African Democratic Congress Struggles For Foothold In South-West

Indications person emerged that the absorption coalition, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), is having trouble establishing itself arsenic a formidable governmental unit successful the South-West.

The ADC has yet to blossom successful the South-West, President Bola Tinubu’s governmental stronghold and region, contempt appointing erstwhile two-term politician and ex-minister Rauf Aregbesola arsenic its nationalist secretary.

Aregbesola was, earlier now, a trusted state and governmental subordinate of the president.
Meanwhile, a connection connected the concern sent to the ADC nationalist publicity secretary, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, was not replied to arsenic of the clip this study was filed.

However, sources adjacent to the conjugation disclosed that Aregbesola, contempt his wealthiness of governmental web and experience, has recovered it hard to person South-Westerners to judge and articulation the ADC arsenic an alternate to the ruling APC up of the 2027 wide elections.

Apart from the Labour Party’s 2023 governorship campaigner successful Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, who precocious joined the ADC with his supporters, nary salient South-West person has publically identified with the absorption party.

A erstwhile politician of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, who was alleged to beryllium portion of the conjugation by his governmental ally, Rt Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, has since distanced himself from the group.

Although the ADC has gained immoderate salient leaders from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) astatine the nationalist level owed to the party’s lingering crisis, the aforesaid cannot beryllium said of the South-West. Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, for instance, precocious denied nursing immoderate program to dump the PDP for the ADC.

It volition beryllium recalled that President Tinubu won lone 4 of the six South-West states successful the 2023 statesmanlike election, polling 2,279,407 votes successful the region.

Ahead of the 2027 polls, it was learnt that the president and his governmental strategy squad are targeting triumph successful each six South-West states, peculiarly Lagos, wherever Tinubu was politician for 8 years and subsequently had the authorities nether his grip, deciding who got what politically—but helium mislaid the ballot of the authorities to Labour Party’s statesmanlike campaigner Peter Obi successful 2023.

The president is said to beryllium consolidating his governmental stronghold done appointments, patronage, and by ensuring that politicians are kept engaged with the activities of autarkic enactment groups mobilising for his re-election successful 2027.

This, it was gathered, has made it a pugnacious task for Aregbesola, wide regarded arsenic a grassroots mobiliser, to summation prominence for the ADC successful the South-West.

A root wrong the All Progressives Congress (APC) successful Ondo State, for instance, narrated however the erstwhile Osun politician attempted to marque the ADC payment from the interior situation rocking the ruling enactment since Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa took implicit connected 27 December 2023, pursuing the decease of his boss, the precocious Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.

According to the source, isolated from Osun and Lagos states, Ondo was expected to beryllium different beardown basal for Aregbesola.

He said, “Aregbesola grew up and schooled successful Ondo State. He has ever been actively progressive successful the authorities of the state. In 2012, helium led the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) governorship run and adjacent appointed immoderate Ondo State indigenes into his authorities successful Osun. There is hardly immoderate section authorities successful Ondo State helium has not visited. Those who chose him arsenic the ADC nationalist caput cognize his capacity.

“Aregbesola was determined to reap from the situation successful the Ondo APC. He knew however Governor Aiyedatiwa had sidelined leaders loyal to the precocious Akeredolu and those who contested the APC governorship summons with him successful 2024. He was besides alert of however immoderate of Aiyedatiwa’s aides allegedly attempted to region the APC authorities chairman, Ade Adetimehin, from office.

“In fact, immoderate aggrieved APC leaders met with Aregbesola aft realising that their politician was bent connected relegating them politically. Some of Aiyedatiwa’s loyalists were already boasting that ‘it is Team Aiyedatiwa’s turn’ and that they would discontinue each aged politicians successful the state.

“These politicians considered leaving the enactment for the ADC. However, the timely involution of the Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who got upwind of the plan, saved the APC successful the authorities from disarray.”

The curate was said to person pleaded with the aggrieved politicians to stay successful the APC, reminding them that their corporate efforts delivered the highest percent of votes for Tinubu successful the 2023 predetermination and that it would beryllium much beneficial for them to stay successful the enactment and present President Tinubu again.
It was gathered that this was 1 of the reasons Aregbesola’s sojourn to Akure soon aft his assignment arsenic ADC nationalist secreta...