Six days to Ondo State’s governorship election, Damisi Ojo, in Akure, takes a close look at the final preparations, the battle zones, the leading candidates, their chances and the top politicians that can make the difference.
By this week’s Saturday, electorate in Ondo State will be exercising their franchise as they elect a new governor that will take over power in the state for the next four years.
Out of 63 political parties in the country, only 13 have shown interest and have been screened by the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC] for the polls in the state.
The Action Congress of Nigeria [ACN] will be represented by the former President of the Nigeria Bar Association [NBA], Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu [SAN], the incumbent governor, Olusegun Mimiko is the standard bearer of Labour Party (LP), the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP], candidate is Chief Olusola Oke, and the Congress for Progressive Change [CPC] flagbearer is Mr. Soji Ehinlanwo.
Others are, Oladipo Bolade, National Conscience Party (NCP), Abikanlu James Olusola, National Solidarity Democratic Party (NSDP, Victor Oluwaremi Adetunsin, People for Democratic Change (PDC), Omoregha Olatunji, Progressive People’s Alliance (PPA), Adeyemi Bolarinwa, All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Omoleye Afolabi Olorunwa, and Change Advocacy Party (CAP) Omoregha Olatunji.
Already, for the past three months, since the electoral body gave the marching order to political parties to commence their political campaigns, these parties and their candidates had been selling their agenda to the electorate on the need to vote for them.
But, since the commencement of the election process in the state, it is now clear to all stakeholders that the gubernatorial battle is primarily between three major political parties namely ACN, LP and the PDP.
Stakeholders came into such conclusion because the three parties, more than the rest, are solidly on ground.
The ACN and PDP chieftains have however resolved to send the ruling LP’s government away in the state, while Governor Mimiko believes he will score the majority votes to retain his exalted seat.
On several rallies attended by Mimiko, the LP flagbearer had told the electorate, particularly members of the party, that he would defeat his opponents with landslide margin, stressing that he had touched all sectors in the state.
But, Akeredolu and Oke have insisted that Mimiko had failed in all his electioneering promises. For example, Akeredolu, who was one of the legal team that reclaimed Mimiko’s mandate at the tribunal in 2009, have criticized Mimiko’s administration at several occasions, saying the state needs a change of leadership and a leader that would allow the state to key into the proposed South-West economic integration.
As the D-day draws near, there is palpable fear that the election may not be violent free. The ACN and PDP, for example, had always accused the LP of using thugs to disrupt their rallies.
ACN candidate’s Akeredolu campaign team had been reportedly attacked on most of its rallies in rural communities in the state. Also, thebMimiko Campaign Organisation [ACO] Director of Publicity and Media Relations, Mr. Kolawole Olabisi, recently alleged that the Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, had concluded plan to fill the state with hoodlums.
Also, Olabisi raised an alarm recently that ACN national leadership had imported the factional leader of the Oyo State National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Lateef Akinsola, to cause mayhem during the election.
Shortly after the three major contenders got their various political party tickets; different groups had been endorsing the candidates. For instance, Governor Mimiko before his declaration was endorsed by leaders of Nigeria Labour Congress [NLC] in the state for second term, but this had been generally condemned by stakeholders in the state.
Their chances:
It is not yet clear who may likely emerge as the next governor of the state, particularly because ACN, PDP and LP have strategically elected their candidates from the three senatorial areas of the state.
ACN flagbearer is from Owo Local Government Area in the Northern senatorial area of the state, where many have argued that it is their turn to produce the next governor of the state, because of the zoning system.
The LP adopted Mimiko for second term. The governor is from Ondo in the Central senatorial district, while PDP who had witnessed political crisis in the state believed that the only way to return to power in the state is by picking its candidate, Chief Olusola Oke, an indigene of Ilaje local government, an oil producing community in the Southern senatorial district.
The leadership of the party took this decision because they believed the poor masses in the oil producing communities will accept and vote for a party that picks their kinsman as a standard bearer due to the general belief of the stakeholders in the area that they have not felt the impact of the present administration of the ruling LP.
With this, Oke, Akeredolu and Mimiko may be relying on catchment advantage from the three senatorial districts. But investigations show that due to the agitation of the people from the northern district areas of the state to produce the next governor, most prominent politicians from the six local governments have decided to back ACN in order to achieve this unifying objective.
ACN, it would be recalled became the most popular opposition party, particularly in the state immediately after the last 2011 general elections, following the defection of notable politicians from the LP and PDP.
Among eminent politicians in the northern district who defected to ACN were, a serving Senator, Ajayi Boroffice, the State Chairman of LP, Dr. Olaiya Oni, former Commissioner in Mimiko’s government, Prince Sola Amodeni, Hon. Saka Lawal, who was a former governorship aspirant of ACN but left after Akeredolu was picked and among others
As demonstration of ACN’s popularity in the district, majority of the governorship aspirants of the party were from the North. Not only this, the two governors that have been produced by the progressive party in the past, were also from the northern district.
Despite, the defection of few politicians, most especially governorship aspirants to other parties, ACN still remains relevant in the northern district.
The serving senator, Boroffice, who was among leading governorship aspirants, had ordered his political supporters to work for Akeredolu and ACN to ensure the party takes of the leadership of the state.
Another politician who is likely to help decide election in Akoko area, Prince Solagbade Amodeni, has also supported ACN national leadership’s decision in picking Akeredolu.
Amodeni, who served under Mimiko as a commissioner and also as a chairman of Akoko South-East for two terms, is known to be a strong politician, enjoying enormous political loyalty in the local government. It is on record that he has never lost any election in his community, Ipesi Akoko.
Besides, Akokos are clamouring for a change of government due to what they described as total neglect by the present administration. Also, some indigenes of Owo are now leaving their political parties to support the candidature of their kinsman, Akeredolu.
One of the politicians, who recently joined ACN is Dr. Bode Ayorinde, a Pro-Chancellor of Achievers Private University in Owo. Ayorinde was a former aspirant for Owo/Ose federal constituency under the platform of LP.
Another great politician working for the success of ACN in Owo is a businessman, and chieftain of the party, Chief Femi Adekanmbi. Adekanmbi was a former member of LP but left the party after he was dropped for the incumbent lawmaker representing Owo/Ose Federal constituency, Hon. Olorunda Omosule.
In order to test his popularity, Adekanmbi joined the ACN and he was picked as the party’s candidate but lost the election to Omosule.
Just of recent, four Mimiko’s aides from the Northern Senatorial District resigned their appointment and joined the ACN. They are Messers Kayode Agunloye [aka K.K] Soji Ojomo, Chris Anota and the aides to the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Mr. Opeyemi Igbede.
ACN chances in claiming majority votes from Northern senatorial district, also received a major boost when a former LP House of Assembly aspirant from Owo Local Government, Hon. Kehinde Bello [aka HK] led thousands of LP members, including the party’s executives, to ACN fold. Bello, known as a strong grassroots politician in Owo, also ordered his group, Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership [MGGEL], which has over 3,000 members, to work for Akeredolu.
However, the ruling LP and PDP may not allow the ACN to have an easy ride during the election because of some prominent politicians who still remain loyal to either LP or PDP.
For Instance, the former State Chairman, Olaiya Oni and his political son, Hon Saka Lawal, who were known as election strategists, decided to leave the ACN following the emergence of Akeredolu and for the reason that Akoko man was not endorsed by the ACN national leadership as the party flagbearer.
Oni and Saka was lured by PDP chieftains to their fold with a promise that Saka, who was a former Special Adviser to Governor Mimiko, will be picked as the running mate of the party candidate and by 2017 power will return to the northern district.
Also, former Minister for Defence, Tokunbo Kayode, two former State House of Assembly Speakers, Victor Olabimtan and Taofeek Abdulsalam, are politicians who may spring surprises
Olabimtan, who was one of the PDP governorship aspirants came from a community, Supare, in Akoko South West, where it is reported that he has never lost election to any political party despite the fact that the present Deputy Governor, Alli Olanusi is from the same community.
However, it is not clear, if the three immediate past National Assembly lawmakers, Senator Bode Olajumoke and a former House of Representatives Lawmaker representing Owo/Ose Federal Constituenacy, Dr. Lad Ojomo and Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye, who represented Akoko North East/West in the lower chamber, will work for the party in the October 20, poll.
Despite reconciliation meetings organised by the leadership of PDP, these three leaders from the northern part of the state had refused to show up in its political meetings.
During the recent visit of former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, in Akure, the state capital, with some national leaders of PDP for a rally to endorse their party candidate, Oke, the three former lawmakers who are still members of the party did not attend the political event.
Obasanjo had to appeal to the aggrieved members to sheathe their swords and work for the party. He described those who are working against the progress of the party as dishonest people.
In Owo, Otunba Oyewole Fasawe, a chieftain of PDP was one of the aggrieved members of the party that had publicly declared his intention to work for Oke, who was described as his political son.
Fawase hails from the same town where ACN candidate, Akeredolu came from. As part of his commitment to PDP, Fasawe, who was a close political associate of Obasanjo, have been working to strenghten PDP in Owo.
In the LP’s camp, the party may be relying on the incumbent Deputy Governor, Alli Olanusi, Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Emiola Dare, and a former governorship aspirant of ACN, who recently returned to LP after his ambition to emerge as the governorship candidate of the party failed.
Agunloye retraced his step back to the ruling LP where he left after the party leaders decided to drop him for Prof. Ajayi Boroffice as the party’s candidate for the senatorial seat in the last year’s general election.
Agunloye, who pursued his governorship ambition through a political platform “Omoluabi,” left for LP after he lost the ACN’s ticket. He criticised ACN’s leadership.
But, the National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, described Agunloye as a mole in the party. Akande alleged that the aspirant, who is from Erusu in Akoko South West Local Government is Mimiko’s agent, saying he had gone back to his master who sent him to destroy the party.
Akande noted that reports from members of the party in the state and investigations conducted by the party confirmed that Agunloye was an agent of LP in ACN.
With this development, several politicians who were received into the fold of ACN through “Omoluabi Platform,” like Femi Johnson, who is now the Deputy Director of Aketi Campaign in the Southern Senatorial District, Adewale Omojuwa, one of the leading aspirants for the Deputy Governorship slot, among others, refused to defect along with Agunloye.
Looking at the Central Senatorial District, many political observers are of the opinion that Ondo Central has not got its fair share in power rotation of the state. Ondo Central District is made up of six local government areas, including Akure South, Akure North, Ifedore, Ondo East, Ondo West and Idanre.
It is the district that houses Akure, the state capital, which many believed has the largest number of electorate because of its urbanisation.
Our investigation however shows that the three major political parties, namely the Labour Party (LP), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are on ground in the district.
As things are, the ruling LP relies much on the district to garner majority votes that would catapult it into power for the second term
Investigations also show that Ondo North has sympathy for Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).
Electorates in the area, particularly the Akokos, are aggrieved over complete neglect of the area by the present Mimiko’s administration. It is believed that this is one of the reasons ACN leadership zoned its governorship ticket to Ondo North, where Akoko land is a major stakeholder.
Also because of the dwindling popularity of LP, unlike in 2007, many prominent politicians in Ondo Central, particularly Akure South/North Federal Constituency, had dumped the ruling party either to ACN or PDP. One important politician here is the former commissioner and chieftain of the PDP, Chief Tayo Alasoadura, from Akure North.
He joined ACN as a governorship aspirant, but because of the zoning formula, which did not favour Ondo Central, the leadership of ACN have him the arduous task of coordinating the October 20 elections for ACN.
Alasoadura is presently the National Director of Planning and Strategy of the party. He is a grassroots politician who exerts a lot of influence.
Another notable politician in Akure South is the incumbent lawmaker representing Akure North/South Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, Hon. Ifedayo Sunday Abegunde.
He recently defected from the ruling LP at the floor of the House of Representatives to join ACN ‘Abena’.
Within the same constituency, we have the likes of the former Secretary to the State Government (SSG) under late Adefarati’s regime, Chief Wunmi Adegbonwure, a.k.a Omo Ekun, a prominent son of Akure, and a follower of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
He has been so committed to the cause of ACN and leads its Elders Forum.
Equally influential is the former commissioner for information in the late Adebayo Adefarati’s administration, Prince Olu Adegboro, who is mobilising his people for ACN.
Others in the progressive party within the same Central District are Chief Akin Olokunboro, a former member of the House of Representatives in the second republic who was then elected on the platform of the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN).
Dr. Akerele Adu, an Ijare politician of note in Ifedore Local Government, was a former Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources. Insiders said he commands enormous respect in the communities.
There is also Prof. Olu Aderounmu, a former provost of the Ondo State College of Education,Ikere-Ekiti, Engineer Ade Adetimehin, the Director of ACN Campaign Organisation in Ondo central senatorial district, who is from Idanre.
He, apart from being the state Treasurer of ACN, is assigned to head the contact and mobilization committee of the party.
In Ondo West, the home of the incumbent governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, also another seasoned politician and Special Adviser to Osun State Governor, Hon. Bola Ilori.
He was a former Chairman of Alimosho local government in Lagos state, a former senior special assistant to Governor Mimiko and a mass mobiliser for ACN in Ondo State and particularly Ondo West.
Also in Ondo West, the former PDP State Women’s Leader, Mrs Folake Akinjoko-Omojuwa, is now a chieftain of ACN, who is ready to tacke Mimiko in his ward during the October 20 election
In PDP, in spite of its internal crisis occasioned by fractionalisation, we gathered that its leaders and followers in Ondo Central senatorial district are ready to work assiduously to regain the seat they lost to Mimiko and LP in February 2009 following the verdict of Appeal Court in Benin.
It has also been rumoured that Mimiko is allegedly behind the wrangling within the PDP where a faction had publicly resolved not to work for the victory of its candidate, Chief Olusola Oke.
It was also alleged that notable politicians like Prof. Olu Agbi, Segun Adegoke, and others are against Hon. Ebenezer Alabi’s executive commitee of the party. However, it has been observed that the present PDP leadership in the state has the support of former governor Olusegun Agagu.
In the Central District, the former Deputy Governor, under Agagu, Chief Omolade Oluwateru, who is now the present Nigeria’s Ambassador to Uganda, is working in tandem with Alabi’s committee to ensure Oke’s victory
We also have Hon Adedayo Omolafe, a former Akure South Local Government, former chairman of ALGON in the state and former aspirant, House of Representatives for Akure North/ South under the platform of PDP.
There are also Chief Bisi Johnson, the former Chairman of Ondo West Local Government and Ondo State Local Government Service Commission (OSLGSC) who has sworn to tackle Mimiko in his home town.
Other PDP top shots in the politics of Ondo Central are the immediate past Chairman of the party in the state, Dr. Tayo Dairo, Engr. Dele Osakuade from Ilara-mokin in ifedore local government. Others, like Prof. Olu Agbi, Senator Gbenga Ogunniya from Ondo West, Ademola Adegoroye and Segun Adegoke, who still claim they are in PDP but are alleged to be working for Mimiko secretly.
The LP and its candidate, Governor Mimiko, in spite of the criticisms against the current administration, still have confidence in springing surprises that will enable them retain the seat beyond February 2013.
The ruling party still relies on few chieftains in the party like commissioner for Works from Ilara Mokin who handles one of the juicy ministeries, Engr, Gboye Adegbenro, his counterpart from the same Ifedore Local Government, Engr. Clement, who is in charge of ministry of community development and hails from Igbara-Oke.
There is also Hon. Abiodun Adesida, the former member, House of Representative, who recently decamped from PDP to LP, Mr. Sanya Oyinsan, incumbent Senator, Ayo Akinyelure, Chief of Staff (COS), Dr. Kola Ademujimi and Yele Ogundipe, a Mimiko’s Kinsman, who is presently the commissioner for finance.
Our investigation shows that Ondo Central is very crucial to the three major political parties and their candidates, Dr Mimiko, Mr Akeredolu(SAN) and Chief Olusola Oke because of its bulk votes.
Ondo South is believed to be the strongest among the three districts in Ondo State because of its strength which spread to the Atlantic Ocean.
The area is dominated by prominent political leaders with vast experiences in politics.
The district comprises six Local Government Areas which include Irele, Ilaje, Odigbo, Ile-Oluji/Okegbo, Ese-Odo and Okitipupa.
Apart from the political strength of the district, the area is also believed to be the economic
pillar of the state because of the deposit of oil minerals, particularly in Ilaje Local Government.
Aside this, the area is blessed with Bitumen deposits which is rated as the second largest in
the world with 42 billion barrel of Bitumen deposit located in Irele and Agbabu.
The area has become permanent abode for politicians who are also professionals in different
areas of economic and social development.
However, Ondo South is also seen as determinant factor to decide the fate and chances of any governorship candidate in the gubernatorial election because of the caliber of politicians and the political value of the area.
In recent times, the area has produced sons and daughters that occupy various political appointments like federal ministers, deputy governors, senators, federal commissioners, presidential aides and ambassadors.
Between 1991 to1993, Dr Olusegun Agagu from Okitipupa Local Government was elected the
Deputy Governor of Ondo State under Evang. Bamidele Olumiluas’ administration.
Also,between 1999 and 2003, Late Barrister Afolabi Iyantan also from Okitipupa Local Government was elected as the Deputy Governor of the state during Late Chief Adebayo Adefaratis’ government.
In 1999 , Dr Olusegun who contested the governorship election along with Late Chief Adebayo Adefarati was after his defeat appointed as a Federal Minster of various ministries under Chief Olusegun Obasanjos’ government, a position he occupied until 2003 when he later came back to contest against Chief Adebayo Adefarati in 2003 governorship election.
As fate would have it, Agagu defeated Late Chief Adebayo Adefarati and in the process became the governor of the State.
He governed the state from 2003 to 2009 when his government was sacked by court of appeal in Benin City.
Agagu who is a leader in the PDP has control in South senatorial District and is desperate in sending the incumbent, Dr Olusegun Mimiko packing after october 20,election.
His desperation, according to insiders, is to avenge the humiliation he suffered in February 2009, when the Court of Appeal in Benin City ordered him to vacate the office for Mimiko.
Others include, Chief Mrs Osomo from Ese-Odo Local Government, who was appointed in 2003 as a Minister of Housing and Urban Development (2003 and 2005), Chief Olu Mafo from Ilaje Local Government, who was appointed a Special Adviser to President Olusegun Obasanjo between 2003 to 2007.
PDP governorship candidate, Chief Olusola Oke who hails from Ilaje Local Government is the immediate past National Legal Adviser to PDP and once a Commisioner Representing Ondo State on the Governing Board of NDDC from 2000 to 2004.
He is now the gubernatorial candidate for PDP, and will put all arsenals together to secure majority votes from the District.
However, ACN is no push over in the area with its aggressive campaigns particularly in Ilaje and Ese-odo axis.
ACN governorship Candidate, Rotimi Akeredolu [SAN] is from Ese-Odo and may spring suprises in the area.
Already, commoners in the riverine area who are aggrieved of the neglect of the area by Mimiko’s administration have been warning the ruling LP leaders against coming for campaigns in the area.
In the District,there is also the incumbent Resident Electoral Commmissioner in Ogun State, Mr Sam Olumekun from Okitipupa Local Government.
