Yar’Adua Gave us False Hope -Ondo Caucus

A huge lesson for the departed Ondo State’s administration of Dr. Olusegun Kokumo Agagu: There is no permanence in political power. President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and his number two man, Vice President Goodluck Jonathan are now being blamed by Ondo State People’s Democratic Party, PDP, for sacrificing Agagu in order to rid the central party of Olusegun Obasanjo’s influence.

Many objective observers believe that the Appeal Court relied on facts and some jurisprudence in deciding on last Monday that Dr. Agagu was a usurper, but the PDP at its first post-judicial defeat post mortem meeting in Okitipupa, Ondo State on Wednesday literally blamed Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan for its humiliation at the Federal Court of Appeal, in Benin City.

Sources close to both Dr. Agagu and his erstwhile Deputy, Chief Cornelius Omolade Oluwateru said that there was no letter proof of the complicity of PDP’s top echelon than the attendance of Commodore Olabole Ibiyinka George a member of PDP’s Board of Trustees at the inauguration of new Governor Dr. Olusegun Rahman Mimiko at the Ondo State Sports Complex at Imuagu, Akure on Tuesday.

But Commodore George is a former Military Governor of Ondo State and may have attended the swearing in ceremony in that capacity. The sources said that that could not be the complete story.

According to our sources who also disclosed that the Ondo PDP in the cold is now concerned on how to keep “its fold intact,” both Yar’Adua and Jonathan through out last weekend served assurances to Agagu and Oluwateru that their victory had been sealed with the appellate judges. The assurance may have indeed being sealed but analysts said that it could had been a “bogey” to stave off undue influence from the Nigerian presidency as “the court has always maintained its independence.”

While Agagu and Oluwateru with some of their associates are blaming Abuja, some of their other followers want the two gentlemen to accept responsibility for PDP’s ouster in Ondo State.

They blame Agagu, his brother and Chief of Staff, Mr. Femi Agagu for personalizing the instrument of governance and finances belonging to the people and the government.

The morning after Agagu’s government was the most unexpected nightmare for remnants of his leadership. His younger brother, and until Monday, his Chief of Staff, Mr. Femi Agagu tried to go back to the Government House, Grounds at Alagbaka, Akure, he was stopped at the gate and told to go back by security officials.

The day judgment was delivered in Benin city, at least two of Agagu’s former commissioners had to hike public transport back home in far away Ondo State because their former official drivers refused to take orders from them saying they were no longer in power.

Several of Agagu’s aides are being accused of grand looting. A particular aide was said to have removed lap-tops, video recording and editing equipment. Some of them though, are said to be returning some of the missing items.

Agagu and Oluwateru did not envisage a defeat in court, they were enjoying the assurances they were given until the last minute.