The ongoing scrambles by aspirants for the various tickets of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State is creating anxiety among leaders and members of the party in some parts of the state ahead of the primary elections next week. ‘Dare Odufowokan, Assistant Editor and Osagie Otabor report.
Ahead of the 2020 governorship election in Ondo State, all stakeholders in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) dropped their differences and personal ambitions to work in unity for the purpose to ensuring the party remained in power in the state. This led to a landslide victory at the polls for Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu. The party achieved the same feat during the conduct of ward, local government and state congresses.
The stakeholders were united in producing a unity list through which party executives were elected. However, hopes of achieving unity of purpose in the Ondo APC ahead of the party primary scheduled for next week, appeared not to be working. Some of the party members said the party is sitting on a keg of gunpowder while others are predicting implosion following steps taken by Governor Akeredolu.
Governor Akeredolu had met with aspirants before the party commenced the sales of nomination forms. At the meeting held to discuss the future of the APC in Ondo state, the governor assured all aspirants and their teeming supporters of level-playing fields. At the meeting, Governor Akeredolu appealed to the aspirants to promote unity within the party and urged them to allow the party’s leadership to drive the process.
Speaking to incumbent lawmakers seeking returning tickets, Governor Akeredolu told them to re-assess themselves if they have performed for their constituencies, saying: “Self-assessment is the key. Go and assess yourselves. I have come here to appeal to all of you that we don’t all have to run into this election with a huge number. I know people have resigned.
“I am not filling those positions until after the election. Don’t close any option. Leave all options open. The party has a stake. Do not to heat up the polity. I can assure you that we will give a level-playing field. But assess yourselves. Sit down and think. What have you attracted to your constituency or senatorial district as a senator or House of Representatives members? If you have not attracted anything, the people will be your judge.”
Troubled consensus
As part of efforts to keep the party united before, during and after the primary election, it was gathered that the party leadership mooted the idea of exploring the possibility of selecting the party’s candidates by consensus. The Nation gathered that aspirants were advised not to purchase nomination forms to allow the leadership of the party to explore the consensus arrangements. But it appears the idea was not very popular right from the beginning. Many aspirants defied the need for consensus talks and proceeded to purchase nomination forms.
Soon, the governor and the leadership of the APC in the state were alleged to be planning to impose candidates on the party. Many of the aspirants expressed fears that the contest was being skewed to favour some preferred aspirants. While the leadership of the party insists that the move is meant to preserve the current peace being enjoyed by the APC in the state, aggrieved aspirants are crying foul and vowing to resist imposition being allegedly packaged as consensus. Pundits say the development may affect the chances of the ruling party in the legislative elections.
Dr. Abiola Oshodi, a medical personnel and one of the aspirants seeking the ticket of Owo/Ose Federal constituency on the platform of APC, like some other aspirants, raised alarm following imposition rumour in the constituency. “It seems in Ondo State, especially in the Owo /Ose Constituency, it looks as if the leaders are listening to a drum different from the one the President is beating and observers are worried about the consequences- the loss of the seat in the constituency. I call on all party members to abide by all extant laws, rules and regulations and to leaders of our party to avoid imposition of candidates that cannot win popular election,” he said.
Disturbed by the allegations and the threats by aspirants, Akeredolu dismissed report of plot to impose candidates of the APC in the State for next year’s general elections. The Governor said rumours of imposition of candidates were sponsored by those he termed “disgruntled purported members whose mission is to destabilise the party ahead of the coming elections.” Akeredolu, who urged aspirants to focus on their campaigns, said he is committed to the principle of party supremacy.
Speaking in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Richard Olatunde, Akeredolu said “Blackmail cannot stop the resolve of the party to enforce individual and collective discipline through democratic processes as enunciated in the various stakeholders sessions in the last three weeks. As an incurable democrat, Governor Akeredolu has always preached and supported fairness, equity and justice even in playing his leadership role in the affairs of the party in the state and at the national level.
“Governor Akeredolu is a loud voice in the struggle for fairness and the need for the party to walk the path of equity in the forthcoming elections. He will not lead any struggle that will defeat his beliefs and strong convictions. It should be noted that Ondo APC is the only rancor-free chapter of the party in the Southwest. This was made possible by the fair and principled leadership of Governor Akeredolu. His commitment to a united party devoid of groupings and factions is unparalleled.”
Brewing storm?
Rather than abate, the crisis deepened as more chieftains and groups within the party warned of a brewing storm ahead of the 2023 general elections if nothing is done by the national leadership of the party to address what they call the ugly developments in Ondo state. A group of concerned members of APC in Ondo called on the National Chairman of the party to intervene in the matter.
The group, under the umbrella of Concerned Ondo State APC Leaders and Members Forum, made the call in Abuja, in an open letter, signed by the Chairman, Mr Tomoloju Obembe, and the Secretary, Mr Gabriel Ajetumobi. In the letter, the group alleged that under the watch of the State Party Chairman, Mr. Ade Adetimehin, units, wards, and Local Government Area party meetings have not been held since October 2020. Obembe alleged that the state chairman has anointed aspirants ahead of the 2023 general election and he is using party machinery in their favour against other aspirants.
“We understand that the State Government has set up a committee, chaired by the Deputy Governor and a few Government appointees, to scrutinize lists submitted by the hand-picked cronies of Adetimehin, contrary to the provisions of the Electoral Act as amended and APC guidelines. It is obvious that Adetimehin and his crew do not understand that delegates’ election is part of the primaries for the selection of candidates and must be held in accordance with the Electoral Act and APC Constitution.
“We hereby remind the national chairman of our great party of the actions that led to the Zamfara and Rivers State debacle in 2019. The national chairman is also reminded of the Supreme Court’s judgment on the candidature of Andy Uba in the last governorship election in Anambra State, wherein the learned Justices of the Supreme Court nullified the candidature of Andy Uba on the ground that APC did not obey its own rules.
“The actions of Adetimehin are clearly at variance with the APC Constitution and the party guidelines of the forthcoming primaries. Adetimehin is laying the foundation for a similar outcome in Ondo state as party members who have bought nomination forms for different offices, including as ad hoc delegates are gathering facts of clear violation of the Electoral Act.
“The national chairman and leadership of APC should recall that APC came second in Ondo during the 2019 presidential and National Assembly elections on account of the anti-party activities of Adetimehin and the state leadership of the party. The grounds for rebellious anti-party actions by aggrieved party members in protest over the tyrannical acts of the state leadership of APC have been laid by Adetimehin.
“We ask that the chairman and NWC call Adetimehin to order or in the alternative suspend Adetimehin from office as he is unfit to run the party at this critical time. Otherwise, he should be excluded from the forthcoming primaries as he is not impartial and cannot guarantee a free, fair, and credible primary acceptable to members of the party,” he said.
Determined to carry everybody along in its quest for a rancor free process, the leadership of the party summoned a stakeholders meeting to discuss the issues being raised. But the peace move failed to achieve its desired result. It was the outcome of the meeting held last week at Governor Akeredolu’s office that is now causing uproar. At the meeting, some aspirants were suggested as candidates. Party sources said the anointed candidates may not be acceptable to some chieftains, including the Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa and State party Chairman, Engr. Ade Adetimehin.
The aspirants reportedly suggested to be given tickets include Barr. Jimoh Ibrahim for Ondo South senatorial district, Jide Ipinsagba for Ondo North and Adeniyi Adegbonmire for Ondo Central senatorial district. In the House of Representatives, sources at the meeting said the Governor declined to make a choice between Speaker Bamidele Oloyelegun and incumbent lawmaker representing Ifedore/Idanre federal constituency, Hon Tajudeed Adefisoye.
Failed truce
In Ondo North, homestead of the Governor, Hon Timehin Adelegbe and Hon. Bunmi Tunji-Ojo were suggested as House of Representatives candidates for Owo/Ose and Akoko Northeast/Northwest federal constituencies. Aspirants were advised against picking nomination form for the Akure Federal constituency against incumbent lawmaker, Lawson Alade. Alade recently won the by-election to the House of Representatives after the death of Hon Adedayo Omolafe.
It was also agreed at the meeting that Hon. Abayomi Akinruntan gets a return ticket to the House of Assembly so that he can step down for Donald Ojogo, former Commissioner for Information and Orientation, who is seeking electing to represent Ilaje/Ese-Odo in the House of Representatives.
Some APC chieftains said they were directed to work for the success of the unity list even though the Deputy Governor had preference for an oil magnate, Oyerinmade Matthew. An aggrieved aspirant who pleaded anonymity said, “We are all members of this great party. I am one of the few leaders in the southern senatorial district who has worked very hard for the success of the party. We lost the election to the PDP in 2019 because of the same imposition of candidates by Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.
“The PDP seized the opportunity of the disaffection among our members to win the election. Unfortunately, we have not learnt from that experience. If he succeeds with his plan, it is very sure that we will lose to the PDP again. This is very surprising. The governor called us for a meeting and he pointedly anointed some aspirants and asked us to to go and work for them. How is that possible?”
An Ondo North leader said, “That is the governor’s directive. We were all shocked when we heard that. Aketi didn’t even think about the division such directive will create in the party. We have a man loved by the masses for creating jobs for the people. I got a text message from our party chairman that the governor wants to meet with us in Owo. On getting there, he read out the names of all aspirants he want us to support and told us we must support them.
“One of the aspirants who was at the meeting told Mr. governor that he should allow him to even buy the form and test his popularity, but the governor shut him down, saying he must support his own candidate. All of us were surprised that a governor whom we all support to get the party ticket can do this. How I wish those aspirants can win election, it would have been better but these are the aspirants who can’t even win their ward, let alone local government.
“If we should go by the instructions of the governor, that will be the end of APC in Ondo State because we can’t work for those aspirants,” the source said. Other aspirants such as Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Tayo Alasoadura, a former two-time lawmaker in Lagos State, Mrs. Omowumi Olatunji, Dr. Tola Awosika, Chief Alex Ajipe, Barr. Morayo Lebi and others have vowed to pursue their ambition.
The Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa who denied being against the anointed list clarified that there were no plans to imposed candidates but that a level playing would be provided for the aspirants to test their popularity. Former Chief Press Secretary to Governor Akeredolu and Media Director to Chief Ajipe, Segun Ajiboye, said the Governor didn’t stop other aspirants from participating in the primary. He said his principal would still contest at the primary.
Another aspirant in Ondo South, Barr. Morayo Lebi, said the Governor held another meeting where talks about anointed candidates were put to rest. He said the Governor assured party leaders of free and fair primary. Director of Media of the Ondo APC, Mr. Steve Otaloro, denied reports of plots to impose aspirants as anointed candidates. Otaloro said consensus talks failed because the aspirants have obtained forms. His words, “When the consensus arrangement failed, Mr. Governor directed that we should go for primaries. As we speak, we are preparing for primary and it will be free, fair, and credible. You journalists would be allowed into the venues.”
The Nation also confirmed that the party may have resolved to allow for elections in some places where aspirants refuse to buy into the consensus arrangement. In Ondo South senatorial district for example, the party leadership and the governor agreed to throw open the contest since the idea of consensus candidates failed. Consequently, Billionaire business man, Jimoh Ibrahim; former CEO of ONDIPA, Boye Oyewumi; Mathew Oyerinmade; and member of the House of Representatives, Mayowa Akinfolarin, will slug it out at the primary election.
For the House of Representatives seat, it was gathered that former Information commissioner, Donald Ojogo emerged as the party’s consensus for the Ilaje/Ese-Odo federal constituency. Sources said his candidacy was accepted by all the aspirants in the race with him. ldowu Mafimisebi and Goke Ayara were among aspirants dragging the ticket with Ojogo before the truce.
However, primary elections will be held in the other two Federal constituencies in the southern district. The candidates for Okitipupa/Irele Federal Constituency and Ile-Oluji-Oke-Igbo/Odigbo Federal Constituency, will be settled at the primary election according to reliable party sources. The decision to hold primary elections in the two federal constituencies was due to the inability of the party’s leadership to reach a consensus.