Trip To Ibadan: Enilolobo, Council Chairmen Plot To Break Party, Remodel BATCO Mandate

In our expectation for an issue-based defense, we repeatedly read the empty article proudly put up and signed by one Opeyemi Babatunde in defense of the shameful trip being sponsored by his principal, Hon. Sulaiman Jelili to and fro Ibadan in support of the Vice President's presidential ambition under the guise of a Progressive Youth Summit. It is disappointing that even after reading about five times, we still could not make a tangible point from the tripe.

The above got us wondering if the entire hogwash was truly worth the 15 hours it took Opeyemi and his colleagues to come up with a response to our disclosure on their trip to Ibadan. While we maintain our stand that, like every other Nigerian, they have the sole right to support whoever they desire to follow, we would also want to advise them on the need to shun hypocrisy and double-dealing which we understand to be a result of their desperate bid to hold on to the party structure in Alimosho Federal Constituency.

From Opeyemi's first to last points, he tried to transfer a dirty act that began under his leaders to the Liberation/Veteran side. Perhaps, he needs to be reminded that the Tunji he tried to castigate was part and parcel of their inner camp and that his decision to jettison their evil clique has been the cause for the sudden attack. Well, this is not strange as it could be understood that Alhaji Abdullahi Enilolobo, Engineer David Famuyiwa, Hon. Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf and others are bent on pulling Tunji down for fear of being exposed if they failed to act fast. Here, the subject of Tunji is inconsequential and completely unrelated to the issue on ground and we wish to alert Enilolobo and his cronies that we understand the gimmick and would not be distracted from the discussion on their disloyalty, duplicity, and insincerity to the party and their followers alike.

To help Enilolobo and his dumb followers from the evident collective amnesia, shrinking their sensitivity, may we remind them that before this time, aside from running a government characterized by ineptitude, incompetence, and gross misappropriation, the names of Honourables Jelili Sulaiman, David Famuyiwa, and Olabisi Adebajo have been synonymous with gross misconduct in public offices and unimaginable corruption as a result of which Jelili was suspended for 3 weeks from the council by the Lagos State House of Assembly in May 2021.

Hon. Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf and Olabisi Adebajo have been guests of the ICPC, and Hon. David Famuyiwa is still a customer with the EFCC; all these for misconduct over financial recklessness. It is amusing how Opeyemi overlooks his paymasters’ venality and misrepresentation, only to capitalize on Tunji’s act – insignificant one capered to what his masters do in their respective councils on daily basis.

The issue of the leader of Agbado/Oke-Odo LCDA began during his first term as a councilor, and that was between 2017 and 2021, when he was still in the camp of the godfather, Enilolobo. Between the time Jelili was roaming the streets of Alimosho, hawking pepper and now, can he justify the amount of wealth he has acquired as solely being his salary as Alimosho council chairman? What about the inerudite Yisa Yusuf and many others, what exactly are their sources of income and extravagant lifestyles? Those who go to equity, must come with clean hands.

As reliably gathered from some of the party members whom they deceived to Ibadan, these heartless leaders did not only hide the reason for the trip from them before the trip but also humiliated them with a cash gift of a thousand naira on return from the trip. One of the sources lamented the level of embarrassment, asking if the ₦1,000 was for the time wasted, the stress, or for feeding, after risking their lives on a full-day exercise outside the state. If not for lack of conscience, how could any reasonable leader engage a follower for a full-day exercise only to end up paying ₦1,000 at the end of the day?

To justify the insincere trip, Opeyemi also shot himself by claiming that Enilolobo engineered their trip to Ibadan to encourage youth participation in government. According to him, Enilolobo was working to promote the youth agenda and involvement in government. This is funny, because Enilolobo has been in the system for close to two decades. We would like to ask Opeyemi if his Boss has just realized the existence of youth in Alimosho or the need for them to be included in governance. During his reign as the be-all and end-all of Alimosho politics, how many youths did Enilolobo use his influence or position to develop or build to fame?

Well, talking about youth involvement in government, we are not sorry to disappoint Opeyemi and his likes that among the current councilors, the Liberation-Veterans take the glory for presenting the youngest councilors across Alimosho Federal Constituency, with young Fisayo Fadipe, Kabiru Osinowo, Rasheed Opeloyeru, and others, who are in their early and mid-30s. If this is so, who then, between the Liberators and Enilolobo is truly encouraging youth involvement in government? Like 7up, the difference is crystal clear.

Again, on the issue of the trip to Ibadan, it remains a mystery why the Enilolobo-led group tried to hide what they would have proudly flaunted had they done what was right. It would be recalled that during the recent launch of their failed BATCO Mandate, their media slaves were all quick to share updates of the event right from the venue. Why did they fail to flaunt their presence at the Liberty Stadium during and even after the event, until they were challenged with undeniable evidence by smarter fellows? Why did they sneak people out of Alimosho to Ibadan without telling them why they were going to Ibadan? How could those who claim to be followers of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu attend such a groundbreaking gathering without a single banner showcasing their candidate? After the event, why has it been difficult for them to write an article or drop pictures to say they attended such an event? Perhaps, ọhun o daa.

By tradition, Enilolobo has always been known to make loud any event that would promote his image, and in most cases, go as far as printing banners and keeping his media slaves on their toes to do heavy publicity in his attempt to intimidate his perceived opponents within the party and make him look like the good guy. What happened to this event and why was it treated like some occultic secret meeting? No need to hide behind a finger. No matter how it was designed, it is an open secret that the summit was a campaign for the VP. So, why are they denying it? Coming online to display pictures taken by others has never been the style of Enilolobo and his boys. This makes it more suspicious and a confirmation of their treachery.

At the event, a young man, Alabi Opeyemi was the only one bold enough to storm the venue with a fez cap showing his loyalty to Asiwaju and a banner. Alabi was also there to campaign for the post of the Southwest Zonal Youth Leader in the All Progressives Congress. None of the acclaimed loyalists of Asiwaju from Alimosho had anything to give a hint of their acclaimed loyalty to Asiwaju. Why the deceit? What does it take to admit that, following their grandmaster's order, they would be leaving Asiwaju's camp for some other candidate? Perhaps, they intend to betray Asiwaju at the very last minute. This hypocrisy of the highest order!

This is not supposed to call for any form of debate as we believe unfolding events shall reveal more about their antics. We are aware of their recent scheme of trying to repackage the failed BATCO Mandate group under a new name, The Alimosho Progressives (TAP). We are also pleased to inform Enilolobo and his faction that, like the former, we are not ignorant of their plot - they are on a desperate move to replicate the Osun saga in Lagos, beginning with Alimosho. As openly declared by their grand patron, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, their major objective is to break the party creating divisions across the state, as done in Osun. Today, they have resorted to rebranding BATCO Mandate to The Alimosho Progressives (TAP), a direct  replica of The Osun Progressives - a scheme hatched by the council chairmen across Alimosho with Honourables Jelili Sulaiman, David Famuyiwa, Olabisi Adebajo, Lasisi Akinsanya, and Bola Shobowale in attendance at a meeting held sometime last week.

We have all seen the activities of TOP in Osun as being detrimental to the unity and progress of our dear party, the APC. Why choose a similar name, if the motives are not the same?

We maintain our stand that come rain, come the sun, we remain loyal to the leadership of the All Progressives Congress and shall continue to defend the party from impostors and charlatans. We shall continue to expose their machinations and lay them bare even before their followers.

Alimosho Liberation Movement