SURPRISES AS AGBA SACKS ENILOLOBO, DUMPS HIM FOR ABOYADE

‘It’s a Greater Alimosho in the Horizon’ – Pundits

Story by Toyo C. Ngem

THE strange developments evolving from dynamics in the Lagos Progressives clan is yet to abate and may not likely do so in the weeks ahead. The recent in the Alimosho All Progressives Congress (APC) was the surprise thrown up by what many may want to describe as a sudden sack of the boss by his servant. This should rightly fit the metaphor for the recent decision of Hon Doyin Salami (aka “Agba’) to dump his age long political leader and benefactor, Alhaji Abdullahi Enilolobo, for the camp of the Lagos West Vice Chairman, Chief Sunday Babatunde Aboyade. In the mixed reactions of accolades and condemnations that followed this for the former Sole Administrator of Egbe-Idimu LCDA among the party faithful in their rank and file, some political analysts were apt to say it portended a new progressively inclined greater Alimsoho in the offing.

The story of Agba submitting allegiance to the leadership of Aboyade as the real, authentic and recognized visage of the party in Alimosho was confirmed when Civics Weekly authoritatively gathered that the one-time Leader of House for Egbe Idimu had visited Aboyade about late night yesterday, Friday the 10th of March. According to our correspondent; while the visit was brief, their discussions were said to have centred on how Alimosho APC would meet up to the expectations of the state leadership in delivery of impressive victory votes in the coming governorship and State Assembly elections.

The news that Salami had resolved to sack Enilolobo as his political leader first filtered out as a rumour early this week. It would later gain traction of truth when he was found in the convoy of a party rally held on Wednesday by the Alimosho LGA Chapter of the factional caucus, Asiwaju Solidarity Movement (ASM), convened by Alhaji Abiodun Ejigbadero. Until that hours, Salami could be described as one of the strongest forces behind the factional caucus – BATCO-Mandate – founded by his sacked leader.

Following that, as to be described as his consultation moves precedent to his final defection, he was said to have visited some party stalwarts in opposition to Enilolobo. These included an earlier visit to a former aspirant for the House of Representatives from Egbe-Idimu LCDA, Prince Idris Balogun (aka Oluomo Kaafata) on Friday too. The latter was also a strong political associate of Enilolobo before their relationship became estranged over his ambition. Thus, according to sources, Agba's visit to Chief Aboyade yesterday was deemed to be the last leg of his itineraries of consultations and the final declaration of his “allegiance to supremacy of the party” by accepting Chief Aboyade as the true face of APC in Alimosho”. All the while, Agba, in line with the creed of his erstwhile Enilolobo's camp holding it by rote, has refused to recognise the new order of Aboyade as the real official voice of APC in Alimosho.

This magazine would later gather that this move by Hon Salami was already generating mixed reactions from both sides of the factional divides, just as independent analysts concluded that the Alimosho progressives’ family would be the gainful lots for it.

Those who condemned him for it argued that his action could hardly be seen as noble. They posited that it fitted well into the Yoruba adage of “igida eIye fo” - which literally translates into denying one’s benefactor the emotional support required in time of unexpected hardships and challenges. They cited the many benefits he had received through his erstwhile leader to include “his rise through the political career from the councillorship through Leadership of the House to his eventual appointment as once a Sole Administrator of Egbe-Idimu LCDA.

But those hailing him for it said it was a move that was long overdue if the current status of Agba would be appropriately evaluated against what it should be currently as a close associate and committed loyalist of Enilolobo for about 24 years now. They said Agba should worth to be classified as poorer today by his “net worth as a tenant” all through the years Enilolobo kept amassing choice properties across choice corridors of Lagos State.

To further defend Agba’s move as laudable, another Enilolobo’s astute loyalist had this to say: “Those condemning Agba for dumping Enilolobo, I should say, are either being deliberately mischievous in their judgement of the issues or they are ignorant of the insider truth. I belong to Enilolobo camp and every one of us in his camp was disappointed about his recent show of extreme greed and aggrandizement with the recent case of N125million election money he hid from us. You may not mention my name for now, but I can tell you affirmatively that I am only bidding my time too. Enilolobo really disappointed us and I commend Agba for his courage to dump him and move on with his life. And let me also tell you, the Arida House has collapsed now”.

Amidst these mixed reactions, however, the none partisan apologists of the Alimosho APC believe the developing was only pointing to the “final unification” of the lingering factional divides that has been the albatross around the neck of developmental progress of Alimosho Progressives. They therefore, described it as “the new horizon for a greater Alimosho Federal Constituency when its past glory of reservoir of victory votes for elections in Lagos would seamlessly be restored”.