* Why he may ‘certainly get burnt’
In the annals and cutthroat world of Nigerian politics, the successful politicians have always passed off as ‘made-men’ or the Nigerian version of Italian gang-lords; the unsuccessful ones however, always pass of as lesser gangsters – disposable muscles at the bottom of the totem pole of the country’s political class.
More often than not, the latter manifests on the political circuit like 50-cent prostitutes, or N50 commercial sex workers, if you like, jumping from one political party to the other, in desperate pursuit of the next plum political office or deal.
Like a starved greyhound, Musiliu Obanikoro, has swallowed his own vomit. As you read he has recanted his scathing denunciation of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to suffocate the party in a crushing embrace.
It’s official; Koro is about to ditch the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to join the APC. The Capital findings revealed that Obanikoro achieved his bid to join the ruling party after pleading and groveling at the feet of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for months, to accept him and save him from going into extinction with his under-achieving PDP.
If there was an avatar for instability and inconsistency, the rambunctious and rabble-rousing man would clearly fit the bill.
However, According to sources within the ruling party in Lagos State, leaders of the APC will be discussing the defection plan of Obanikoro this week. The decision to look into his request to join the party followed what some sources described as a positive nod from the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
It was however gathered that Tinubu initially showed reluctance to Obanikoro’s return to his political camp which he deserted over a decade ago to join the then ruling PDP. But the national leader soft pedalled on his stance after the former Minister reached out to some prominent Lagosians to intercede on his behalf before Tinubu.
The Nation gathered that Tinubu eventually agreed to meet with his erstwhile godson after much pleading. “It was after the two met that Obanikoro started getting good response from APC leaders in his quest to join the party. Many prominent Lagosians, including monarchs and business moguls, intervened on his behalf.
“And when he met Asiwaju, he apologized profusely for his past misdeeds and political miscalculations. You know Asiwaju has a large heart. It appears he forgave him and gave a positive nod to his quest to join the APC. Following that, Obanikoro met and discussed with several other party leaders.