By Ahmed Ajikobi
Finally, Musbaudeen Esinrogunjo, the former Senior Special Assistant to Kwara state governor, Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq who was one of the arrowheads of the Otoge crusade of 2019 general elections has burnt the broom meant for APC logo and embraced umbrella of People Democratic Party with his thousands of his followers, on Saturday.
Esinrogunjo while addressing newsmen said, when things are not going well in a party one can leave such party and join another party.
“Change is constant, when things are not going well, you have every capacity and audacity to move from one party to another. Politics is not religion. We were the ones who clamoured for Otoge in 2019, and today, I’m no more convinced with them. I’m leaving APC to join a great party, PDP with thousands of my followers. I thank the PDP as I’m joining them today.”
Reacting to some questions posed to him about being challenged by his former Party and principal, Esinrogunjo said life is all about challenges.
“I’m prepared and going to succeed and survive any challenge.”
He noted that now that he has joined PDP, he is going to work with other party members to achieve victory.
“Victory is for us Insha Allah. Many are coming from APC to join PDP, and they will join me soon. We are tired of bad governance.”
It would be recalled that to avert this, Governor Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq sent his deputy, Mr. Kayode Alabi to meet with Esinrogunjo to persuade him from leaving the party.
In the video of the meeting that went viral on social media, Esinrogunjo was heard saying that his parents had warned against paying allegiance to the state governor.
Esinrogujo in the 29 seconds video, said,”my father and mother want me to leave APC. Both are on my neck to exit the party. What am I gaining from the APC?”
However, in his response, the deputy governor quoted verses in the Bible to sway Esinrogujo’s conviction saying” There is time to be born, time to die, time to laugh, time to weep, time to rejoice, time to sad. So, everything has time.”
Earlier on radio program, before his defection, Esinrogunjo said, he was betrayed by the government he laboured for.
He said he was ridiculed, insulted, humiliated by the state government.
“When others were leaving the governor. I stood by him. Yet, I was betrayed by the government I laboured for. They insulted me, humiliated me. How can I stand to withstand all these things? My parents said, you should leave the party and the government. Is there anyone who is superior to his or her parents? I did not follow Akogun, Bolarinwa and others. I stood with Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq and I ignored others.
“Akogun today, is a chairman governing council, Ado Ekiti federal polytechnic. Bolarinwa is in NBC as chairman, Lookman Mustapha too his doing well. If I had followed them, I will be fully empowered today. I stood with governor Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq, but I was betrayed.”
“The most annoying thing is that, they claimed they are giving me money. They should have been giving me stone instead.
“They want me to be loyal, why should I submit my loyalty to government that cannot take care of me. I know my worth. If I don’t have money, I know my worth and I know my contributions to the communities for our government to be good. “
Esinrogunjo warned people, most especially, the civil servants not to tell any government thank you stressing that no governor deserve, thank you.
“Allocation is coming into the state every day. The allocation is for the people and government is of the people by the people. The government must spend the allocation on the state because it is for the people.
“It is a must. The governor should pay salary of civil servants. I don’t understand why the people and civil servants are saying thank you to the government. Any governor who do good deed is for himself. You don’t need any campaign to win your second term.
“Government that do good for you vote the government in. If government did not do good in the state, vote him out.”
Meanwhile, Esinrogunjo has described Dr. Bukola Saraki as a leader with good quality and character, adding that he(Saraki) has demonstrated that with is power, connection, money, name among others.
“Bukola Saraki today, whether you like it or not, I have never seen someone like him. No one is perfect. Imperfection makes us human being. Saraki did what I did not ever expect from him. I stand to be quoted, Saraki is a leader. A leader by practice and he has demonstrated what no one can demonstrate with money, power,name, everything.
“Who am I? Saraki came to me in my office, and he asked me to lead him to my office.
“Despite all the embarrassment we have caused him for politics, he paid me a visit. I salute his courage to call me and said, Esinrogunjo, come and join me.
“We castigated Saraki in 2019,we abused him and he took it that way. We said we were tired of his government, God accepted our prayers and collected the power from him because we didn’t have what it takes to chase him out of power. And see what is happening today.
“Saraki left power three years plus and kept coming to the state to meet his followers, using his leadership qualities to balance things. He didn’t ignore his followers.
“A leader is a trashcan, that was what Saraki demonstrated and which I am emulating today.
“All what they are doing to me today, I kept quiet because I’m climbing leadership position gradually. If you say I’m crazy, yes I am. I kept watching because I’m increasing in knowledge, my intelligence capacity kept increasing, that is why I said, I want to become minister, senator among others.
“When I contested for the post of local government chairman, I won. You all know what happened. I had a lot of patience. When I contested for senator under APC, I won. But they gave it to Oloriegbe and I congratulated him and I let him know that I won, but I wanted peace to reign. I bought form N7m, I branded cars, I campaign and I left everything for peace to reign.
“They said they wanted the state governor to come from Adewole ward, I succumbed and today they said I am demanding too much.
“Did Governor (AbdulRazaq)think, his money can win Dr. Bukola Saraki in 2019? How much is your money? I’m saying this on air.”
