June 23, (THEWILL) – Electioneering in the forthcoming governorship poll in Ondo State formally kicked-off on June 19, 2024 with 17 political parties cleared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for the contest.
The governorship candidates and their deputies include Lucky Aiyedatiwa, 59 and Deputy Governor Olayide Adelami, 66, of the All Progressives Congress (APC); Agboola Ajayi, 55 and Deputy Governor Samuel Ogunmusi, 53 of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP); Abbas Mimiko, 60 and Deputy Governor Morgan Fadoju, 54 of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP); Festus Olorunfemi, 59 and Deputy Governor Olubukola Adu, 52 of the Labour Party (LP); and Otitoloju Akinmurele, 43 and Deputy Governor Ayodele Obe of the Young Progressives Party (YPP).
Others are Olusegun Oyebolu, 55, Deputy Governor Gift Dada 45, of the Social Democratic Party (SDP); Omolere Akinuli, 63, Deputy Governor Adetunji Adeyemi, 67 of Action Alliance (AA); Ajibola Abraham, 64, Deputy Governor Samuel Ikuyajolu, 36 of Accord (A); Adeyemi Nejo, 42, Rasheed Ibrahim of African Democratic Congress (ADC), 56; and Oluwatosin Ayeni, 35, Deputy Governor Abigail Omoyugbo, 44 of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
Completing the list are the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Babatunde Alli, 50; Deputy Governor Olusegun Famesa, 48; African Action Congress (AAC); Adekunle Ajayi, 37, Deputy Governor Victor Lijofi, 38; Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Isaac Ogunfeyimi, 75, Deputy Governor, Folorunso Afolabi, 63; Action Peoples Party (APP), Babatunde Fadoju, 56, Deputy Governor Abimbola Ajaguna, 36; All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA); Olatunji Popoola, 66; Deputy Governor, Taiwo Adedeji, 40; and Youth Party (YP), Kehinde Paul, 35; Deputy Governor, Otitoleke Olupitan, 35.
In reality, the contest is between the governing APC and opposition PDP. As a measure of their electoral strength, APC controls 24 lawmakers and PDP six in the House of Assembly. APC controls the three senatorial districts, having won all the seats during the 2023 general election. Of the nine House of Representatives members, the party has eight, leaving one to the rival PDP. Moreover, it controls the governorship.
This political strength becomes relevant in the face of the recent fence mending that has taken place in both parties, particularly in the APC which was badly afflicted by the conflict that threatened its faith, following the contentious April 20, 2024 party primary election.
The Senator representing Ondo South, Jimoh Ibrahim, who had taken the party to court, seeking its disqualification from contesting the November16, 2024 governorship election, has since thrown in the towel and reconciled with stakeholders, thus bringing to a close a major threat to the party.
Last Thursday, one of the strongest contenders for the governorship, Wale Oke collapsed his structure into the campaign organisation of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa. Oke said he was backing Aiyedatiwa because the governor is his brother from Ilaje and wants the place to produce the next governor of Ondo State.
Oke said his supporters were ready to follow his actions because the peace, unity and development of this state were more important to him than the office.
He said, “I am not an emergency politician. I have campaigned for governorship in this state four times and I have all it takes to be Governor. I did everything I needed to do in the primary, but the rest is now history.
“I had various options and my supporters were ready to follow any action I would take.
“The Governor is my brother from Ilaje and I want Ilaje to produce the next Governor. Since it won’t be me, it should be him. We are going to win the election together.”
For the Ondo APC Chairman, Ade Adetimehin, Oke’s action has put an end to any lingering issues within the party.
For the PDP, a last-minute scheming saved it from the crisis brewing within. The candidate submitted for the deputy governorship ticket, Samuel Ogunmusi, was not well received among stakeholders. So, the party leaders had to go to work and quietly replace Ogunmusi on the last day of grace, June 18, 2024.
The party, which had contended with its own crisis of confidence after the primary, had to set up a committee to review the names of those angling for the deputy governorship position. After some consideration, it settled for Festus Akingbaso.
In spite of its small electoral strength as measured by its elected and appointed officials, the opposition party seems to have a good geo-political image working for it. That is the two governors on its platform out of six in the South-West geo-political zones. They are Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Ademola Adeleke of Osun State. Both of them have taken it as a duty to work the grassroots in support of the Agboola/Akingbaso ticket in Ondo State, aided by a National Working Committee member of the party, Taofeek Arapaja, Deputy National Chairman, South.
According to Makinde, all PDP leaders and stakeholders from across the six South-West states are behind the Ondo PDP candidate.
He said at a recent stakeholders meeting; “For us, people should expect a very strong showing from the PDP in the state in November, by the grace of God. With our leaders from across the South-West standing behind our candidates in the state, I think it is a strong signal to the present occupier of the Ondo Government House. The PDP is coming and it will happen.”
Makinde’s Osun counterpart, Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun, at the meeting sounded upbeat and optimistic.
“We also want to begin the reconciliation process, because we know some people are upset and we believe our leaders will go back home to bring everybody together. Even Governor Makinde and I would be invited to Akure to see how we can move forward in the state ahead of the election in November,”Adeleke said.
Obviously appreciative of the big support of leaders from the geo-political zone, Agboola said the support would be enough to coast him to victory.
He said: “The leaders have spoken. They are leading and we will follow. I thank them for their massive support, especially the two Southwest governors, Seyi Makinde and Ademola Adeleke. They have been of tremendous support and encouragement for the party in the states. PDP is very formidable. All of us are here because we believe this is one family and we are going to deliver. Victory is certain for us in the next election.”
A candidate who seems to be making waves, not necessarily from any visible political strength but rather from the ripples that his surprised exit from the APC caused, is the candidate of New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, Olugbenga Edema.
He is one of those aggrieved over the outcome of the party primary. Inconsolable, he decided to defect to the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP. He had to replace the party’s candidate, Oluwatosin Ayeni, who agreed to step down. For Edema, a former representative of the state on the governing board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, the NNPP would be the party to beat in the forthcoming poll.
He, like almost all of the candidates, hails from the South Senatorial zone to which many of the parties derived their candidates, in respect of the zoning formula. It is yet to be seen how his exit can impact on the governor’s showing in the zone, moreover when President Tinubu is said to keep a keen eye on developments in “his southwest backyard.”
About the Author
Amos Esele is the Acting Editor of THEWILL Newspaper. He has over two decades of experience on the job.
