By Tosin Olatokunbo
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state is considering the revocation of all contracts awarded by his government to the former Governor of Ekiti state, Peter Ayodele Fayose and his allies, sources in Agodi Government House have said.
The Ekiti strongman allegedly received multi-billion naira, mouth watering contracts from the state government through allies and cronies as payback for his support for Makinde to emerge governor in 2019 various sources say. These include contracts in the Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, apart from other contracts to compensate Fayose for backing the Oyo governor to win the election against the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
But now that things are no longer rosy between the former allies over the crisis rocking the leadership of PDP in the south west, pressure has mounted on the governor from his close allies and advisers to break all ties with the ex-Ekiti helmsman, including the total revocation of contracts awarded to his close allies by the state government . One of such is the SUBEB contract allegedly awarded to Kolapo Olubunmi Olushola Eleka, former Deputy Governor to Fayose. Recall that the former governor failed in his attempt to make his deputy succeed him.
This could be the last straw in the feud that started not long after the PDP lost the governorship election in Ondo state to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu last year. That was the tipping point in the relationship between the former allies as both groups have been throwing tantrums at each other over who should be blamed for PDP loss in Ondo. All efforts to reconcile them have so far failed.
The disagreement led to the removal of Dayo Ogungbenro, the PDP vice chairman in the zone by other members of the executive, purportedly backed by Fayose. Negligence of duty, and failure to call any meeting since he was appointed, was cited as reasons for Ogungbenro removal. Makinde will not have any of that and has continued to back the embattled party stalwart.
Makinde’s group are pointing accusing fingers at the Uche Secondus led PDP for failing to bring the feuding leaders together. Some have even blamed the National Chairman of the party for supporting one of the groups, thus making reconciliation somehow very difficult.
Governor Makinde has accused the Ekiti ex- governor of trying to destroy the PDP to escape his problem with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. On his part, Fayose said Makinde is a ‘baby, governor who’s looking for relevance.
The feelers from the Oyo state government could finally destroy what’s left of the relationship between the former political allies, their key supporters say, as the Oyo governor is now going all out to use what one of his aides described as his Trump card to his advantage.
“Governor Makinde is not a father Christmas that he will be dispensing favours to his political enemies. He’s prepared to break all ranks with the former Ekiti governor and put him to check,” a source told the magazine recently.
The sources who spoke under condition of anonymity, said the Oyo state government will withdraw all privileges and contracts enjoyed by the former governor and his allies. This includes “the multi-billion naira SUBEB contracts awarded to Fayose’s Deputy as part of reward for supporting Governor Makinde’s election bid in 2019. You may wish to know that Governor Makinde has continued to fulfill his own part of the bargain despite the disagreement, and everything that Fayose has been doing to undermine and disrespect him.
“That will not be allowed to continue. You cannot be against the governor and continue to be awarded contracts from the same man you want to bring down, “ a close aide of Governor Makinde said.
The source said “the former deputy governor is the major consultant to Oyo SUBEB, a contract he received as a result of the relationship that Governor Makinde enjoyed with Fayose when he first came into office in 2019.”
In what has also been described as another push to galvanize his support base, Governor Makinde, on Saturday received the endorsement of the Lagos state PDP.
Waliu Hassan, PDP Lagos chairman said on Saturday, during a visit by the members of his executives, to the governor in Agodi government house, that the PDP in the Centre of Excellence is committed to Mkinde’s leadership in the zone. He said Makinde is the natural leader of PDP in the Zone.
Hassan said “The purpose of today’s meeting is to thank Governor Makinde for standing by the party and to pledge total loyalty to his leadership of the South-West. No more, no less. We can tell you that the governor does not want anything from us. He, as the Chief Security Officer of Oyo State, needs nothing from the party. Rather, we are the ones who came all the way from Lagos to plead with him to keep leading the party.
“We resolved to, irrespective of any rancour, move the party forward and we will ensure that the party takes its better seat in 2023. We did not come here to discuss who takes anything for zonal congress. The congress will soon come up and for all we care; we have come to restate our commitment to our own governor.
“It is the full structure of Lagos that is represented here. Out of 19, we have the representation of 12 local government chairmen. We also have 17 complete non-working committee members of state exco here present. We have the deputy chairman of the party here. We have the secretary, legal adviser and the entire party structure of Lagos State here. This is a complete House of PDP, Lagos State.”
The duo are trying to assert themselves though many PDP supporters believe that Governor Makinde is the natural leader by virtue of his position as the only PDP governor in the south west. The latest endorsement, watchers of the party say, is to further prove that point.
