Newsdiary Online reports that the Former Governor of Oyo State,Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, must have made the current CHairman of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), Alhaji Ali Modi Sheriff, record his first disappointment in his bid to get back the party’s stalwarts who defected to other parties in recent times, into the PDP.
Sheriff who was on tour of the South- West last week on a fence mending mission, was said publicly, that he would talk AKALA into returning to the PDP fold. AKALA who governed Oyo State between 2005 and 2011, on the platform of the PDP, left the party for the Labour Party on which ticket he contested the 2015 Governorship election in the state.
While receiving PDP leaders from the South- West who paid him a visit in Abuja last Thursday, Sheriff said he was working very hard to reconcile AKALA and his predecessor in office, Chief Rasheed Ladoja. Both of them had called it quits with PDP. While AKALA lefts the PDP for Labour Party, Ladoja ended up in the Accord Party.
Ironically, while Sheriff was boastfully talking about bringing both men back to the PDP, AKALA was at the APC National Secretariat concluding his defection to the ruling party.
Speaking to journalists on the motive behind his visit to the APC national secretariat, AKALA said:
“I’m at the national headquarters of my party, maybe, you don’t know that I’m in the APC. This is just to tell you that I’m a member of the APC. So, I have come to the national headquarters of my party to have a tete-a-tete with my leaders and the national chairman of the party, including my leaders from the South-West in the party structures. That is what I have come here to do”.
On his advice to President Muhammadu Buhari’s government on the change agenda, he averred that
“The change agenda has already started. It has not been the business as usual. Things have started changing. I know it’s purely for good purpose by the grace of God. When you are just coming on board, you will have challenges here and there. But sooner or later, you will get over it”
He also spoke about those who are threatened by his entrance into the APC
“It’s always like that in politics. But there is nothing to fear about. What you should just know is that by the special grace of God, water will find its own level. At any situation, water will find its own level. So, there is nothing to be afraid of. We are all the same. You cannot isolate yourself in a particular party. I know the APC has a very good mechanism of taking care of that. And that is exactly what they will do when the time comes. Nobody should be afraid of anybody. We complement one another”.
Why did you say in a recent interview that you thanked God you didn’t win the last governorship election in Oyo State?
I said that because I pitied the governors because of what they are going through now. I wouldn’t have been able to sleep with these dwindling monthly allocations. That was the reason why I said that. I don’t know how I would have coped. It doesn’t go beyond that.
Are you satisfied with the structure on ground and the way the APC government is moving?
If I’m not satisfied, I will not join the APC. I have a choice. I’m in the APC because I’m satisfied with the change. So, I’m okay.
Advice to ordinary Nigerians
As regards to my advice to ordinary Nigerians to which I’m one of them, they should take it easy. Things will soon turn around. Change comes with time. When you want to make a change, it doesn’t happen suddenly. It has to be gradual. We have started seeing it. I know we will get there by the grace of God.
Any plan for 2019
When we get to the bridge, we shall cross it. This is just 2016. Time will tell wherever anybody wants to go. Why do you try to ask God about 2019 now? Do you know whether you will sleep tomorrow and wake up tomorrow? Let’s leave 2019 to God.
