Following the governorship primaries for the Ondo State election scheduled for November, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Agboola Ajayi, who is flying the flag of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), are going to lock horns. Correspondent OSAGIE OTABOR provides a preview of the contest, which will also feature five other smaller political parties.
In November, the electorate in Ondo State will decide who will lead them for the next four years. This followed the emergence of candidates from political parties in the state to beat the deadline by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). But it will likely be a two-horse race between two men already known to the people. It will be a choice of two men who served as deputies to the late former Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.
Two-horse race:
The people will choose between the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Agboola Ajayi, and Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC). However, candidates of smaller political parties might play the spoiler game.
Ajayi and Aiyedatiwa are men who have many things in common. They are both from the Ese-Odo/Ilaje Federal Constituency. They both served as deputies to the late Akeredolu.
Ajayi served between 2017 and 2021, while Aiyedatiwa served between 2021 and 2023. They both survived the impeachment plot after falling out with their former boss. The move to impeach them was based on alleged traits of betrayal. They were perceived to be too ambitious to succeed their principal.
The November election would be Ajayi’s second attempt to secure the mandate of the people to govern the state. He failed as candidate of the ZLP; after coming a distant third in the race. Aiyedatiwa, on the other hand, was sworn in in December last year after the death of Akeredolu in Germany and this is his first attempt.
PDP:
Ajayi emerged as the candidate of the PDP after defeating six other aspirants by polling 264 out of 621 votes. Before the primary, Ajayi had expressed confidence that he would win the primary with a wide margin. He told reporters in Akure, the Ondo State capital, on the morning of the primary that he went around to the 18 local government areas to convince the delegates why they should trust him to have the ability to rout the APC out of power.
The PDP candidate said: “I am very optimistic of winning today’s primary. I have told the delegates my vision and mission and they know my capabilities. They know I can make everybody happy.
“I have told them about my plans to develop infrastructure in the riverine communities. I assured them of plans to create jobs and make life meaningful for Ondo people.”
Ajayi is not a political neophyte. He is a veteran of several electoral contests in the state. But, he has been jumping from one party to the other to contest for various elective positions in the state. He contested and won as chairman of Ese-Odo Local Government, despite opposition from leaders of the then PDP.
He later won election into the House of Representatives on the party’s platform.
Before the 2016 governorship election in Ondo State, Ajayi left the PDP and joined the APC in time to emerge as deputy to the late Governor Akeredolu.
After falling out with the late governor, Ajayi returned to the PDP a few weeks before the primary for the 2020 governorship polls. He put up a good fight and came second at the end of the day.
But, he left the PDP once again in a bid to realise his ambition to govern the state. He joined the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) before the 2020 election and succeeded in securing its ticket. He came a distant third at the polls.
Before the 2023 general election, Ajayi returned to the PDP and contested for the party’s ticket for the Ondo South senatorial election. He defeated incumbent Senator Nicholas Tofowomo to emerge as the party’s candidate for the constituency. He lost to Senator Jimoh Ibrahim during the main election.
APC:
Governor Aiyedatiwa emerged as the candidate of the APC after defeating 15 other aspirants in a fiercely contested primary. Some aspirants who kicked against his emergence described it as a rape of democracy. They alleged that the Ondo APC primary was fraught with several irregularities like the absence of electoral materials.
Unlike Ajayi, this is the first time Aiyedatiwa will be contesting an election as the candidate of a political party.
The governor served as commissioner representing Ondo State on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) between 2018 and 2019. In 2015, he failed in his bid to represent the Ese-Odo-Ilaje Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives. For Governor Aiyedatiwa to win the forthcoming election at the expense of a political wizard, like Ajayi, he must rally all the contestants that lost in the APC primary and fully deploy the party’s machinery to his advantage.
Aside from the two major parties, other political parties that are fielding candidates for the election include the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the Allied People’s Movement (APM), the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).
PRP:
For the PRP, Babatunde Francis Alli emerged as the party’s candidate through a consensus arrangement. His candidacy was affirmed and endorsed by party delegates.
Ali, in his speech, promised to make the party proud. He said he would focus on job creation and poverty elimination, by providing access to quality education and healthcare if elected as the next governor of Ondo State.
”Your unwavering support and belief in my ability to lead our great state to prosperity are truly humbling. As a result, I am committed to fulfilling this mandate with integrity, dedication and unwavering resolve in alliance with the principles that would guide our great party.
“It is time to rise above the challenges and work tirelessly to salvage our state from impoverishment and despair.”
SDP:
For the SDP, Dr Segun Oyebolu was elected as its flag bearer after an indirect primary in which 64 delegates participated.
APM:
Ogunfeyimi Isaac Kolawole emerged as the candidate of the APM through a consensus arrangement, which was affirmed by delegates from across the 18 local government areas.
ADC:
A legal practitioner, Mr Myson Nejo, emerged as the candidate of the ADC after polling a total of 114,911 votes in a direct mode primary. His rival, Chief Dayo Falana, scored 9,651 votes.
The chairman of the ADC Governorship Primary Committee, Mr Eyiowuawi Abdulrazak, said six aspirants showed interest in the race but that two aspirants stepped down.
The ADC flag bearer who promised to ensure good governance urged the electorates to elect the best candidate to tackle challenges militating against the state.
“A democratic society like ours thrives on the rule of laws which includes respect for the laws of the land, implementation of the laws of our dear country and state in the business of governance without fear and favour and fundamentally, respect for the judicial process especially the decisions of the Courts.
“If elected as the Governor of Ondo State, we would prioritise adherence to the rule of law especially because the rule of law compliant attitude of any country is a factor that could either make or mar its economic prospects,” he promised.
“Quality primary and secondary education would be given priority in our administration if elected as governor. There is a need for quality primary and secondary education in Ondo State to equip our children and teenagers for the challenges of the ever-evolving and technology-driven world of the 21st Century cannot be over-emphasised.”
NNPP:
The NNPP picked Oluwatosin Ayeni as its candidate.
In the coming days, the electioneering campaign will commence across the state. The major candidates, Aiyedatiwa of the APC and Ajayi of the PDP are expected to dominate the campaign. But, a third force may likely emerge from one of the smaller parties.
