The issue of caucus has been very germane in the councillorship decisions in Ifelodun, as it has always been used. The wards have been shared with leaders, and it is the expanded G17 that is in charge now.
The predominant Mandate group in Ifelodun spearheaded the predetermined sharing ratio of the Councilors, unlike in Ajeromi, which is a Justice Forum enclave.
The Mandate group leaders in Ifelodun include Hon Kolawole Taiwo, Olufemi Okeowo, Hon Fatai Ajidagba, and Hon Saad Olumoh, who head or tail had their wards conceded to them in an earlier meeting of the leaders days ago.
However some gray internal issues are left for some of these leaders to sort like in Ward G ceded to Hon Okeowo whose group had adopted Alhaji Sarumi which left the incumbent Councilor gunning for second term floating amidst pressure for the second term returning Chairman to tamper mercy and allow the Councilor whose political group has not very clearly been defined as he shuttles between HKT and Cornerstone but now that the ward has been given Hon Okeowo whose group had chosen their own, People are thinking that Hon Okeowo would want to take charge of his ward. Still, how about the Progressives tenets of allowing office holders to do their second term especially as the incumbent councilor who has been reckoned to have been so loyal to the Cornerstone group, the group of Hon Okeowo which has been difficult for people to differentiate his loyalty between Cornerstone and HKT group, because usually at the Saturday monthly prayer sessions of Hon Okeowo, a leader attests that the councilor would be sharing gifts to leaders across groups. The incumbent Councilors’ fate still hangs in the balance.
Ward B has been ceded to PMG group, but the bickering is likely going to be caused by Hon Adigun’s present agitation for a personal slot, which will later degenerate to an issue between him and the serving Commissioner Jamiu Alli-Balogun, which is yet to be imagined.
Since Hon Adigun, according to a political observer is playing an old trick for his group to get two slots because PMG has been given a slot which may have been ceded to the Hon Commisioner who also is in PMG group, so Hon Adigun’s shout of not being carried along as he did the last time that rewarded him the same Ward B when he had gone upstairs to complain that he couldn’t get a single councillorship slot, despite his position in the party and the leaders then prevailed on Ajidagba to release one slot for Adigun but the controversy at ward B offered a good opportunity for the ward to be released to him, following the ward leaders division between aspirant Ajayi who had spent heavily for the position and Rasaq presented later by some leaders, so when instruction came for the leaders to return all first timers for a second term, it was easy to step down both Ajayi and Rasaq for Bolajoko of PMG to return.
However, the implication of this is an outright undermining of the influence of Dr Ajijola because ward B when Late Chief Remi Williams was alive in support of Dr Ajijola has a notable influence though when Ajidagba was in government, he had a way of tactically having his way to get things done especially having his way but ideally, the personality of Dr Ajijola is enough to present a candidate in the ward as the first executive Chairman of Ajeromi Ifelodun local government.
Some schools of thought strongly believe that Dr Ajijola should have been the G17 Apex leader, but that is politics for you. However, Ward B is not open again as it has been ceded to PMG, but maybe because Dr Ajijola does not have a caucus of his own.
Adenekan as the G17 leader has taken back his ward D slot which former Chairman Fatai Ajidagba had arm twisted him to take for eight years and their (Allied group)internal issue is who to give the slot since a new twist had sneaked in the APC secretary for the slot against Timothy Remilkun aka Omega whom they stepped down since the days of Adenekan’s Chairmanship unsuccessful removal of Arikewuyo following a crack in Allied group then when Arikewuyo a first time councilor led other councilors to ‘embarrass the then Chairman’ Adenekan that he was not taking care of the councilors and being a member of the Alied group, the chairman was not happy with him and the whole Allied group schemed and agreed to stop his return for a second term and they sponsored Omega as his replacement and they had a primary and omega defeated him but luckily for Arikewuyo, despite all these , he bought expression of interest form while for Omega takeover and directive that came from up that all first timer should be returned for their second term and that was Arikewuyo saving grace and because he bought form too before the close of sales of form.
However, we had reported days ago that Ward F, Hon Kolawole Taiwo’s traditional home ward has been ceded to him and the group had unanimously said the incumbent needs to return because he had done exceptionally well, though there is no clear cut explication to adjudge a councilor’s performance since they only depend on whatever funds the council chairman gives them for project but in terms of availability, accessibility and supports to his constituents and visible ward projects, Ilesanmi is named the best Councilor as most of his colleagues are not seen by their constituents. He is the only councilor who can beat his chest that he touched 19 streets in his ward, used his funds for de-silting, construction of speed breakers, and financial support to both indigenes and non-indigenes
Hon Luqman Saad Olumoh is now the undisputed leader of Ward A., late Hon Ogunbanjo was taking the shots at the ward when he was alive. It would have been difficult to do anything against Olumoh in the ward because Olumoh was so submissive to Ogunbanjo throughout his lifetime. Typically, at a successful primary held when Ogunbanjo was alive, Hon Olumoh’s aspirant Taorig Alao emerged winner, one Bolanta took second position, and Ogunbanjo’s serving out Deputy Councilor emerged third position. And Ogunbajo overruled that it is his third-positioned aspirant that would go, and Hon Olumoh obliged him, though Gate of Hope people argue that Olumoh was compensated with the Assembly slot.
Then the G17 had ceded the ward A councilor’s slot to Hon Luqman Olumoh but what he would do with that is not very clear as he may decide to leave it for the erectile Gate of Hope who are desperately looking for a way to smuggle late Ogunbanjo’s son to a position but one thing is certain, Hon Olumoh as a political tortoise who has an eye on third term may not want that to bring stints against his aspiration, so he is most likely going to deploy diplomacy with the slot in other not to frustrate Taorig his follower that has been on the awaiting list for eight years or rather not to incur wrath of his most likely Allieds, the Gate of Hope warlords.
Though Okeowo produced the Ward E councilor, his present body language suggests he’s gunning for a replacement; sources allege that Ward E Councilor’s involvement with other Councilors, who complained that the administration is not properly taking care of the Councilors, is what soured their political relationship.
But sources claim that Ward E has slipped off to an external force and cannot be given to Hon Adigun, who has been clamouring for it. An insinuation from a leader in the ward says, “whether somebody from the State or Federal takes the ward, he could hand it over to the sitting Council Chairman”.
This suggests that Adigun may have lost the bid to add the ward to his kitten, but another leader who spoke on unanimity said all the efforts to stop the incumbent Councilor, whom the ward leadership claimed had done well, would not amount to any result because the progressives respect second terms.
Resolution of who or which group takes the ward is ongoing and may be clearer next week, all other things being equal.
