All eyes are
on Ondo and the Sunshine state is currently the focus of many power brokers in
Nigeria. Tomorrow, people of the state would be confronted with one simple
task
– choosing who governs them in the next four years. But the assignment before
voters of the state is not as simple as it appears.
Among the
contending political parties, the battle line is drawn and as the voters file
out in the next 24 hours to take that important decision, the concept of
democracy, free and fair elections would resonate among the people. And as they
perform that civic duty, three major candidates are likely to occupy their
minds among others. They are Rotimi Akeredolu of the All Progressives
Congress(APC), Olusola Oke of the Alliance for Democracy(AD) and Eyitayo Jegede
of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP).
In terms of
resume, many would agree that the three top candidates are eminently qualified
to govern the state. All the three are lawyers with two as Senior Advocates of
Nigeria. Akeredolu who is a former President of the Nigerian Bar
Association(NBA) and Jegede are both SANs. But in the estimation of critical
observers, winning elections especially in Ondo is more than just having
beautiful credentials.
For the
informed, tomorrow’s exercise is more than just an election. It would be a
battle among three contending power brokers. One of the battlefronts would be
controlled by President Muhammadu Buhari and his loyalists who obviously would
be working for the emergence of Akeredolu, the APC candidate. Another camp
would be spearheaded by former governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and
his legion of supporters. Majority of the people here who are aggrieved members
of the APC would be doing everything possible to ensure that Olusola Oke wins
the election. The other group is that of Governor Olusegun Mimiko whose
supporters are fully behind Jegede.
With the
picture above, many insist that Ondo State is surely going to be one huge
theatre of power, influence and money. There is a consensus among critical
observers that none of the three candidates would be in short supply of what it
entails to prosecute the election.
The argument
in many quarters is that even though President Buhari may not be disposed to
supporting Akeredolu with government funds, his close associates would ensure
that the APC candidate is not in short supply of anything.
In the case of
Mimiko who is currently the governor of Ondo State, he is the major financier
of Jegede’s election. As the incumbent, money is not likely to be his major
headache. It is one battle he would not like to lose.
The same could
also be said of Olusola Oke who enjoys the backing of Tinubu who is believed to
have enough resources to embark on any political battle. The governor of Lagos
State, Akinwumi Ambode and his Osun State counterpart, Rauf Aregbesola who are
close associates of Tinubu are also in support of Oke’s ambition.
So, with the
political portfolios of the three candidates, tomorrow’s election would be a
battle of the titans. However, the ultimate decision is for the people of Ondo
State to make.
But as the
former United States President and great thinker Abraham Lincoln: would say
“Elections belong to the people. It’s their decision. If they decide to turn
their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit
on their blisters.”
Race to
Alagbaka House: The contenders,
their strengths, weaknesses
By Taiwo Amodu
and Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
Ahead of
tomorrow’s election in Ondo, political gladiators, especially the contestants
for the governorship seat in the state have intensified efforts at ensuring
victory at the poll.
They are
deploying various strategies to realise
their ambitions. In the race, no fewer than 30 candidates from various
political parties have signified intention to contest the election, even though
three of the political parties appear to have leading candidates for the
exalted position: the PDP, AD and the
APC.
But while the
AD and the APC had been set for the race with their governorship candidates,
Chiefs Olusola Oke and Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) respectively moving across the
local government areas to solicit the support of the voters, the PDP just on
Wednesday had its candidate changed by the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja.
On that day,
the Court of Appeal in Abuja declared Eyitayo Jegede of the Ahmed Makarfi
faction of the PDP as the rightful candidate for the election. By the decision,
Jegede replaced Jimoh Ibrahim of the Modu Sheriff faction who earlier held
tenaciously to the ticket of the embattled party.
Before the
latest judgement of the appellate court, the crisis rocking the PDP in the
state had left the average electorate
confused on the authentic candidate of the party with discerning
observers not bemused about the
development in the
erstwhile
ruling party. The Independent National Electoral
Commission
(INEC) had in obedience to a federal High court judgement by Justice Okon Abang
announced business mogul, Mr Jimoh Ibrahim as the governorship candidate of the
party, while former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state,
Jegede (SAN) had approached the court to challenge the INEC’s decision. So, on
Wednesday, the court of appeal set aside the judgment of the federal High court
which mandated INEC to accord Jimoh Ibrahim recognition.
Ibrahim
emerged at the primary election conducted by the Senator Alli Modu Sheriff
faction of the party in Ibadan, Oyo State, while Jegede emerged at the primary
election conducted in Akure, the Ondo State capital, by the Alhaji Ahmed Makarfi faction of the
party.
Both Jegede
and Ibrahim who had formally flagged off their campaigns are bigwigs in the
politics of the state. With the emergence of Jegede, it is certain that the PDP
has a formidable structure in the state, especially with the incumbent Governor
Dr Olusegun Mimiko seriously working for his victory .
The three
major parties, no doubt present competent, popular and vibrant candidates who
have a grasp of the political happenings in the state, having been active
players for quite a period of time.
Daily Sun examines the chances of the leading
contenders, their unique selling points and weaknesses.
Olusola Oke
The candidate
of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), is not new in the politics of Ondo State as
he was the former National Legal Adviser of the PDP who also contested the
2012 election in the state on the
platform of the party (PDP).
Oke had served
as the Chairman of the Ondo State Oil Producing Area Development Commission
(OSOPADEC) and a federal commissioner at the Niger Delta Development Commission
at different times.
He came second
in the 2012 gubernatorial election in the state, while the incumbent, Dr Mimiko
emerged the governor and the current candidate of the APC, Chief Akeredolu who
was at that time the standard bearer of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria
(ACN) came a distant third.
Oke was one of
the 24 aspirants of the APC who contested the last September governorship
primary election of the party. However,
the controversy thrown up by the exercise led to his defection to the AD where
he was eventually made the party’s candidate.
The
governorship hopeful who hails from Ilaje local government area in the Southern
senatorial district of the state, is believed to have led many of his followers
in the APC to his new party (AD), just as he made away with some members of the
PDP to the ruling party, having been a leader of the erstwhile ruling party
before. He is believed to be the choice of the people of the Southern
senatorial districts with six local government areas.
A lawyer by
training, Oke is believed to have the backing of the estranged national leader
of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Lagos State governor, Akinwumi Ambode
and the governor of Osun State, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, who were said to be
displeased with the controversial primary poll that produced Akeredolu.
This is
evident in the choice of the Director General of Oke Campaign Organization, Mr
Bola Ilori who is a close ally of Tinubu and political associate of Aregbesola.
Ilori was the Special Adviser to Governor Aregbesola on Environment. It is being speculated that Tinubu was
funding the campaign of Oke, just as Aregbesola is also alleged to be one of
the major financiers of his campaigns. Some believe that Oke may be the
ultimate beneficiary of the crisis which bedevilled the PDP in the state.
In his
political sojourn, he has associated
with the major political parties: the PDP, APC and now the moribund AD
which was revived as a result of the
internal crisis in the ruling party. But
the AD candidate may have difficulty in winning the election in the Northern
senatorial district where Akeredolu comes from. The Ondo North senatorial
district which comprises of Owo and Akoko divisions is predominantly APC. But
he may certainly reap from the votes
from the central districts which comprises Ondo and Akure divisions which have
no strong candidate from the district.
Rotimi
Akeredolu
Former
president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Rotimi Akeredolu,
(SAN) was a former Commissioner for
Justice and Attorney General in Ondo State. He is the governorship candidate of
the APC, having emerged victorious in
the primary poll held last September.
His emergence
as the APC standard bearer has generated serious leadership crisis in the
party. While the National Chairman of
the
party, Chief
John Odigie Oyegun and some other leaders of the party were believed to have
given tacit support to Akeredolu, the
National Leader of the party and former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola
Tinubu threw his weight behind the candidature of Dr Olusegun Abraham who
eventually came second in the primary election.
Daily Sun
gathered that Akeredolu’s emergence has created disaffection, as aggrieved
aspirants who lost out in the primary election and their supporters are not ready to work for his victory.
Dr Abraham has
also instituted a legal case against Akeredolu before an Abuja Federal High
Court, claiming that he was the authentic winner of the primary election having
polled the highest number of lawful votes. Abraham further claimed that the
primary election that produced Akeredolu was marred by irregularities and
demanded for its cancellation.
The APC in the
state appears to be in disarray few days to the election, with members of the
party in different camps. Akeredolu has however continued to dialogue with
aggrieved members of the party, soliciting for their support and has succeeded
in wooing some of the governorship aspirants
to his camp.
One major
factor believed to be the strength of Akeredolu is the support of the Presidency which he enjoys.
The APC candidate who hails from Owo, headquarters of Owo local
government area in the Northern senatorial district of the state has his major
strength in the district where the party is widely acceptable. The people of Ondo North senatorial district
are believed to be die-hard supporters of the APC and they have demonstrated
this in previous elections in the state .
But the APC
gubernatorial hopeful may have difficulty in garnering appreciable votes in the
southern senatorial district, being the stronghold of the AD candidate. But
Daily Sun gathered that certain grassroots politicians in the zone are already
working to sway voters in the southern district
to support him. According to an
APC source, primordial sentiment will count as
Akeredolu’s mother is from Ese-Odo local government while his deputy,
Agboola Ajayi is also from the area.
The APC also
parades politicians of influence in the area.
The list includes, Akpoebi Lubi,
the immediate-past chairman of the council. To further boost his chances
are the immediate past lawmaker from the area, Honourable Afolabi Iwalewa and Senator Yele Omogunwa,
current senator representing Ondo South. The duo recently defected to the APC.
Ilaje appears
not too comfortable for Akeredolu but he hopes to take advantage of the age
long oil politics-induced dichotomy between the Ugbo and Mahin enclaves of
Ilaje local government. He will also exploit to his political advantage, the
frosty relationship between the AD candidate,
Olusola Oke and the paramount ruler of Ugbo kingdom, His Majesty
Fredrick Akinruntan. Further checks
revealed that Odigbo is the traditional APC stronghold and most of those who
control the area are entrenched traders from Oyo, Osun and Kwara states.
Jegede alters
permutation
The
pronouncement of the justices of the Court of Appeal which restored Eyitayo
Jegede, (SAN) as the standard bearer of the PDP for tomorrow’s election has
certainly altered the power game in the
race to the Alagbaka Government House.
In a unanimous
judgment, the three man panel led by Justice Ibrahim Salauwa dismissed the
initial verdict of Justice Okon Abang as
a charade. It further noted that the judgment of the lower court negated the
doctrine of natural law of justice, since Jegede “was not heard prior to
determination of the case.”
The
declaration of the court elicited spontaneous excitement in the camp of the
outgoing governor, Dr Segun Mimiko and the Ahmed Makarfi faction of the PDP in the State.
It has however
altered the contest which was initially perceived as a straight fight between
All Progressives Congress, (APC) candidate, Rotimi Akeredolu and
Alliance for Democracy, (AD) candidate, Olusola Oke.
Until
Wednesday judgment of the Court of Appeal, the APC was no longer threatened by
the compelling factor of incumbency as Eyitayo Jegede, the anointed candidate of the incumbent governor,
Segun Mimiko had been technically displaced.
But with the
restoration of his ticket by Justice
Ibrahim Salauwa-led panel, the APC had
to return to the drawing board to confront frontally, the awesome political machinery of Mimiko.
In the same
vein, the AD candidate, Oke was smarting
to exploit the predicament of the PDP, as aggrieved Ondo electorate were bent on indulging in protest
votes, as the Presidency and the ruling party were accused of allegedly using Jimoh Ibrahim,
candidate of the Senator Ali Modu Sheriff faction of the erstwhile ruling
party to destabilise the PDP and
ultimately frustrate Mimiko from producing his successor. Despite his sustained
denial, Ibrahim was daubed in crimson as playing a spoiler’s role.
Oke and Jimoh
Ibrahim are from the same South senatorial district. PDP stalwarts from the
zone not pleased with the business magnate were plotting to back Oke but with
the window provided by the court for Jegede, the AD candidate may be ditched as
Mimiko’s foot soldiers have reportedly embarked on last minute mop up
operations.
sunnewsonline
Follow Solenzo Blog on
0 Comments