Amosun
Top Story

2019 General Election: Adeosun’s resignation unsettles Amosun’s political camp in Ogun

268
…questions imposition of candidates through consensus nomination option
 
The resignation of the minister of finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, from the cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari, has unsettled the political camp of the Ogun state governor, Ibikunle Amosun.

The camp is smarting from the shameful development that took the nation by storm on Friday. 

Adeosun’s resignation came about two months after it was reported in the media that she forged her National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, exemption certificate.

Her decision to throw in the towel was sequel to the outcome of the presidential investigation into the matter to which she claimed she was privy.  

She was Governor Amosun’s nominee into the federal cabinet in 2015, after having served in the Ogun state cabinet as commissioner for finance from 2011 to 2015.

The implication of her commissionership is that she compromised the system in Ogun state and escaped indictment.

The speculation doing the rounds in Ogun state was that Governor Amosun failed to do due diligence before appointing her as commissioner.

Security reports that were conditions precedents to appointment into public office could not have failed to raise a red flag on the fact that the exemption certificate she presented was fake.

The Ogun state administration under Amosun, according to watchers of the development, either aided and abetted the felony by giving her protection or was altogether taken in by the seeming naiveté of Adeosun.  

Analysts contend that the fall of Adeosun has far-reaching implications for Amosun’s administration and political judgments.

Some political quarters in Ogun state were said to have, in 2015, questioned Amosun’s nomination of Adeosun as minister despite having served as finance commissioner in the state.

One of the reasons was the uncertainty that shrouded her claim that she was exempted from the NYSC and the other reason was her doubtful capacity to represent Ogun state very well.

A top politician in the state told Per Second News that the primary concern at the time was the “inexperience” of Adeosun to survive the usually tumultuous public office at the federal level and the nation’s larger “cloak-and-dagger politics”.

Expectedly, she had landed herself in trouble from the outset, according to a grapevine who hinted that the Department of State Services, DSS, saw through her claim and indexed it in accordance in its report to Senate prelude to confirmation hearing.

But the Senate leadership, in a somewhat desperate bid to worm itself into the heart of the presidency, decided not to raise a lot of issues with the ministerial nominees who were presented to the Senate for screening and confirmation six months after the inauguration of the administration.

It was learnt that no sooner was Adeosun confirmed and assigned the portfolio of finance ministry than the senators who were privy to the security report that raised the red flag on her NYSC exemption certificate began to apply subtle blackmail on her.

The situation reportedly got to a head when as minister of finance she was said to have sidestepped the directive of the vice president and chairman of the National Economic Council, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, that the subhead on the constituency projects and some others should not be funded.

But because the senators were using the forged exemption certificate as a blackmail chip against her, she reportedly funded the said budget items worth billions of naira.

Sources close to the development said it was apparent that Adeosun could not continue to live in self denial and that typical of blackmailers, those blackmailing her in the senate would, one day, expose her to national embarrassment and ridicule. 

That happened two months ago via the publication in an online news platform.

Adeosun’s fall is rubbing off negatively on Governor Amosun’s administration and political decisions that have put the All Progressives Congress, APC, under intense pressure and tension ahead of the 2019 general election.

The nomination of candidates, according to sundry reports, had been hijacked and manipulated by Amosun who had already foisted a list of consensus candidates on the party in the state from the position of governor through senators down to state legislators.

There is a growing resentment in the APC in the state.  Some aspirants have kicked and are insisting that the nomination of candidates for all positions should be subjected to direct primaries in accordance with the directive of the national leadership of the party.

Indeed, politicians of various persuasions and leanings in the state chapter of the APC are ill at ease with Amosun’s desperate and anti-democratic leadership style and have asked if he really loves Ogun state and the APC as his plot could boomerang against the party in the general election.

The consensus of opinions, as learnt, is that Amosun is more interested in his selfish political agenda. 

Already, he has produced himself as the consensus senatorial candidate for Ogun Central senatorial district.

He has rallied the government structure behind Honourable Abdulkadir Adekunle Akinlade as governorship candidate of the party for the 2019 election.

There are concerns in political circles in APC that Amosun, just as he failed to do due diligence in the case of Adeosun, has either failed to do due diligence in the case of Akinlade or has decided to install him knowing that he is a flawed and compromised candidate whom he can blackmail even in government.

Leaders of the APC in Ogun state are vehemently kicking against the choice of Akinlade whom Amosun removed from office as his Special Assistant on Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, due to some wrongdoings.

Some leaders were said to have intervened for him consequent upon which Amosun deployed him to ministry of women affairs and thereafter allowed him to contest for the Egbado South and Ipokia Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives.

Some quarters in the Ogun APC are shocked that Amosun has decided to endorse the same man (Akinlade) as his successor, thus raising serious concerns about his political judgment and decision at this time when his decision on Adeosun has already blown up in his face and has embarrassed the entire Ogun state.

 

Leave a comment

Related Articles

Horror as loverboy lures girl to his house, slaughters her for money rituals in Ogun

A young man and suspected ritualist, who specializes in luring beautiful girls...

Abuja, Anambra stampede fatalities: Pres. Tinubu cancels official engagements, mourns

President Bola Tinubu has cancelled his official events in Lagos as a...

Deadly Stampede in Abuja: Police Report 10 Fatalities, Several Injuries

A food distribution event at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama turned...

Breaking: NNPC Ltd. Slashes Petrol Price to N899 Per Litre

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has announced a significant...

No Shutdown: NNPC Ltd. Denies Report on Old Port Harcourt Refinery

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has dismissed reports that...

Breaking: Kogi Governor, Yahaya Bello, Regains Freedom After Meeting Bail Terms

Former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello has been released from Kuje Custodial...

Justice Minister slams Edo Gov. Okpebholo over suspension of LG chairmen, declares it illegal

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi,...

Cyber attack hits National Bureau of Statistics website, recovery process initiated

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) announced on Wednesday night that its...

Alleged N110bln money laundering charge: Court admits Yahaya Bello to another N500m bail

Yahaya Bello, the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, has been granted...

Updated: 32 feared dead in Ibadan funfair tragedy: Ooni’s ex-wife, others arrested

At least, 32 children were feared killed during a stampede at a...

Ibadan Children’s Carnival Turns Deadly: Multiple Fatalities and Injuries Reported

Tragedy struck in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, as a devastating stampede...

Breaking: Pres. Tinubu Presents “Budget of Restoration of “N4.96trn for 2025, Allocating N4.9trn for Security

President Bola Tinubu has presented a proposed budget of N4.96 trillion for...

N4.9trn budget presentation: Tinubu presents 2025 budget, declares 10th NASS members re-elected

President Bola Tinubu made a surprising declaration during his 2025 budget presentation...

Just in: Tinubu presents N47.9trn budget amid tight security at National Assembly

A heavy security presence has been deployed at the National Assembly complex...

NNPC Ltd. Secured $1bln Loan to Support Dangote Refinery, Facilitates $3bln Gazelle Loan – Soneye

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has said that it...

Port Harcourt refinery operating smoothly, say labour, oil workers on fact-finding mission

A recent fact-finding visit by labour leaders has dispelled the uncertainties surrounding...

Rescheduled: Pres.Tinubu to present N47.9trn 2025 budget on Dec. 18

President Bola Tinubu has rescheduled the presentation of the N47.9 trillion 2025...

UniAbuja Renamed Yakubu Gowon University in Honour of ex-Nigerian Leader

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has given the green light to rename...

Tragedy as Benue boat mishap claims 20 lives, 11 rescued

A boat mishap on River Benue has claimed 20 lives in the...

Tinubu Chairs 66th ECOWAS Summit to Address Regional Instability

President Bola Tinubu is currently chairing the 66th Ordinary Summit of the...