Ladoja is playing God with Oyo PDP crisis – Ex-Senator

The immediate past Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party in Oyo State, Hosea Ayoola Agboola, on Monday said a former Governor of the state, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, was playing God with his threat to leave the party should the National Working Committee of the party carry out the proposed harmonization of the State executive to assuage the perceived lopsidedness in the executive.
Ayoola, who was the only PDP senator from the South West Nigeria between 2011 and 2015, while fielding questions on a Yoruba current affairs programme on Splash FM, Ibadan, said only God grants power to whoever He wishes.
The ex-lawmaker, who for a better part of the one hour interview feigned ignorance of the crisis in Oyo State PDP became enraged when an interview clip earlier granted by Ladoja was played to his hearing that people like him had no strong following in the party, said: “I am surprised that he said what I just heard from this clip.”
Agboola, popularly called Halleluyah among politicians, delved into Biblical passage, saying: “Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you (Hebrews 13:17).”
He said only God enthrones leaders and without Ladoja “who says the party cannot win the 2019 race?”
He recalled that in 2007, Ladoja, who was an incumbent Governor, sponsored a governorship candidate against Adebayo Alao-Akala of PDP but the latter won against his “preferred choice”, stressing that also in 2011, he contested again, this time against his sponsored candidate but God who enthrones leaders made Abiola Ajimobi the governor against Ladoja’s wish.
He said: “In 2015 election, a number of PDP chieftains ditched the PDP and worked for Ladoja and his Accord party but they all lost to the incumbent Governor. What we are saying is that we need to harmonise the state party executive to give room for level playing field for all the aspirants. The threat to leave the party won’t do anybody any good but with God, nothing is impossible.”
Agboola had earlier defended the monthly allowance and salaries of federal lawmakers, saying it has always been like that since the First Republic.
Agboola added that though with lots of variations from what the former lawmakers received, including the Seventh Assembly he was part of, he nevertheless maintained that from councillors in the legislative arm of the local councils to state house of assembly members, allowances and running costs of lawmakers have always been there and would continue to be so.