Many Nigerians may not have known that before former Deputy Governor of Lagos, Femi Pedro declared days ago that he had joined the All Progressives Congress (APC), he had first met top Lagos residents and politicians within the party to help placate former Governor of Lagos, his boss at that time and now National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
Huhuonline.com learnt from top party sources that since last year, months after a court quashed his case against the state government as well as the state House of Assembly, Pedro began to contact many of those within the APC who had “the listening ears of Asiwaju” for him to consider giving Pedro amnesty.
“It was after Tinubu ascertained that Pedro had sincerely regretted his action against him and other politicians he offended in his bid to slight Tinubu in 2007 that our national leader agreed to see him”, a source close to the party structure in Lagos confided in Huhuonline.com.
“And when he came to see Tinubu, he practically explained how he had suffered politically throughout the period he swayed from our fold. He had been facing serious relegation since he left us, went to the Labour Party and later to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and you can imagine what he had passed through”.
A major reason he decided to return to the party, according to Huhuonline.com finding, is his desperate to get all the benefits he was deprived of as Deputy Governor of Lagos State.
Pedro declared days ago that he has moved into the All Progressives Congress while formally joining the party penultimate Sunday through a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media and Strategy, Lanre Anjolaiya. He claimed that he had discovered that he and the national leadership of the APC share mutual desires for the progress of the country.
“Our dear country, more than ever before, is in dire need of purposeful leadership committed to leading us out of the woods; and one for which all men of good conscience must join hands”, a part of the statement read.
“I am convinced, beyond any shadow of doubt, that the APC offers that veritable platform to put Nigeria back along the path of glory and prosperity. For this reason, I have declared for the APC and left the PDP with my teeming supporters and party stalwarts across the South-West to partner with the party of the progressives–APC-towards the attainment of these noble objectives”.
A member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, who said he was not in the position to speak for the House, said the lawmakers in the state were yet to discuss whether or not to pardon Pedro. If this is done and is favourable to him, he said, the House may decide to move a motion to counter Pedro’s impeachment so that all his benefits would be given to him
Pedro was handpicked from the corporate banking world by Tinubu after he fell apart with his erstwhile deputy, Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele. Despite not being a politician at the time he became Tinubu’s deputy, Pedro suddenly developed an ambition to succeed his boss. During this period, several other politicians fought for the ticket, but Tinubu picked his chief of Staff, Babatunde Fashola to succeed him.
Following the action of his boss, Pedro left the Action Congress and moved over to the Labour Party to achieve his desire but failed. Immediately after the election, the state House of Assembly began the process of his impeachment as the then Chief Judge, Justice Ade Alabi on 7th May 2007 set up a seven-man committee to probe allegations of gross misconduct levelled against him.
Sensing that he would not survive the impeachment and as a result would not get his entitlement, he quickly tendered his resignation on 8th May 2007, which was rejected by then Governor Tinubu and the House of Assembly. He was eventually impeached on 10th May 2013 just days to the handover date in 2007. He was found guilty of grave misconduct, insubordination and betrayal of trust and confidence.
In 2011, five years after he went to court to get the impeachment reversed with the argument that he had resigned before the impeachment was concluded, the court threw away the case in favour of the government and House of Assembly on technical grounds. He had asked the court to declare the action of the state Assembly null and void and for the court to rule in his favour so that he could get his entitlement.
While dismissing Pedro’s suit, trial judge, Justice Yetunde Idowu, said the suit was brought in form of originating summons instead of writ of summons, as provided by law. The ruling therefore meant that he had forfeited the entitlement. With his return to his former boss, therefore, it remains to be seen what step the House of Assembly would take to reverse itself on the impeachment.
