Ordinarily, the main opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) should be able to give the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) a run for its money in the forthcoming governorship election in Ondo State. But, the candidacy of former Deputy Governor Agboola Ajayi appears to be generating some feelings within the fold, Correspondent OSAGIE OTABOR reports
Former Acting Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party in Ondo State, Tola Alabere, has advised chieftains of the party to brace up to win the November 16 governorship election. Alabere, who spoke at the inauguration of the party’s youth wing in Akure, the state capital, warned that losing the election would end its existence in the Southwest state.
He said most members might not remain in the party if the ruling All Progressives Congress emerged victorious.
Alabere said: “You have to go out and canvas for the PDP. It is the only party that can deliver the country. When you work, you will be rewarded. This election is a must-win for us. If we fail, it may end the PDP’s existence in Ondo State. The majority may not remain in the PDP. So I want to plead with you, that this is your time. The level of commitment you put in determines the outcome. Let us return to our wards and unite to canvass the people. This attitude of collecting money to compromise at the polling unit must stop. If we commit ourselves we will win this election. Let us change for the better.”
Many leaders of the Ondo PDP have deserted the party ahead of the polls. Former Governor Olusegun Mimiko is rumoured to be the next critical stakeholder to leave the party. His political associates have already deserted the party. They include a two-time member of the House of Representatives and former governorship aspirant, Victor Akinjo; former member of the House of Representatives, Joseph Akinlaja; former Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Jumoke Akindele; former Commissioner for Works and former running mate to Eyitayo Jegede, Gboluga Ikengboju and Chief Alaba Lad Ojomo.
Others are Jide Adejuyigbe, Tunde Atere, Ebenezer Alabi, Ajani Oladipo, Yeyeoge Funmilola Oluwadare, Solomon Adelegan, Femi Bosede, Chief Yele Ogundipe, Dayo Akinte, Dr Dapo Iwala, Femi Ofakunrin, Olumide Olugbebi, Ms Omowumi George, Gbenga Aro, Alhaji Rauf Ogunsola, Ms Taiye Afilaka, Adetimehin Badeji Jacob, Dr Felix Kehinde, Babatunde Sobande, Idowu Ogunmade and Olanrewaju Longe.
Besides associates of Mimiko, many others have abandoned the party and its leadership structure in Ilaje Local Government has collapsed into that of the APC to support Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who hails from the area.
A former chairman of the party, Ebenezer Alabi, has also resigned. He said he could not continue to cohabit with “political leaders whose aim is to make financial fortunes at every election cycle”. He said: “A large chunk of the money meant for mobilization during the last general elections ended up in private pockets. This was why the party performed woefully during the election.
“Some extort money from many aspirants during primaries. They end up voting for those that offer them a reasonable amount. They were not bothered by the party’s success; only their aggrandizement matters.”
Two PDP governorship aspirants, Chief Sola Ebiseni and Otunba Bamidele Akingboye have also dumped the party and have emerged as the candidates of the Labour Party [LP] and the Social Democratic Party [SDP] respectively.
Many party chieftains attribute the mass exodus of leaders to other parties to the emergence of Agboola Ajayi as its flag bearer for the election. Ajayi was not the favourite of a majority of Ondo PDP leaders both in the state and Abuja. The National Vice Chairman [Southwest], Kamoru Ajisafe, said Ajayi was pencilled to come out 7th at the primary. He disclosed during the inauguration of the party’s Caretaker Committee. He described Ajayi’s candidacy as God’s project.
He said: “If you want to become something in life, God will use other people to put you there. We never gave him (Ajayi) a chance at the national level to win the primary. He was expected to end up in the seventh position. At each stage, he agreed to the process.”
Ajayi, however, is not a politician to toy with. He knows how to secure votes in a party primary. He served the party as its ward and local government chairman. He was also elected as the council chairman and a lawmaker to represent the constituency at the House of Representatives. The former deputy governor joined the PDP a few weeks before its primary ahead of the 2020 governorship election and came second. But, he subsequently left the fold again.
Ahead of the 2023 general elections, he returned to the PDP — from the Zenith Labour Party [ZLP] – to vie for the Ondo South senatorial ticket. During the primary, he defeated incumbent Senator Nicholas Tofowomo. He eventually lost during the general election to Senator Jimoh Ibrahim. He was said to have won the PDP primary because he did not rely on party leaders but personally reached out to the delegates.
Some leaders who defected said they were paying Ajayi back in his coin for leaving the party for the ZLP after losing at the primary in 2020. They blamed him for the party’s loss at the polls. Close allies said Ajayi has been reaching out to various groups, including traditional rulers, civil society groups, students, and religious leaders amongst others. They said he is not disturbed by the defections and that he is focusing on winning the support of the electorates.
Ajayi’s bid to woo the electorates is yielding positive results, as many members of the ruling APC are joining the PDP. A former APC senatorial aspirant, Dr Adeniran Oyebade recently led 1,200 members from the six local government areas of Ondo Central Senatorial District to join the PDP. Similarly, some APC women leaders in the Akoko area and others in Akure have pitched tents with the PDP.
Speaking on the defections, Ajisafe said the party would not be distracted by “online propaganda stories” planted by opponents. “He added: We are focused. The people leaving right now have left the fold a long time ago. They are leaving now because they have realized we can no longer put up with their shenanigans. There is no room for them to operate anymore. We have the majority of their followers with us.”
Ajayi said he is not disturbed by the defections. He said he has chosen to focus on winning the election. He said: “It’s a normal thing. More and more are coming in. You will agree with me, this is the first time since 2009 that you will see an exodus of people from the ruling party to PDP every day. Two weeks ago, we were in Ikare, and six APC women leaders defected to the PDP. Yesterday, I was at Ese-Odo. There is no APC there anymore. So, if anybody is leaving, they are just trying to exercise their right. But, I can assure you that no man is God.”
Ondo PDP spokesman, Kennedy Peretei has cautioned the APC not to celebrate the defection of Mimiko’s associates, saying the defectors have never won elections in whatever parties they pitched tent with. Ayo Fadaka said those joining the APC are mainly from the ZLP. He accused the defectors of being economical with the truth by saying that they were paying Ajayi back for abandoning the party in 2020.
He added: “They change nomenclature every election season. They are like football players who change clubs every season for peculiar reasons. They are rolling stones that gather no moss. Even when they switch parties, their new parties never win elections. There were moves by party leaders to make them realise that switching parties is not the solution; being in a party consistently is good for democracy. There is nothing we can do to bring them back.”
How the PDP will fare at the poll, however, will be determined by how it can convince the electorates. The party is hoping that people will show their anger towards the APC at the polls because of the economic hardship in the country. The PDP, however, performed poorly in the 2023 general election. It has only three members in the state House of Assembly and one member in the House of Representatives.
