Ondo Politics: The Omoluabi Factor

Now that the powers-that-be in the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) have picked a candidate for the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Ondo State, the various factors that will determine the overall result of the elections are beginning to emerge.

One indisputable factor in Ondo politics today is the Omoluabi Platform founded by Dr. Olu Agunloye who is referred to as the principal of the Platform.

In 2011, when the need to rejuvenate the Action Congress of Nigeria in the State was inevitable, a group of politicians with same mind and principle, under the leadership of a true leader of the people, Agunloye, met to form the Omoluabi Platform with the sole aim of expanding grassroots membership of the party. The total membership of the Omoluabi Platform across the state was over a hundred and fifty thousand as at the end of June 2012.

However, the enormity of Omoluabi Platform’s spread and influence is just dawning on gubernatorial hopefuls across Ondo State. Only on Thursday, June 28, members of the Platform across the state seized the Ondo State capital with an intimidating rally, marching through the major road network in Akure with drums, dancing and merrying as they carried their principal shoulder high in a motorcade procession, numbering over fifty buses and cars.

The rain could not deter them from showing their solidarity and support for their leader and principal who had just been dropped from the governorship race of the ACN. It was unbelievable as the Omoluabis defied the rain to honour their leader; chieftains of the party in Ondo State, including its State Secretary and other top executives of the party addressed the members, eulogizing Dr. Agunloye for his contributions, steadfastness and belief in the party.

Unknown to the Omoluabis, some notable leaders of the People’s Democratic Party in Ondo state, who were holding their gubernatorial primaries a stone’s throw from Omoluabi’s Rallying Point of Hope office, sneaked into the mammoth crowd and started wooing some unsuspecting members into their party using the inability of the ACN leaders to see the potentials of the formidable leadership of Agunloye by side-tracking him for another aspirant. They quietly commenced the process of attracting them into the PDP towards the forthcoming elections.

The greatest news break to the leadership of the Ondo State government in recent times is the story of the ACN candidature and the dumping of Agunloye from the gubernatorial race. Reports say a sumptuous barbecue, made from a big cow, was used to celebrate Agunloye’s non-acceptance by his party on Thursday, June 21. This is because, as sources said, he is the only threat to the incumbent in the entire political scenario of the state at that moment.

This also is a factor of the Omoluabi Platform. There had been unfounded rumours across the state even before the selection of the ACN candidate that Agunloye was negotiating with the Labour Party. This rumour was debunked through the print and electronic media. Today, the rumour mongers are back; this time with the Omoluabi factor. Some are saying it is the negotiating instrument by the Agunloye group. Incidentally, there is another pressure group called the Sunshine Liberation Forum (SLF) led by Victor Ojo, whose membership cuts across the state. It is a known fact that 25 of the 30-man executive of the SLF are prominent members of the Omoluabi Platform.

There is also another pressure group called Nigerian League of Democrats (NLD) whose leaders are core members of the Omoluabi Platform.

In the northern senatorial district of the state where the ACN has picked its gubernatorial candidate, there is a political movement, the G4 whose entire membership is of the Omoluabi Platform and has vowed never to be part of any political negotiation that will not involve members who cut across the six local council areas of the zone. The G4, led by Mr. Barry Ogunsakin, is a purely political movement, which will largely determine where the pendulum swings in the senatorial axis.

Members of the Omoluabi Platform are passionately committed to the ideals and principles of their leader and principal, Dr. Agunloye. The over one thousand former militants who joined the ACN through Omoluabi Platform in the southern senatorial district of the state and who are members of another pressure group called Movement for Democratic Reforms, headed by Engr. Willy Ayerin, have declared that only the authority of Agunloye can be used to foster any relationship or negotiations in the state.

Political observers and pundits throughout the state are of the opinion that the Omoluabi factor, if properly used, can be a winning tool for any of the three political parties jostling for the Alagbaka Government House.

The Platform is a creation of great politicians well-versed in grassroots mobilisation. It is also a combination of political juggernauts whose main principles are honesty and steadfastness.

With the massive grassroots strength that Agunloye and his hard-working friends and admirers have in Ondo State, there is no doubt that whoever becomes the next governor of the state can only do so by the grace of the Almighty and the support of the Omoluabi Platform.

Babatunde Bakare-Carter, a Journalist, wrote from Akure

Author of this article: By Babatunde Bakara-Carter

Source: The Guardian Newspaper July 7, 2012

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=91545:-ondo-politics-the-omoluabi-factor&catid=73:policy-a-politics&Itemid=607

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Akeredolu’s choice won’t stop my ambition – Agunloye

Action Congress of Nigeria aspirant for the October 20 governorship election in Ondo State, Dr. Olu Agunloye, said on Thursday that the choice of Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu as the party’s candidate for the poll would not stop his ambition.

Agunloye, a former minister, while addressing his supporters in Akure, however, said the decision of the national leadership of the party to settle for  Akeredolu would not stop him from actualising his ambition.

He said the news of the party leaders’ decision came to him as “a rude shock and great disappointment”.

Agunloye told members of his political group, the Omoluabi Platform, at his campaign secretariat that the choice of Akeredolu had   dampened his morale and that of the over 100,000 members of the group.

He regretted that the leadership of the party did not take into consideration  the contributions of the aspirants to the mobilisation drive and the cohesion in the party.

He said, “Many of my supporters were also depressed because we have worked hard, we have done what we are supposed to do, we fasted, we did vigil.

“But I need to assure our people that this is not the end of life. If we don’t get the best from the ACN, we should be open to all other options, but one thing that is certain is that I will not walk away from the platform.

“It is unfortunate that people outside Ondo State do not know that we are responsible for building the party, maybe all the aspirants were telling them the same story about their contributions to the present status of the party in the state.”

Source: The Punch Newspaper June 29, 2012

http://www.punchng.com/news/akeredolus-choice-wont-stop-my-ambition-agunloye/

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Agunloye’s supporters pray for wise choice

Governorship aspirants of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Ondo State are waiting eagerly for the party to name its standard bearer. The aspirants, who met with the party leadership recently, have continued to woo new members into the party.

In a statement, supporters of Dr. Olu Agunloye, under the “Omoluabi Platform”, urged ACN members intensify the mobilisation of new members.

The group said: “Our efforts towards integrating Ondo State into the mainstream of Yoruba politics, through ‘The CHANGE we can TRUST’, will come to fruition.

“We appreciate the effort of our numerous, hardworking and committed supporters across the 18 local governments areas. We appreciate the anxiety of our people as they await the naming of the party’s standard bearer and implore our supporters to keep calm and continue working, as all our scheduled programmes are still in place.

“The receipt of new members into the ACN in Ile Oluji, Owo, Idanre, Okitipupa, Ondo, Ikare, Ago Panu, Idoani and Akure will go on as scheduled.”

“Our usual meetings in units, wards and councils should continue. Members are enjoined to continue praying to God to give our leaders the wisdom to choose aright, because choosing a wrong candidate portends danger for the party.”

Source: The Nation Newspaper June 20, 2012.

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news-update/50852-agunloye%E2%80%99s-supporters-pray-for-wise-choice.html

Visit www.agunloye4governor.org for more!

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Groups back Agunloye for party’s governorship ticket

Two groups, Association of Ondo State Progressive Businessmen (OSPB) and League of Self-Employed Graduates (LSEG), have urged the leadership of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to choose former Minister of Power, Dr. Olu Agunloye, as the party’s governorship candidate for the October 20 governorship election.

                                

A statement by their spokesmen, Adewale Akintayo and Caleb Ololade, said since the ticket has been zoned to the Northern Senatorial District, the party’s leadership should endorse Agunloye.

Akintayo said the former minister has the best credentials and sound antecedents among other aspirants from the senatorial district.

He noted that the party’s chances might be hampered in the election, if its leadership picks the wrong candidate. 

The groups said Agunloye’s contributions to rebuilding the ACN into a winning party through his Omoluabi Forum are noticeable.

They said: “Dr. Agunloye remains the most credible of all the aspirants jostling for the ACN ticket and is quite outstanding among the aspirants from the Northern Senatorial District.”

“Being a former minister and a former Corps Marshall of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Agunloye should be picked as the party’s flag bearer by the ACN national leaders.”

“Since he joined the party last year, he has been working for the development of ACN in the Sunshine State through his Omoluabi Platform, which has been able to recruit over 200,000 members into the party from the three senatorial districts in the state.”

“We can say it boldly that many PDP and LP members have joined the ACN because of his antecedent and popularity.”

“Agunloye is the only aspirant who has moved round all the 203 wards in all the 18 local government areas in the state and has established operational offices in all the 18 local government areas and in over one quarter of the 203 wards. He has convinced many people to imbibe the Omoluabi (thoroughbred) virtues of HONOUR and INTERGRITY in governance and to stand for the CHANGE we can TRUST.”

Ololade added: “The former FRSC chief, being a former member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP), will attract more defectors into ACN from those parties, if he is eventually picked.” 

The spokesmen said the former minister is well equipped to unseat Governor Olusegun Mimiko, particularly because of his grassroots mobilisation.

They warned that “any attempt to pick a wrong candidate will spell doom for the party”.

Source: The Nation Newspaper 19 June, 2012.

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/50755-groups-back-agunloye-for-party%E2%80%99s-governorship-ticket.html

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Decamping as tool for Mass Mobilisation

Excerpts from:

AN ADDRESS PRESENTED BY DR. OLU AGUNLOYE AT DECAMPING Ceremony

Serial Mass Mobilisation for ACN with examples from

Igbokoda, Ore, Ondo, Ileoluji and Oba-Ile serial decamping

13 June, 2012

Decamping as tool for Mass Mobilisation

Decamping by politicians from other political parties to the Action Congress of Nigeria has remained a major mass mobilisation tool to strengthen the party and has been used significantly by Omoluabi Platform set up by Dr. Olu Agunloye to contribute to a stronger ACN in Ondo State over the last one year. Publicised decamping activities promote the party as well as swell the population of the party with membership from the Labour Party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and other parties. This has become crucial since ACN was rather relatively in a weaker position at the beginning of year 2011.

Since May 8, 2011 when Agunloye's Omoluabi Platform started the drive to strengthen ACN in Ondo Stare, the Platform has midwife hundreds of decamping sessions which have brought in thousands of new members into ACN. The decamping event of 13 June 2012 at Oba Ile is 207th formal decamping exercise under the auspices of Omoluabi Platform within the ACN. This deccamping event is taking place in Oba Ile in Akure North LG is in fact, an integral part of a strategic harvest of new members facilitated by Omoluabi Platform through a PDP Chieftain, Prince Adewale Omojuwa, former Chairman of OSOPADEC in Ondo State. 

Initial discussions and negotiations on Serial Mass Mobilisation facilitated by Omojuwa started in October 2011 with several meetings in Erusu-Akoko, Akure, Okitipupa, Oshogbo, Ila and Lagos with senior officers of Omoluabi Platform, and party leaders in and outside of Ondo State. Consumation of meticulous groundwork began to manifest publicly with the mega decamping rally led by Prince Omojuwa in Igbokoda, Ilaje LG on the 28 April, 2012 when the Ilaje Prince decamped with some 3,000 former PDP members. To add further to underscore the mass appeal which Omoluabi Platform had generated in the public, an estimated 1,000 ex-militants under the banner of Movement for Democratic Front (MDR) also decamped to ACN through Omoluabi Platform on same day at same event in Igbokoda. 

Further mass mobilisation was achieved with an agreement with the Principal of Omoluabi platform to recruit more new members into ACN through Omojuwa with the decamping of PDP members in each of the 18 LGs. This decentralized Mobilisation took off on Thursday, 7 June when some 1,000 were recruited into ACN in Ore, in Odigbo LG. Next, some 2,000 new members decamped on the 8 June 2012 with the former State Woman Leader of the PDP, Olori Folake Akinjobi-Omojuwa in Ondo town, Ondo West LG virtually in the same with the incumbent governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko.

Political Analysts have described this as harvesting in the lion's den. The third in the serial decamping was on the 9 June, 2012 in Ileoluji in Okeigbo-Ileoluji LG when 2,000 PDP members led by Hon. Julius Bajewolu on Saturday and were received into ACN by High Chief Adesoji, the Stae Chairman of ACN. The 4th in the series of mega decamping is being witnessed today at Oba Ile in Akure North LG where 500 former PDP members, mainly women were led by Mrs. Taiwo Olayiwola popularly known as MyTaiwo into ACN.

When the Omoluabi drive for a greater ACN commenced last year, the focus was on the grassroots and equal opportunities for everyone across the eighteen local government areas across the state wooing those who believe in Omoluabi values of honour and integrity in governance as well as those who demand a change for progress so that Ondo State will join the mainstream of Yoruba politics and socio-economic integration of the West for sustainable development. Thirteen months after, we have succeeded in attracting thousands of new members into ACN and have made ACN more attractive and above all, ready to win elections.

Today through the OMOLUABI PLATFORM alone, the ACN has made tremendous progress with its membership drive across the state. In 2011, let me say that OMOLUABI PLATFORM facilitated several harvests of thousands of new members across the state into ACN from groups and other political interests. In addition, this PLATFORM raised ACN flag, promoted the party's ideals at the wards, local governments, senatorial districts in Ondo state.

Harvesting new members into ACN through the OMOLUABI or other platforms, or groups or individual efforts remain the most direct way to give a major boost to ACN to win the 2012 elections.

Source: Omoluabi News Bulletin

www.omoluabi2013.blogspot.com, www.omoluabiebulletin.com

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Agunloye raises hope on Bitumen exploitation, receives hundreds LP, PDP defectors

A leading governorship aspirant on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and two times Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Olu Agunloye said he was keen at facilitating exploitation of Bitumen in Ondo State if given opportunity to serve the people of the state as governor.

Agunloye made this known last Thursday while addressing 207 decamping rallies organized by his Omoluabi Platform in Ore, Odigbo Local government area of the state where he received into ACN about 1, 000 Labour Party (LP) and people’s Democratic Party (PDP) members who decamped under 20 deferent groups.

“Governance is about creating wealth and environment for empowerment and emancipation. One of the things that make it possible for any government to implement is availability of natural resources like Bitumen. We are going to exploit this true Public Private Partnership (PPP).

“We will go into proper wealth creation in the next regime not only in farm settlement but in creating industries so that the teaming unemployed youth can be properly engaged. What has been happening to successive governments in Ondo State is the absent of Omoluabi virtues.

“That is why you find acclaimed cement factory in Okeluse taking money without being on ground, building water fountain on the road without potable water for people, spending billions of naira on Dome project without anything to show for it and that is why you find Bitumen in Agbabu without exploitation,” Agunloye said.

While receiving the groups, the Local Government Chairman of Odigbo Local Government chapter of the ACN, Mr Rafiu Gbadeyan, said the party was not going to discriminate against any member and that the party at the council level would operate opened administration that is capable of properly integrating every member.

Leaders of the groups who promised to work for the party in the forthcoming election hinged their defection on the fact that they wanted to go along with the progressives in the South-West and that they joined because of the concept of Omoluabi being propagated by Dr. Agunloye and which they have found worthy to follow. 

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Former PDP State Woman Leader, 2000 others decamp to ACN in Ondo

Camp of Ondo West Local Government chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) received a boost at the weekend as the party welcomed the former State Woman Leader of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and former Supervisor for Education in Ile-Oluji –Okeigbo Local Government area of the state, Julious Bajewolu and about two thousands of their loyalists into its fold.

The PDP decampees including members of the executives of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the council who were received on the platform of the Omoluabi Platform of the ACN were welcomed into the party by the ACN Chairman, Ondo Southern Senatorial District, Mr Wale Akintimehin.

Mrs Omojuwa who shared the same Ward 11 with the incumbent Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko vowed that she, together with her followers, would ensure that failure of the LP in the forthcoming election starts from the ward by ensuring that ACN get the majority vote not only from the Ward but the whole council. She however warned leaders and followers of the ACN to learn from the crisis that led to the entire collapse of the leadership structure of the PDP before and after the 2011 general election and she urged members to build the party on a solid foundation saying a house that divide against itself would never stand.

Charging the women in the party on the need to play active roles in the emergence of the ACN government come 2013, the Local Government Woman Leader, Mrs Lola Fagbemi, said it was about time the women joined forces with the leadership of the party with a view to unseat Governor Mimiko’s administration so that they could be relieved of hard labour in which she said the government has subjected them to. Another leader from the council, Special Adviser to Governor of Osun State, Bola Ilori, expressed confident that the party if allow ruling the state by voting its candidate as the next governor would create employment opportunities for the youth and transform and ginger the state’s economy which he said has remained stagnant in the last three years.

Addressing the gathering, a governorship aspirant in the party, Dr Olu Agunloye enjoined the people to give their total support to the party until they ensure its victory in the coming poll. He vowed that if he gets the ticket of the party, development of the state’s economy would be his priority and that every resident in the state would be given equal opportunity.

Source: Omoluabi News Bulletin

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