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Dare Kadiri, the former Deputy Speaker of the Ogun State House Assembly says there are worse cabals in Governor Abiodun’s administration than the ones in the Aso Villa.
Kadiri in an interview with Pulse said the governor has allowed the cabals to take over his government, adding that the governor’s human management is very poor.
The lawmaker, who was suspended by the state assembly in September 2022, said the governor surrounds himself with people who were formerly members of the Peoples Democratic Party.
He said: “Governor Dapo Abiodun, I have said it several times and I will not mince words, is my friend and I still have a lot of respect for him. Apart from being my governor, we still have a family relationship and about 50 common friends. So, I have a lot of respect for him, his policies and how he carries himself.
“What I believe, just my own opinion because I’ve sat down several times. We’ve not had time. Maybe when he’s out of the government we would have time to sit down and review things. And maybe then, I can say my mind, but when you’re in government you are lost because we’ve seen what they are talking about cabal now, the cabals are everywhere.
“And when you are fighting them, you are going to be in a mess. That is the thing that is happening to me. I think Governor Abiodun allowed himself to be ‘kidnapped’ (by the cabals). There are tougher cabals in Ogun state that the ones in Abuja.”
Speaking about Governor Abiodun-led administration in Ogun State, Kadiri said the governor has been ‘kidnapped’ by the cabal, who tells him what to do every time.
“In fairness to him, we have a great plan and I will say it again, he has very good policies. He has a very good heart, but when you’re kidnapped there’s nothing you can do. It’s like somebody encircles you and tells you what to do; telling you what to eat and what to wear. That’s what happened and they had to get rid of me because they know I will not be part of it,” he said.
Kadiri further alleged that the governor’s poor management of the people around him affects how he governs the state.
According to him, the cabal members are in control of the key sectors in the state.
“I know them. I know the people controlling transport, I know the people controlling contracts. I know the people controlling SUBEB. I know the people controlling finance. I know people controlling politics. So tell me again, which one is he controlling?” he said.
He likened the ‘cabal’ in Ogun to the Aso Rock cabal governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state recently referred to in his interview on Channels TV.
On his relationship with the former governor of the state, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, the suspended lawmaker described Amosun as his benefactor, saying the ex-governor trained him politically.
“My relationship with him is very cordial. He is my boss, He’s a very good person. I go to his house. I was at his house on his birthday. So, I don’t think I can deny him anything”, he said.
APC factions in Ogun and the 2023 elections
Ahead of the 2023 elections, the ruling APC in the state is divided. One faction is loyal to the sitting governor, while the other backs the former governor, Amosun, and his anointed governorship candidate, Biyi Otegbeye, who is the flagbearer of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
According to Kadiri, the March governorship poll in the state would be a battle royale between Abiodun and Amosun.
He said the former governor of the state, Gbenga Daniel laid the foundation for development in Ogun, adding that Amosun’s efforts to build on Daniel’s achievements are too recent to be forgotten by the people of the state.
Kadiri maintained that he does not belong to any faction in the state, adding that both APC factions have agreed to support the presidential ambition of Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress.
He, however, concluded that Gov Abiodun’s lack of human management skills may affect him in the forthcoming election.