Aremo Osoba, Gov. Amosun Set For Major Showdown Over LG Polls

…the Asiwaju Tinubu connection

Former governor of Ogun state, Aremo Olusegun Osoba and incumbent helmsman of the state Ibikunle Amosun are set for a major showdown.

According to findings by www.societynowng.com the battle front will be who determines who gets what in the upcoming Action Congress primary elections to determine the party flag bearers in the coming local goverment elections.

Investigations attribute the reason for this developmnet as ‘fight for control of the state’

Governor Amosun is said to have used the power of incumbency to sideline Osoba- the party leader in the state- in all major decisions and appointments made so far.

This is said to be contrary to earlier agreements reached between the two political party, Action Congress of Nigeria chieftains and leaders in the state.

‘As at the time he was crossing over from the All Nigerian People’s Party to pick the ACN gubernatorial ticket, Amosun was given certain conditions and the thrust of those stipulations was that Aremo Osoba would have great input in appointments and related decision makings in the state, but the governor appears to have done away with all these agreements and doing as he deem fit at present’ a source divulged.

Sources close to Amosun admitted the doing away with the pre election accord reached with Osoba but based the development on what is tagged ‘survival startegy’.

Disclosed an insider ‘ the conditions given were politicall suffocating- they were meant to transform Aremo Osoba into the all in all authority over time and the governor just a rubber stamp and for Amosun and his followers that was far from acceptable, so right from the go they started putting in place structures to protect their interest, putting their loayslist in key positions and ultimately make Amosun what Osoba dreamt in the politics of Ogun state’

Sources divulged that Amosun is being aided in his bid to take charge by two factors, tactic support from the national leader of ACN, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and strive by polictal stakeholders in the state to avoid a replay of the all encompassing polictial fights that grounded the state in the immediate past regime of Otunba Gbenga Daniel.

Avoidng the renactment of the shallow fighting of Daniel is said to have given Amosun a majority followership in the state house of assemble- a great political blow to Aremo Osoba.

The former governor is said to have paved way for the tactic support Asiwaju Tinubu is giving Amosun as a result of a fall out he had with the heavy weight politician.

According to sources, during the pre elections days, when Osoba insited his fierce loyalist and protege Segun Adesegun should be the deputy governor and Amosun resisted- Asiwaju Tinubu counselled that Amosun should be allowed to pick his deputy. But Aremo reportedly insisted on having his way on the ground that he remains the party leader in Ogun state, the incumbent was said to have preffered to opt out of the arrangement rather than agree until he had a private meeting with Asiwaju Tinubu where it was agreed that he should bow to Aremo’s wishes on the condition that Tinubu would not interfer in moves by Amosun to free himself from the shackles of Osoba when he attained power.

Amosun is said to be riding high on that pact at present- and true to his word, Asiwaju Tinubu has maintained a low profile in the festering cold war.

‘Of course, Amosun maintains very close contact with Tinubu and shows his loyalty at every corner possible’ an insider explains the former governor’s gain in the arrangemnet.

Analysis of Amosun’s game plan made available to www.societynowng.com revealed a glitch, that ex governor Osoba appears to be taking advantage of at present- the incumbent is only giving political patronage to core loyalist and virtually all of them decamped from ANPP into ACN with him.

This development is causing disquiet among long time ACN members that toiled over time to make the party popular and fertile for Amosun to leverage on to attain his current status.

The former governor and his loyalists are said to be conscripting the disgruntled polictians into their army of followers.

The idea is to have enough supporters to give Governor Amosun a tight run in the coming local goverment elections.

Control of the local goverment is an essentail tool in goverment, particularly as it affects the grass root. Both camps believe that control of this organ of goverment -via the occupants of its offices- will go a long way to determine their political future. And for them to win the battle half way against other political parties, they need to put ‘their loyalist’ as party flag bearers.

Currently the former governor and his crew are said to be sensitizing party men against imposition of candidates, particulary new entrants into ACN by Governor Amosun and his group. And the incumbent is said to be strategyzing and restartegyzing with his advisers on how to outwit Osoba and his followers in the game of power and influence again.

Sympathizers of the party that routed People’s Democratic Party out of power in the state are said to be keen on the out come of the raging battle- whether internal strive will make nonsense of the party’s perceived influnce in the state or a compromise of sort will be reached by combatants before the November 2011 ACN primary elections.