In this piece, All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain Dr. Olusegun Osinkolu urges the governorship aspirants and their supporters to play by the rule at the primary and resolve to team up with the candidate that will emerge.
By tomorrow, September 3,, the delegates from the 203 wards across the three senatorial districts of Ondo State will take a critical decision that would shape the collective destiny of not only the members, but the entire Ondo populace.
The convergence this time won’t be for political jamboree, but to elect a candidate that would face the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the November 26, 2016 governorship poll. The impending decision is seen as so pivotal to the extent that it is perceived as one that would make or mar the political fortunes of the party in the state.
But the ding-dongs the impending primary have generated in recent time have been troubling some of us who are incurable optimists about the bright chances the party enjoys owing to people’s disenchantment with
the lack-lustre performances of the Mimiko’s administration. The party’s chances is nosediving by the day, except something urgent is done to abate the raging crisis.
It marvels me that a party that is in opposition for eight years could be embroiled in unnecessary political turmoil over primary that could have afforded it the opportunity to reclaim the state from the government of locusts that has held the state by the jugular for eight years.
Most disturbing was the controversy that was stirred by one of the chieftains of the party, Dr Tunji Abayomi, condemning the APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his alleged interference in the primary. To me, it stands commonsense and logic on its head that those who called themselves political tacticians could be agitating for the insulation of such a central leader from APC affairs in Ondo.
To the best of my knowledge, Tinubu remains the only external force that has been sustaining the party for years and it will be hypocritical to now brand him a meddlesome interloper in Ondo APC issue.
Let me state lucidly here, as this message is not intended to apportion blames, it is also instructive to send a signal to our members to learn how to brook opposition within or perceived opponent of your ambition to ensure stability and ward off internal implosion, which has been ripping our party apart now. We should learn how to respect the constitutional rights of others to vote and be voted for and freedom of Association as enshrined in Section 35 of the 1999 constitution before making any caustic comment. This I believe was what Asiwaju Tinubu exhibited and his reply that he enjoys unfettered privilege to support any candidate of his choice was apt and apposite in this regard.
The idea of people impeaching the State Chairman of the party just to scheme vengeance over flimsy excuses was rather misdirected and appalling and this will not help the party an inch. The sacking of Hon Isaac Kekemeke over an issue that was being settled through the instrumentality of the national and zonal leaders was a mark of disrespect to the party’s constitution and supremacy and all this would have to stop in the interest of party’s cohesion and the collective interest of Ondo people, who are questing for change, which the APC represents in actions and deeds.
Looking at the trajectory of elections in this country, it takes no service of rocket scientist for people to know that APC is the party to beat in the November 27 election.
In the last general elections, the APC won three senatorial seats in Kogi State and many seats in the House of Representatives and House of Assembly, despite that the then Governor Idris Wada, is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party. From that general elections, people had already concluded the State had slipped off the stranglehold of the PDP and the prediction came to fruition with the election of Mr Yahaya Bello in the last governorship poll.
The Ondo state’s election took similar dimension with APC winning two senatorial seats and five reps. These were signals that the party must put its house in order for the dream of routing the PDP to come a fruition, now that the party controls the federal with no fear that federal might could be deployed against APC.
Let it be known that the feats the APC achieved in the last poll was not by magic. The party was able to make remarkable outing due to palpable cohesion within its ranks coupled with sacrifices of members. So, I urge the political gladiators in the party to sustain the tempo for APC to bounce back to reckoning in the next election.
To make the impending electoral battle easier for our party, the PDP had elected the former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Eyitayo Jegede, a known ally of Governor Olusegun Mimiko, who hails from Akure in the central senatorial district, the same zone where Governor Mimiko belongs as its governorship candidate. This was another blow to the PDP chances aside from the fact that the incumbent governor’s political prowess has plummeted considerably.
Looking at the configuration of Ondo State, with pluralised ethnic and political interests, one would naturally come to conclusion that the unwritten zoning convention has become an imperative political weapon that has maintained the balance among the diverse interests. With this, the PDP has committed political harakiri by breaking this silent agreement that has existed and deeply enshrined in our political culture for ages. But the APC may not get it if the internal wrangling persists after the primary and this will be catastrophic and highly disappointing.
The essence of opposition is for people to enjoy the opportunity of voting out a non-performing government when opportunity avails itself.
Now, the chance has come for Ondo APC and the people should not be deprived of the opportunity to exercise the powers in their thumbs to deal with the PDP for inflicting economic hardship on the populace.
In the Saturday primary, let our members play by the rules. Let there be orderliness. Let the commonsense and ethos of democracy prevail. Let the people uphold the tenets of sportsmanship by embracing whoever emerges to put the party in good stead ahead of the titanic battle. I am not oblivious of the fact that this may not come naturally, it has to be effected through a transparent process and nothing short of this will be acceptable.
Let me at this time commend the national and zonal leaderships of the party for their swift interests in resolving the imbroglio that has dogged Ondo APC. You have promised us a transparent and credible primary and we believe you shall live to expectations. We never doubted your ingenuity to conduct free primaries, because that had been replicated in the primaries that produced President Muhammadu Buhari as presidential candidate prior to the last general elections and the recent governorship primaries in Kogi, Bayelsa and Edo states.
Taming the seemingly monstrous internal crisis goes beyond transparent primary, the leaders must also devise ways to rein in their members in Ondo State and caution them against making uncomplimentary and sarcastic comments to prevent further crisis that could rob us of victory despite the open and unhindered chances the party now enjoys.
During the fight against apartheid in South Africa, the late African Legend, Nelson Mandela, told his people that it is after crossing a mountain that one would realize there are other mountains to cross.
Our leaders would have to do the needful in this primary because there are many mountains to cross after the primary and the bulk would stop at the members’ table, who would do the larger chunk of the job by campaigning up to the grassroots. The tonic to do this could only come if the right person, duly elected by the people emerges.
I want to say that no human institution is perfect, but the stakeholders from within and outside Ondo State must do their best to save the party from being permanently consigned to opposition in our dear state. Our aspirants must be ready to make sacrifices by refusing to play spoilers’ roles after losing at the primary.
- Dr. Osinkolu, is an APC chieftain writes this piece from Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
