Tag: Ondo 2016

As the participating parties in the November 26, 2016 Governorship Election in Ondo State finally elect their standard-bearers, Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu, who monitored the intrigues, reports that the issues that played out in the primaries and the quality of the candidates that emerged suggest that the election will be another battle of the titans

WITH yesterday’s primary election for the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), it is becoming clearer what the picture of the November 26, 2016 Ondo State Governorship Election would be. The intrigues that trailed the primaries in both the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the main opposition, the All Progressives Congress (APC), not only left tongues wagging in the last few weeks but also elicited fears over the likely outcome of the contest.

Given the popularity of APC in the state and the belief by many that the party was poised to take over power from the Governor Olusegun Mimiko-led PDP, the intrigues that allegedly pitched some of the aspirants against the leadership of the party created particular panic and fear that made some observers to predict crisis.

That fear was heightened following allegation that the National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, endorsed one of the governorship candidates ahead of the primary election.

The resultant crisis peaked when some members reportedly made attempts to remove the state party chairman, Isaac Kekemeke, accusing him of bias and of supporting the candidate the leadership allegedly endorsed.

But Tinubu’s timely intervention saved the situation, as he stepped in and urged party members in the state to unite and support the winner of the party’s ticket.

He said last week in a statement: “In Ondo we must close ranks to achieve victory. The future of the state and of the party in the state should never be held ransom to insignificant personal animosities and perceived slights.”

Lamenting years of misgovernance and suppression of the state’s immense potential, he expressed belief that APC must win the election to restore democracy and the virtues of public service to the state.

“This is what the people desire and deserve. They have waited patiently. Now is the time to answer their call. This is our duty as a party and as people who care about their fellow man,” he said, adding that any of the APC governorship aspirants is better and more qualified than the candidate of the ruling party which he said would soon be ousted because of its poor stewardship.

“No matter who that person shall be, it will be incumbent on us as a party and as individuals who want better for the people of Ondo to put aside our minor differences in order to rally around the candidate.

“Brothers and friends squabble and argue. That is human nature, but in the face of opposition that is determined to do injustice, brothers and friends reunite in common cause. This, the APC in Ondo must do.

“You all know what is at stake. You all know what your conscience is telling you.  There can be no excuses or failure this time,” Tinubu said.

The tension, according to Alhaji Segun Tajudeen, is understandable given the interest and determination of the over 24 aspirants that jostled for the APC ticket. “Everybody knows that APC is the party to beat, a reality that elicits the near desperation of the aspirants. But if the leaders in their wisdom takes a look at the lot and decides to narrow it down to two or three, what is wrong with that? Should that be a reason for all these,” he asked.

As at Friday, close monitors said the aspirants had been narrowed down to six. They include; Senator Ajayi Borrofice, the current senator representing Ondo North Senatorial District; Mr. Segun Abraham, whose critics accused of receiving the backing of the leaders of the party, Dr Tunji Abayomi, a renowned constitutional lawyer and politician, Victor Olambitan, a former Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Chief Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), and Chief Oke, a former National Legal Adviser of the PDP and the candidate of the party in its 2012 primaries before he lost out to incumbent governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko.

Given the experience and doggedness of these aspirants, and the decision of the party leaders to allow a free and credible primaries, nobody was left in doubt as at yesterday that the APC was poised to chose a candidate that has what it takes to win the elections.

But APC was not the only party that experienced intrigues in the path to its primaries in Ondo. PDP did. Up till date, there is still confusion over the real candidate of the party. This is as a result of the factionalisation of the party at the national level, a development that has led to the election of two factional candidates in Ondo as was the case in Edo State.

It is on record that while the past Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Ondo State, Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), has been declared the winner of the PDP governorship primary election in the state, in the primary election held at the International Cultural and Event Centre (The Dome), Akure, business mogul, Jimoh Ibrahim, emerged the candidate of the Ali Modu Sheriff-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party in a primary election held at the zonal headquarters of the party in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

Eyitayo had emerged the winner by polling 760 votes to defeat the Deputy Governorship Candidate of the PDP in the 2012 governorship election, Hon. Saka Lawal.

 Announcing the results of the primaries at the International Cultural and Event Centre (The Dome), Chairman of the PDP Primary Election Committee for Ondo State and the Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, said Eyitayo won the party’s primary election by polling a total of 760 votes to defeat his main opponent Saka Lawal, who polled a total of 22 votes to take the second place. Jegede had promised to focus on the economy during the campaigns.

Jimoh Ibrahim, emerged the candidate of his faction when he scored 501 votes to defeat his closest rival, Olusola Ebiseni, who polled 41 votes.

The other two aspirants stepped down for Mr. Ibrahim just before the commencement of voting.

The Ahmed Makarfi faction already produced Eyitayo Jegede, as candidate of the party in the state.

The Ali Modu Sheriff faction had moved its primary to the zonal headquarters of the party in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

Unlike the leading political parties, there was less intrigues in the other opposition parties. For example, former Minister of Power and Steel, Dr. Olu Agunloye, the upper Saturday, emerged the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in an election described as rancor-free.

The SDP primary election was witnessed by officials of INEC while the party electoral committee was chaired by the National Deputy Chairman, Mr. AbdulAmed Ishaq.

Agunloye, who was the sole aspirant in the party’s primaries, held in Akure, Ondo State capital, was unanimously elected as the party’s flagbearer after polling 277 out of the 279 available votes.

It would be recalled that before his foray into politics, Agunloye was the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC). In his acceptance speech, he pledged to use his experience and expertise to rebuild and reposition the state.

As he puts it, “I humbly accept the flag of the party and the responsibility associated with it. I assure you that I will not let the party down. I will carry the flag to victory and install it high at the government house of Ondo State in February 2017.

“I am ready for the great task ahead. I am ready to treat you with honour and respect so that together we can re-engage youths and workforce, cater for all and set us all free from bondage.”

Before the election, the state chairman of SDP, Chief Korede Duyile, said the primaries was being conducted in line with the guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

According to him, “INEC guideline stipulates that all participating parties should conduct their primaries between August 18 and September 19, 2016. Here we are today, August 20, holding our congress; the very first party to do so in Ondo State.

“This shows our level of preparation for the election and pointer to our readiness for governance. I want to make it known to all delegates in our congress today that our sole aspirant, Dr Olu Agunloye, has been a man tested in public offices in the past and has been successful in all.”

Given the calibre of the candidates, electorates and keen observers are already looking forward to a serious political contest in Ondo as APC and PDP renew their rivalry in the oil-rich state.

AS at the close of work last Friday, The Nation gathered from the state secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Akure, Ondo State, that more than 20 aspirants have purchased the nomination forms to contest the State governorship election on the platform of the party.

This is just as the race towards the governorship election in the state gathers momentum with the APC locked in a severe political battle with the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Governor Olusegun Mimiko. The APC says it is ready to dislodge Mimiko and the PDP from the Alagbaka Government House, but the later says the PDP remains the party of the people in the state.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had set the stage for what many pundits insist will be a tough electioneering contest last February when it issued the timetable for the conduct of governorship election the state. INEC stated that the poll would hold on November 26, 2016.

INEC’s Deputy Director in charge of Voter Education and Publicity, Mr. Nick Dazang, made the dates known while speaking to journalists. Both the ruling PDP and the APC are now in the process of selecting flag-bearers ahead of the said election. Nearly a hundred aspirants have indicated interest to govern the state on the platform of the two leading political parties.

But with the two parties putting machineries in motion towards conducting primary elections to elect candidates for the election, the number of those contending for the tickets is dwindling, as some of those who earlier showed interest in the race had failed to obtained nomination forms.

APC set for primary election

With the APC poised to hold its primary election, aspirants paid N5 million each to obtain the nomination form. They also paid N500 000 to pick expression of interest form. The party had said it would not stop any of those jostling for the ticket from participating in the process leading to the primary election.

While agitations for and against the zoning of the ticket to a particular zone of the state persist, The Nation gathered that forms have been sold to aspirants from all parts of the state. The development has left many wondering if the party has decided to do away with all forms of zoning arrangement in deciding who fly the APC banner on November 26, 2016.

As at the time of filing this report, aspirants who have picked both the expression of interest and nomination forms, and fully paid for them, included the following; Ajayi Borrofice, Olusegun Abraham, Olusola Oke, Rotimi Akeredolu, Tayo Alasoadura, Jumoke Anifowose, Gboye Oyewumi and Bode Ayorinde.

Others are Olabimtan Victor, Paul Akintelure, Jamiu Ekungba, Ademola Adegoroye, Akinwale Akingbade, Apata Awodeyi, Akinrinsola Odunayo,, Derin Adesida,, Tunji Abayomi, Bukola Adetula, Niyi Adegbonmire, Foluso Adeyemi, Ayo Akinyelure, Dele Alade, Akinola Olayinka, Tunji Light Ariyomi and Moyosola Niran Oladunni.

According to information gathered from the leadership of the party, the screening of aspirants will be conducted in Abuja from Tuesday 9 to Friday 12 August, 2016 reports News 24. The Primary Election proper will hold Saturday August, 27, 2016 and election appeal will hold from Monday, August 29 to Thursday September, 1, 2016.

The fear of imposition

But as the scheduled primary election draws nearer, there are allegations in some quarters that one of the aspirants may have been favored by a leader of the party who plans to impose him on the party.

Dr. Tunji Abayomi, one of the aspirants, recently stated the leader had recently summoned party leaders in the state and directed them to work for the  emergence of a particular aspirant from the northern senatorial district as the party’s candidate. Abayomi however said other aspirants would resist the plan as it was not acceptable.

However, the party’s Chairman in the state, Isaacs Kekemeke, has assured the party’s governorship aspirants and members that its primary will be determined by over 3,000 delegates. Kekemeke, who advised worried aspirants to ignore talks of planned imposition, urged them to devote their time and energies to solicit for votes.

The APC chairman noted that the primary will ensure a level-playing field for the aspirants. He added that even though the responsibility of organising primary elections rests on the National Executive Council (NEC) members, he assured party members that the election will be free, fair and transparent.

He added that whoever “will emerge victorious, will win fairly and those who will lose, will also lose fairly”. This, he said, would make the election credible. Kekemeke, who noted that it was within the right of any member to support any aspirant of his/her choice, said no individual has the power to impose any candidate on the party.

He said: “Party leaders have preferences. The only thing they can do is to use goodwill or influence. But the election will still be decided by the delegates and will be free and fair and the electorate will see their votes clearly as everything will be done in the open.”

Also, the Director of Media and Publicity of the party in the state, Mr. Steve Otaloro, has dispelled the allegation, saying there was no time the leaders were told to favor any of the aspirants in the race to the party’s ticket. H assured the aspirants and members of the party in the state that the primary election will be without any imposition.

He said: “The party has said it several times that the primary election would be free, fair and transparent. So, as far as we in the APC are concerned, there will not be any imposition of candidate in the primary. To the best of my knowledge, no party leader in the state has been invited by anybody and told to work for anybody.”

Zoning debate

Although the party has not restricted the sales of forms to a particular zone, the debate over zoning has refused to go away. Even as aspirants from all parts of the state collected nomination forms to vie in the primary election, promoters of zoning are still urging the leadership of the party to give Ondo north senatorial district the right to produce the next governor of the party.

This is just as those opposed to the call are encouraging the APC leadership to keep the contest open in the interest of equity fairness and justice. With the party undecided over the zoning debate, even aspirants from Ondo central senatorial district, where the incumbent Governor Mimiko hails from, have picked the nomination forms to contests the party’s primary election.

Aspirants from the Central and Southern Senatorial Districts had been warning that they should not be shut out of the contest for the APC ticket under any zoning arrangement. An aspirant, Boye Oyewunmi, faulted the advocates of the zoning arrangement, saying the party’s constitution does not make provision for zoning. He said those advocating for the zoning of the party’s ticket were only saying that  as a gimmick to exclude quality aspirants from the race.

But former Ondo State House of Assembly member Prince Ademola Adegoroye, who is also eyeing the APC ticket, supports the zoning arrangement because, accruing to him, it will ensure equity and justice amongst the various zones of the state. He wants the ticket to be zoned to the Akure zone, in the central senatorial district.

“Of course, I believe in the Akure Agenda, I believe there must be justice and equity. I believe that Akure is the only division in the state that has not produced the governor. Ondo has done, just like Ikale has. Owo and Akoko have done. So Akure North, Akure South or Ifedore should produce the next governor,” he said.

Leaders of the party in Owo zone have also come out to support the the zoning arrangement and want it to favour the north senatorial district, specifically Owoland. Consequently, the leaders of the community wrote a letter under the auspices of Owo General Assembly, to the National Leader of the APC, Senator Bola Tinubu, and the state governor, Mimiko, to restrict their parties’ candidacy to Owo Local Government  Area.

In the said letter, signed by the OGA National Coordinator, Akin Aruwajoye, and Secretary, Dr. Monday Duromola, the group lamented that its people were marginalised and believed that having one of their own as a governor would change their fortune for better. The leaders called on the two leading parties to give Owo the chance in the interest of equity.

Jamiu Afolabi Ekungba, a member of the Board of Trustees of the APC and a governorship aspirant, said the party has never said it is against the zoning arrangement. According to him, zoning the ticket to a particular part of the state would help the party a great deal. He however said he is not worried about the arrangement

“I have never heard the party saying they would not follow zoning, but the party does not impose zoning on anybody. It is not possible. It is not possible for APC to say it does not recognize zoning, because even in the presidential election, we did it. We would just have picked the president from Katsina and picked the vice president from Borno and disturbed the country’s political balance. If the party adopts zoning finally, that would be good, it will reduce the number of aspirant, it will also address people wasting their resources so that there can be realignment and cooperation by groups,” he said.