Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains are warming up for next year’s governorship election in Ondo State. Correspondent DAMISI OJO writes on the scramble for power in the Sunshine State.
Although the guidelines for next year’s governorship election in Ondo State are yet to be released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the contest for the seat that will be vacated by Governor Olusegun Mimiko has begun in earnest.
As the dust settled on the general elections, everyone’s attention is gradually shifting to what promises to be a stiff contest between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), in Ondo State.
Political observers are already speculating about the kind of candidate that will be acceptable to the people and which senatorial district should produce the next governor.
Though there is nothing like, rotation of the governorship seat in the 1999 Constitution by convention, the political parties are expected to take this factor into consideration in choosing their flagbearer, for the election.
Since 1999, after Ekiti State was carved out of the old Ondo State, the governorship seat has been rotated among the three senatorial districts in the state. For instance, the late Chief Adebayo Adefarati, who was from Ondo North District, emerged the governor in 1999. Nevertheless, the seat was contested with him by the late Governor Olusegun Agagu from Ondo South District and other candidates from the central district.
Adefarati, an Alliance for Democracy (AD) leader, picked his deputy, the late Afolabi Iyantan, from the South.
In 2003, the game changed, as the people from Ondo South District clamoured for power-shift.
This factor helped the late Agagu of the PDP to defeat the Adefarati. Agagu’s deputy, Oluwateru, was from the Ondo Central District.
In the 2007 elections, it was a similar clamour by the Central District that worked in Mimiko’s favour. Mimiko served as the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) to Agagu and later as Minister of Housing and Urban Development in Obasanjo’s administration.
The clamour for power shift to the Central District encouraged Mimiko to take a chance, by defecting to the Labour Party (LP) to enable him contest against Agagu. This was because it was certain that he would not secure the PDP ticket, since the governor would naturally be interested in a second term.
Mimiko won the election, but he had to wait till 2009 to regain his mandate, after a protracted legal battle.
Mimiko picked his deputy, Alhaji Ali Olanusi, who was recently impeached, from the North.
The trend since since 1999 had been such that governors were denied second term because of the clamour for power shift. But, Mimiko broke the second term jinx, when he was re-elected in 2012. He was re-elected, despite the fact that the two major political parties contesting for the seat strategically picked their candidates.
The defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) picked Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) from the North District as its candidate, while the PDP decided to allow the slot to remain in the South, by picking Chief Olusola Oke.
This factor nothwithstanding, the two parties were not able to dislodge Mimiko. Aparently, their strengths were not enough to defeat him. Oke and Akeredolu came second and third respectively.
This time around, it may be a different ballgame. Though none of the political parties has started making any serious arrangements towards the election, politicians who belong to different political camps have started laying the foundation for the poll.
In Ondo North, which is likely to produce the next governor, a number of politicians have been showing keen interest in the race. But, they are yet to declare publicly for the contest. There are three federal constituencies in the district. They are Owo/Ose, Akoko South West/East and Akoko North West/East. Prominent politicians within these constituencies have started positioning themselves for the race.
One of them is Senator Ajayi Boroffice, who secutred his second term seat to the Senate in the just-concluded elections. Boroffice has always denied his interest in the governorship seat, but his body language suggests that he is eyeing the seat. But our correspondent observed that despite his denial different groups have sprung up to advocate that he should join the race to become the next governor when Mimiko’s tenure expires.
These groups are very active in the social media, trying to convince residents that the senator is the best man for the job. Boroffice is from the Akoko South West Local Government,
Former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Victor Olabimtan is also eyeing the seat. Olabimtan, who defected from the PDP to the APC just before general elections, have started lobbying party chieftains, particularly those that are likely to be among the delegates of the party. Olabimtan see the APC as the best platform for him to achieve his political aim.
The former governorship candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), is also preparing to take another shot at the Ondo governorship race.
Akeredolu, who is from Owo Local Government Area has boasted that he will be the governor. He still maintains his 2012 structure in the party and it is believed he may be counting on it to get the party ticket.
Alhaji Jamiu Ekungba, a member of the Board of Trustees of the APC, is also one of those believed to be eyeing the party’s ticket. Ekungba, who is from Owo Local Government, was among the aspirants who contested for the ACN ticket in 2012. Despite the fact that he was denied the ticket, Ekungba has remained loyal to the party. Like other aspirants, his first hurdle is to secure the ticket. He may be backing on the fact that no Muslim has ever ruled the state before.
Niran Sule, also from Owo Local Government, is equally eyeing the governorship. He was among the defectors who joined the APC from the PDP in 2014, when Governor Mimiko returned back to the fold. Before he decamped to APC, he was one of the close allies of Mimiko; he served as Commissioner for Special Duties in his first term. It was gathered that Niran Sule sponsored about eight state assembly candidates of the APC before he officially joined the party. This was done in readiness for 2016 election. Sule is not relenting on his effort to occupy the seat of power in state. He had commenced building of his political structures across the state.
Akinfehinwa Awodeyi is also another indigene of Owo Local Government that has shown interest in next year’s governorship election. He utilized the opportunity of the recent general elections to build his political structures ahead of 2016. He was among the aspirants of the defunct ACN. Also in the race is Chief Bukola Adetula.
It may not be the turn of Ondo Central to produce the next governor, given the fact that the Mimiko, who from Ondo West Local Government, is from the zone. However, Akure, which is the state capital, is agitating to rule the state, based on the fact that, no Akure indigene has ever ruled the state since it was created.
Indeed, the senator representing the Central District, Chief Tayo Alasoadura, appears to be interested in the governorship. He is from Akure and he may be relying on the fact that Akure kingdom, which has the largest votes in the state, is agitating for their son or daughter to be the next governor.
Alasoadura, an APC chieftain, is a former Commissioner for Finance. He defected to the defunct ACN where he declared his interest for the governorship in 2012. But, after he lost the ticket, he was made Akeredolu’s campaign coordinator.
Ondo South District, which has the second largest voting strength, may not be left out in the race. The district is known to be the political strength of the PDP in the last 16 years.
Politicians that may likely show interest from the zone include: Chief Olusola Oke, who is from Ilaje Local Government. Oke, was the candidate of the party during the last election. He, however, defected to the APC few days after the presidential election. He based his decision on the way he was treated by the PDP leaders. He said he is joining the APC to help build the party in the state.
Oke, who is the former National Legal Adviser of the PDP, has structures in all the 18 local governments. He is an experienced politician, with an unprecedented political record since 1999. Oke, who came second during the last governorship poll, may need to work more on the party leaders to enable him get the party ticket.
Dr. Paul Akintelure, a medical doctor and a prominent member of the APC from Okitipupa Local Government, is also interested in the race. He was the running mate of Akeredolu in 2012. He is a prominent member of the party in Ondo South District, due to his impact on the growth of the party in the area.
Those eyeing the governor’s seat in the ruling PDP include Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye, who hails from Akoko North East. He is a former House of Representatives from Akoko North East/West. After he left the lower legislative chamber, he was appointed Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC).
Elegbeleye has already formed a platform, but he is yet to declare officially for the seat. He may be counting on the support of Mimiko to clinch the ticket.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan State Campaign Coordinator, Tokunbo Modupe is among those who have shown interest in the race. Modupe, who is from Ose Local Government Area, may be counting on the fact that no indigene of Ose has ever ruled the state. But, his hope of governing the state next year may be dashed due to the voting strength of Ose.
Also in the race is Dr. Olu Agunloye, who is from Akoko North East. He was among the defunct ACN governorship aspirants in 2012. He dumped the party for the LP after the the party’s ticket was given Akeredolu. He was among the party chieftains that went along with Mimiko to join the PDP in 2014.
Agunloye was initially interested in to the Senate on the platform of the PDP, but his hope was dashed when he was denied the ticket to represent Ondo North District in the Red Chamber.
He was among those who teamed up with the old PDP group led by Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim to frustrate Mimiko’s return to the fold. It was rumoured then that he had a deal with Ibrahim, ahead of 2016 election. Based on the agreement, Agunloye may emerge as the running mate of Ibrahim, if the latter eventually picks the PDP ticket.
Business mogul Jimoh Ibrahim is a chieftain of PDP who contested the governorship poll in 2003. Ibrahim, from Okitipupa Local Government, has been nursing the ambition to rule the state for a long time. The rancour between him and Mimiko was all because of the 2016 poll.
Nevertheless, Ibrahim is yet to declare his intention. But, he has capitalized on the opportunity of the crisis in the PDP before the presidential election to become the leader of the old PDP. Before the general elections, he launched a political association to work towards his emergence as the candidate of the party.
To checkmate Mimiko’s bid to become the party leader, Ibrahim and his followers formed an alliance with the APC during House of Assembly polls. But, their efforts did not amount to anything, because Mimiko eventually succeeded to secure the majority of the assembly. But, since the old PDP has lost out to Mimiko’s group, it is not certain if Ibrahim will still contest the poll under the PDP platform.
Another aspirant is the former Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affair, Kinglesy Kuku. The former Special Adviser, who is from Ese-Odo Local Government Area, a riverine community, has invested so much in the growth of the PDP in the zone. He may be counting on the his investment in the party to get the party ticket.
But, he may need to do a lot of work to get acceptability in all the local government, based on the fact that his is from Niger Delta community.
