•His New Role In OGUN Politics Revealed!
Before late Senator Buruji Kashamu died, he sent a message to a former Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, to take over the leadership of his political structure called Omo Ilu Foundation. He sent one of his trusted aides to OGD, to tell him that he had premonition of death and that OGD should take over, leading his followers in Ogun PDP.
When OGD visited the family of Kashamu in Ijebu-Igbo, after Buruji’s death he revealed plans by the late Senator to hand over the state People’s Democratic Party (PDP’s) structure to him a few days before he died. Daniel was quoted to have said this during a Condolence visit to the family of the deceased in Ijebu-Igbo. Kashamu, who was the state PDP governorship candidate in the 2019 election. He died from COVID-19 complications in a Lagos hospital and was buried at his Ijebu-Igbo residence. Daniel’s revelation was contained in a statement entitled: We should not play politics with Kashamus death OGD, signed by his media aide, Steve Oliyide, in Abeokuta. Daniel was quoted to have said that Kashamu sent a delegation to him on Wednesday, three days before his death. The statement read in part, OGD said: “It was true that Buruji sent a delegation to me last Wednesday, August 4, 2020, who came to discuss with me about his wish that I should provide further leadership for the political structure, which he built and had nurtured over the years. When the representatives, who included his lawyer, came, I discouraged political discussions and pleaded with them to all go and pray for his survival. Unfortunately, he passed away a few days after. We are mourning a great man. His wish was to make peace with everyone before his death. As human, you must have strong friends and strong enemies”.
With Buruji gone now, what next for OGD & other members of OGUN PDP? Will he accept Buruji’s offer? Mum is the word. City People tried to get members of the OGD Camp to react to explain OGD’s next move, but all we got from them is that OGD is not talking for now. City People gathered that OGD is faced with the fact that he is caught in a big web of intrigues. One, he was not expecting the Buruji offer when it came. Two, OGD has been off active politics since last year. When City People interviewed him a few months back in a City People Instagram Live Chat, OGD revealed that he had taken a siddon-look approach to politics. The third challenge is that OGD is one of those who worked for Gov. Dapo Abiodun’s Victory at the polls and it would be difficult for him to pull back and throw his weight behind another candidate at this point. So, what will OGD do?
One of his aides revealed that OGD had found himself in a difficult situation. This is because OGD is the builder of most of the political structures operating in the State. Ordinaruly, it shouldn’t have been a problem. It can only be an issue of returning them to base where most of them originated from. In any case, it takes nothing from him to rebuild whenever the need arises. But for now, I think Oga is still with the current Governor. Having supported the current Governor to office, he is carefully monitoring the state of the country’s politics nationwide.
The fact of the matter is that both Kashamu and Ladi Adebutu only shared between them what was naturally an OGD structure. All the people around Kashamu – Remi Bakare, Hon. Adesegun Adekoya (Attacker), Kola Sorinola, Ola Kukoyi etc were naturally members of the OGD Political family. The same with Sikirulai Ogundele, Sunday Solarin, etc who are with Ladi Adebutu. They all served under OGD and in OGD’s government or have had some personal relationships with OGD (as in the case of Remi Bakare and Ola Kukoyi).
So I do not know whether we could call whatever they have as “structure” in the real sense of it, rather splinters of the OGD political family. Ladi for instance was a Commissioner 1 in the Ogun State Local Government Service Commission under OGD. Whatever he is also parading were handed over to him on January 16, 2016 at Asoludero Court by OGD. And OGD gave him the caveat to go and inherit both his own assets and liabilities by trying to win over every other member of the family who have left.
The Buruji faction also started as “OGD-Omo Ilu Foundation” before things went South. The remaining members of this political family are the ones with GNI (The Believe Movement)- if you can notice they were very cautious to call it a Structure, but Movement. This is because they still recognise they have a root somewhere in the OGD family. So, if you look at this in the context of what the dying wish of Buruji is, it is like a return to Genesis whenever you miss the Promised Land. What e practically meant was that this is where I took all of you from, I am making a Restitution, let me return you back home. It is a Vote of Confidence, like this is the only person who can provide for you the needed leadership; it is a summary of what the man even said in his lifetime, that even he himself submitted to the political leadership of OGD.
On the issue of whether OGD wants to take up that charge, that is another complex water to navigate. Reason being that a lot has also happened in the interim. As of present, OGD has chosen to be on Political sabbatical, but in a mutual alliance with an in support of Gov. Dapo Abiodun (who is in another political party) in Ogun State. Even as it does look like Gov. Dapo was not ready to honour a Gentleman’s agreement with OGD just as he betrayed Buruji before he died as well, as well as Chief Osoba. But as an elder Statesman, it won’t be appropriate that OGD be the first to break such delicate alliance, until such time when Dapo Abiodun says he has had enough of OGD.
Also in the same capacity as an Elder Statesman, coupled with the fact that the same people who are the Kashamu faction of PDP have been OGD people from the start, needing leadership, he can not totally abandon them, he can offer advice, guidance and direction whenever his opinions are sought.
And that is why OGD also has not taken any categorical stand. The political landscape presently is hazy and confusing. It requires some cautious navigation before plunging in.
City People gathered that there is a natural leadership structure in place. Chief Remi Bakare is there. Attacker is there (He is the highest political Office Holder in PDP Ogun State today). Either one of them too will naturally move in. All they need is a Navigator, a Father-Figure, somebody who can chart direction for them and to whom they can run whenever there is any conflict. That is where they need OGD. He does not necessarily have to be in their midst to offer them the needed support. If certain things are not clear to them, they can run to him and he can assist them with the benefit of hindsight. It will be insultive if he is seen as a leader of a faction of PDP in a state where he has served as a Governor for 8-years. That will be like putting him on the same pedestal as Ladi Adebutu and they will both be struggling for the control of PDP. That is uncharitable for someone who had run for the National Chairmanship of the same PDP and who have handled the campaign of a Presidential candidate. The position in which he is now, even if the Ladi group runs to him for supports, advice and direction he should still be able to provide.
When all factions are ready for reconciliation, he should be able to sit like a Father figure to settle all of them without compromising his integrity.
Last June, CityPeople interviewed OGD, via an Instagram Live Chat.
You were in the PDP for years but it seems you are no longer active in the party in your State?
Well, it’s not only through the elective process people can serve the land. It is only where people sit tight because they feel that it’s through that process they can continue to make money. Like I said, for me, the politics were an intervention. We have done what needed to be done. The only thing that is left for us is to continue to nurture it and to continue to support people who find themselves in power. Of course when we had the opportunity to make a decision between left and right, and we think right is probably right for our environment, we do what is best. And that’s what I did during the last election in Ogun State. What I’m saying is that there’s a legion of ways in which you can help people.
For me, I have no issue with any political party. Both the party are the same, APC and PDP. In terms of ideology, they are very similar. So what is different is personality. If a good personality takes over PDP, Nigerians will relate to that party.
Would you call your position “sit down look” like Chief Bola Ige said in those days or you are still actively involved in the activities of PDP?
I won’t put it as sit down look but I will put it acting an elder statesman at a younger age. That is the way I will put it. But part of the case is that, if you look at the some of the roles that I have made I can’t deny that every day I get calls from people to say that you can’t just abandon us like this; I need to tell them what they should do and all that. Don’t forget that, in the course of running for the Chairman of my National party, I virtually transverse the length and breadth of Nigeria. I visited every one of the 36 States of the federation including the FCT and in each of that location I developed structures and I develop friendship and have not lost that friendship and structure.
When I also had the opportunity to support Atiku Abubakar, in the course of the campaign I also took him through the breadth and length of Nigeria, before the primary election. So you can say in 3 years have gone through Nigeria 3 or more time. Part of what I do is to abandon my other phone so that I won’t be distracted in the course of going around the states. The point I’m making is that I’m not actively involved today but to the extent that we can’t close our eyes and allow the wrong thing to happen in Nigeria again, so you can say that I’m actively working behind the scene.
Sir, let’s talk about Ogun State. Are you happy the way the state is?
Yes, I’m happy that we have a mature governor, who is mature in all ramifications. I was saying to some people that, I became governor at 47. The current governor became governor at 59. That means in terms of age, experience, this current governor has it on his side. And I have carefully looked at him, he is determined to be successful. He doesn’t rush to make a decision and of course, that is not what Nigerians want, but at the end of the day it’s better to do slow and steady and win the race. So, I can see what he’s trying to do and I think what we need to do is to continue to pray for him, support him and to advise him appropriately. I think he is a good governor and I believe he would be a successful governor.
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