Cracks in Fayemi’s cabinet over successor
According to findings conducted, those said to be eyeing the coveted seat from the governor’s camp are current Secretary to the State Government, Biodun Oyebanji ; Chief of Staff, Biodun Omoleye; the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Wale Fapohunda ; the Commissioner for Infrastructure and Public Utilities, Bamidele Faparusi. Others include, House of Representatives member, Yemi Adaramodu. Only Faparusi has publicly declared his intention to contest for the party’s ticket.
On the other hand, the SWAGA group recently commenced an aggressive mobilisation drive across the council areas. The group is banking on the direct primary mode to dislodge the group belonging to the governor and sources close to the top hierarchy of SWAGA revealed that they are working on presenting a consensus aspirant ahead of the primaries already slated for January 22.
From all indications, Governor Fayemi would be deploying all in his political arsenal in a bid to install a worthy successor that would consolidates the legacies projects of the administration. Many believe that handing over power to a government of continuity will be one of Fayemi’s greatest achievements as a governor.
However, barely two months to the primary, there is a tension within the governor’s caucus as he (Fayemi) has maintained a deafening silence on his succession plan with this development already polarising the hitherto united political family.
Lately, while some members are queuing behind Oyebanji, some are rooting for Omoleye(both from the Central) and others are clamoring for a southern candidate in Faparusi. It appears Fapohunda has lost out with the look of things due what many party members described as his lack of political clout and popularity among the progressives.
Those at the fore front of the campaign for Oyebamiji, currently the SSG, are senior aides of the governor and that of his wife, Bisi Fayemi who many believe wield strong influence in the current administration.
Expectedly, this move is already generating rumpus within the governor’s cabinet, as others have openly rejected and debunked the alleged endorsement of the SSG who is from Ikogosi, in the Central senatorial district. First was the chief of staff, Omoleye who gathered party faithful informing them that Governor Fayemi has not endorsed anyone as his preferred candidate to be his successor.
He said, “You might have been hearing around that the governor has chosen someone as his successor. This is not true. The governor has not spoken in this regards. He is focused on finishing well and will not be distracted by rumours.
«The governor is the leader of the party and he is the one in charge. Everyone should therefore remain united and support him because our focus is on how to win the coming local government election and the next year governorship poll.”
As if that is not enough and what could be seen as a demonstration of what to expect in weeks ahead within the cabinet, the commissioner for infrastructure and public utilities, Faparusi without mincing words told journalists that the party was heading towards monumental defeat if it fails to pick a southern candidate.
According to him, “As a senior official of this party, there has not been any forum where such (endorsement) has been discussed. Even, if this should be discussed, it would be a candidate from the South, not from any other zone outside of the South, because that is what can win us the next election.
“It is going to be in the best interest of political parties to ensure that the next governor and governorship candidates come from the South especially my own political party, APC. It will be a costly mistake if my party, APC, should do otherwise. I want our party to have a candidate who can win the forthcoming election on a free and fair basis. I don’t want us to pick a candidate by error that we have to be struggling to win the election, having done a lot of work in the last three and half years to put the state back on the track of development.”
The reliable source within the government told our correspondent that, “If you are in this state in the last two weeks you will clearly see a wave of events in a direction as regards the coming election. Let me say that if senior and close appointees of the governor and his wife are openly going to town about someone’s aspiration, you should know that it is likely that the body language of the first family might has suggested the person in question.
“But I will advise the governor to thread softly on this issue as a leader of the party because it is already generating serious infighting and horse trading within the cabinet. The governor should be decisive and come out openly without further delay on this issue in the interest of the APC.”