment of the Ogun State House of Assembly Speaker, Olakunle Oluomo, the race for the 2027 governorship election in the state appears to have claimed its first victim going by the speed and manner at which the former speaker was ousted. Many people are still in shock that Oluomo, considered as Governor Dapo Abiodun’s ‘ Man Friday’ could be removed in such a manner without the intervention of the governor, despite the former’s loyalty to the governor in the face of adversity.
Oluomo was last week removed by 22 out of the 26 lawmakers over allegations bordering on financial misappropriation, high handedness, gross misconduct, arrogance, poor leadership style, lack of focus and pitching members against themselves.
Although it cannot be ruled out that the former speaker may have a case to answer with regard to allegations of misappropriating public funds running into N2.5 billion while in office and poor leadership, there are indications that the race for the 2027 governorship election might actually be the bone of contention.
According to investigations, contrary to media reports that his impeachment did not follow due process, Oluomo had been presented with the already signed notice of impeachment three times by a simple majority of the lawmakers, but they always withdrew it after the acceptance of their terms by the former speaker. An impeccable source within the Assembly confirmed that the former speaker could have been removed long before penultimate Tuesday but had always managed to escape. The source said the former speaker was fond of carrying the mace, the symbol of authority of the Assembly, with him, to avoid being impeached in his absence.
The Guardian learnt that the embattled speaker has been having a running battle with his colleagues since he was ‘ imposed’ on them by Governor Abiodun and the Senator representing Ogun West, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly called Yayi, in 2023. It was gathered that the aggrieved lawmakers had since compiled the impeachment notice and had shown it to him while waiting for a suitable time to oust him.
It was learnt that whenever the impeachment notice was shown to him during plenary, Oluomo would quickly adjourn the session.
Impeccable sources said the allegation of financial impropriety against the former speaker may not be unconnected to the disagreement among the lawmakers over the sharing formula of what was offered to them to ensure the passage of the budget. It was learnt that the disagreement over what the lawmakers requested and what was offered before the budget could be passed, caused the animosity between the former speaker and his colleagues. The Guardian also learnt authoritatively that Oluomo’s impeachment is not unconnected with the ambition of Yayi, who is desperately
eyeing the state’s number one seat when Abiodun’s tenure expires in 2027.
It was learnt that the former speaker has been romancing with Yayi, a development that doesn’t go well with the governor. It was even alleged that Oluomo has allegedly been negotiating for the deputy governorship slot with Adeola or eyeing the governorship seat as an Egba man.
This, it was learnt, was assuming a kind of threat to the governor’s plan of ‘ planting’ his successor. It was gathered that the thinking in the governor’s camp is that if Oluomo still occupies the state’s number three seat, he might pose a serious threat to Abiodun’s chances of picking the next governor.
The Guardian investigations showed that the governor’s sudden aversion to Yayi’s ambition is still a surprise to a good number of people within and outside the party, considering the senator’s offerings to the election and re- election of Abiodun in 2019 and 2023 respectively. One of the attestations to the rumour was the governor’s swift congratulatory message to the new leadership of the Assembly. He was reported to have congratulated Oludaisi Elemide and other members of the Assembly over the development, describing it as exemplary.
Though some commended the governor for being above board for taking that step, many people condemned him on the basis that Oluomo had been loyal to him through thick and thin.
Last year, there was a rumour that both the governor and Yayi have fallen apart just like the case of former governor Gbenga Daniel, who is currently the senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District, but both camps denied it.
However, those in defence of the governor said he made several attempts to save Oluomo but all his attempts failed, as the lawmakers and his other adversaries were hell bent on ensuring he must be impeached. The governor, it was learnt, consulted widely but proved it abortive.
Political analysts say he doesn’t want a
repeat of the happenings in 2007, which polarised the Assembly into two factions – G 15 and G11 – after the erstwhile speaker, Titi Oseni, was removed.
Like Oluomo, Oseni was also removed after she was imposed on the house for a second term and was accused of sundry allegations.
All attempts by then governor Daniel to restore Oseni failed as the Assembly was under lock and key till the end of the administration due to the violence that broke out after the impeachment of the leadership.
With the current development, political analysts are of the view that if the rumour eventually turns out to be true, Abiodun might have eventually ‘ bite the finger’ that fed him while eyeing the state’s number one seat.
In the build- up to the 2019 election, Yayi, who was a Lagos Senator, was touted as one of the aspirants that could upset Senator Ibikunle Amosun’s succession plans, particularly his desire to foist his preferred candidate on Ogun All Progressives Congress ( APC) then. However, the Senator withdrew from the race, choosing instead to pursue his re- election to the Senate. It was his withdrawal that paved the way for Abiodun, who used Yayi’s structure to attain power.
Aside the fact that the structure was still intact before last year’s general election, sources revealed that strong supporters of Adeola in the governor’s camp regrouped again for Abiodun to realise his second term dream, which will inadvertently pave the way for their master ( Yayi) to also have a shot at the state’s number one seat in 2027.
Sources within the party told The Guardian that in the 2023 governorship election, but for Adeola who mobilised the electorate in Ogun West Senatorial District, the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress ( ADC), Biyi Otegbeye, sponsored by Amosun, could have had a field day that would have resulted in the defeat of Abiodun at the poll by the main opposition party,
Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) with a landslide.
As the situation stands, political gladiators within the party, who preferred to be anonymous, have accused the governor of further polarising the party, considering his antecedents with those who helped him to power.
They recalled that the sudden no love lost relationship between him and his former ally, Daniel, is not also unconnected with aspirations for the 2027 election. While Daniel is eyeing a second term as a senator, the governor is also strategising to take the ticket away from him.
The rift, which allegedly started prior to the last gubernatorial election, was kept as top secret for months, with both camps pretending that all was well until the demolition of the former governor’s wife, Yeye Olufunke Daniel’s building – DATKEM Plaza, Ijebu Ode – which the government claimed contravened the state’s physical planning laws.
To many, the animosity between the two is still hard to believe, considering the role played by Daniel in the emergence of Abiodun in 2019 when Amosun was hell- bent on installing his stooge, Adekunle Akinlade, who contested on the platform of the Alliance Peoples Movement ( APM), having lost the ticket to Abiodun of APC.
Findings by The Guardian indicate that currently, the party is more divided than it was in the build- up to the 2023 general election. Though party bigwigs have always claimed that the party remains one indivisible body, it was observed that there are currently at least four different factions in the party. The factions include the Amosun ( SIA/ PMB) group; those loyal to Yayi; the incumbent governor’s group and former Daniel’s bloc. Sources within the party disclosed that having seen the handwriting of the governor, these line ups have surreptitiously commenced underground fireworks and antics, in their bid to scuttle the governor’s grip on the ruling party in the state.