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Tag: zoning

  • 2019: Zoning won’t work in Oyo, says senator

    The senator representing Oyo North in the National Assembly, Abdulfatai Buhari, has urged those clamouring for the zoning of the governorship slot ahead of the 2019 election to bury the idea.

    The senator from Oke-Ogun said zoning in the state would not work in the present circumstance.

    He said the current structure in Oyo State did not support zoning.

    Addressing reporters in Ibadan, the state capital, Buhari, who is the Chairman of Senate Committee on ICT and Cybercrime, said any party insisting on zoning would fail.

    The senator said it better to allow the best candidate emerge, regardless of where he or she comes from or which political affiliation he or she aligns with, instead of clamouring for zoning.

    He said: “The assessment of individual, based on what they can do for the masses, is the key thing. The masses do not care where you come from; all they want is who will bring to their tables three square meals. Oke Ogun and Ogbomoso have 13 local government areas. That is where I represent. You cannot push them aside in the equation of things.

    “I will be honest with you: they have great potential. You will be shocked to hear the names of great personalities from the zone. They include a former registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculations Board (JAMB), Prof Dibu Ojerinde. He is a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja (UNIABUJA) and he is from Ogbooro. Prof Adeniyi is from Oke Ogun. One of the most brilliant lawyers we have in the country today, Ahmed Raji (SAN), is from Oke Ogun. So, there are great people like them.

    “Let’s be honest with each other: they’ve got the fair share of brilliance and they are intelligent people. If today you see somebody from that area who has the potential and intellect like the people I have mentioned, who is interested to be governor, they will compete favourably with anybody from other zone.”

    Buhari said zoning would not work in Oyo State, adding that any politician clamouring for it was deceiving the people.

    The senator said Oyo is a unique state where people play serious politics without emotion and sympathy.

    He said: “Again, if you look at the state of things in Oyo State, Ibadan has done it, Ogbomoso has also done it. And we have five zones. It is only Ibarapa, Oyo and Oke Ogun that are yet to produce a governor. “

     

     

     

     

  • Osun guber: Again, zoning on the front burner

    Osun guber: Again, zoning on the front burner

    The race to succeed outgoing Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State in 2018 is gathering momentum. Aspirants from the three senatorial districts of the state are laying claim to the coveted position, largely on the strength of a number of unwritten zoning arrangements. Dare Odufowokan, Assistant Editor, examines the various arguments for and agains these claims.

    JUST as it has done in nearly all the electoral contest in the state since the return to democracy in 1999, the debate over which of the senatorial districts, as well as zones in Osun State, should produce the next Governor of the state, is the most topical issue as the date for the 2018 governorship election draws nearer.

    Across party lines, politicians, indigenes, residents and other stakeholders in the state are daily slugging it out on various platforms and at various fora in unending arguments over which part of the state Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s successor should come from. This time however, the debate goes beyond the usual senatorial zoning arrangement as a new dimension is introduced into the zoning war.

    But in spite of the raging debate, aspirants from all nooks and cranny of the state are already jostling to win the tickets of their respective parties in their bid to contest the governorship election next year and succeed Aregbesola as governor of the home of the living spring. Consequently, not a part of the state is left out of the demand that it be allowed to produce the next governor of the state in 2018.

    “In Osun, we are known to adhere strictly to the tenets of zoning in politics as laid down for us by the founding fathers of the state. It is a good thing that some of the founding fathers like Chief Bisi Akande are still around. We will not jettison zoning because it has ensured peaceful coexistence amongst us as a people,” Hon. Laolu Oke, a former spokesperson of the defunct All Peoples Party (APP) in the state, said.

    Osun has three senatorial districts namely Osun Central, Osun West and Osun East. Before now, the zoning arrangement was largely believed to be premised on these senatorial districts. And arguments in the past had largely been hinged on this structure. But as we speak, a new zoning order is being introduced by some of the proponents of zoning.

    It is this new order that has heated up the debate this time around because it threatens the zoning arrangement hitherto being followed in the politics of the state and threatens to bring about a new dimension in the struggle for succession after Aregbesola’s tenure. But not all stakeholders in the state are willing to accept the new order.

    To most proponents of zoning by senatorial district, no aspirant from the Eastern district, where the incumbent GovernorAregbesola hails from, should be jostling to become governor in 2018. This, according to findings by The Nation, is premised on the fact that by the time Aregbesola completes his second term in office next year, the district would have spent eight years ruling the state.

    The governor is from Ijesha in the eastern senatorial district. And aside Aregbesola, some of those kicking against the emergence of another governor from the senatorial district are quick to mention the fact that the late Bola Ige, who is also from the same senatorial district, once ruled as governor of the old Oyo State, which the current Osun State was a part.

    Similarly, the Central senatorial district produced Chief Bisi Akande who was governor between 1999 and 2003, as well as Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who ruled from 2003 to 2010. Between these two former governors, it is on record that the central senatorial district had had the opportunity to govern the state for more than a decade.

    So since the return to civil rule in 1999, the western senatorial district hasn’t been chanced to produce a governor for the state. But to its credit is the fact that it produced the first civilian Governor of the state between 1993 and 1994 when the late Senator Isiaka Adeleke ruled the state for a period less than two years.

    “Given the fact that both the East and the Central have had two terms each governing the state and the West only spent less than two years through Adeleke in the third republic, it is natural and in line with our zoning policy to allow the West to produce the next governor of Osun state. That is why we are saying only aspirants from the West should throw in their hats,” Oke added.

     

    A new dimension

    While a good number amongst the proponents of zoning are queuing up behind Osun West senatorial district as the next area to produce the governor of Osun State in 2018, there are those who strongly feel that the idea of zoning is not just about senatorial district but largely about addressing all forms of marginalisation in the state.

    This school of thought believes that it will be wrong to share political positions and patronage using the senatorial districts. Rather, proponents of this new order are canvassing a consideration of what they described as the six original divisions of the state in deciding which part of the state to zone the governorship slot come 2018.

    Explaining the new argument, Chief Adeoye Owolabi, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from Osogbo, the state capital, said “There are two divisions in each of the three senatorial districts in the state. It was these divisions or sub-groups that were lumped together to form what we now have as Osun State.

    The divisions in each senatorial district are distinct people and should not be ignored in any zoning arrangement. This is to avoid a situation where one division will be taking the slot of the district while the other is left unattended to. This is why we are saying we must return to the original divisions that makes up Osun State. We have six of them,” he said.

    While breaking down the components of the three senatorial districts in the state, Owolabi and some other analysts that spoke with The Nation explained that in the East Senatorial District, there are Ife and Ijesha divisions while the West senatorial district consists of Ede and Iwo divisions. The Central district is made up of Osogbo and Ila divisions.

    With the above analysis, The Nation gathered that the people of Oshogbo and Iwo divisions are claiming to have been marginalised in the governance of the state since its creation. According to Owolabi, it is unthinkable that Osogbo, the state capital and a leading division, not only in Osun State, but in the whole of Yoruba land in the first republic, is yet to produce a governor in the 26 years of the state’s existence.

    Similarly, a University don, Professor Wasiu Gbolagade called on the various registered political parties in the state to ensure that their governorship candidate emerge from Iwo division of the state. He insisted that in the interest of fairness and equity, it is time for the people of the state to allow the division to produce a governor for Osun State.

    Gbolagade, who is a Professor of Mathematics at Osun State University (UNIOSUN) lamented that since the return to democracy in 1999, the division is yet to be given a sense of belonging in the politics of the state. He argued that it is important for the leading political parties to promote equity and fairplay by ensuring that Iwo indigenes emerge as their candidates.

    To back up their claims, both Owolabi and Gbolagade explained that all the other four divisions have produced governors for the state. “Aregbesola is from the Ife/Ijesha division and so was Bola Ige. The late Isiaka Adeleke represented the Ede division while Bisi Akande and Olagunsoye Oyinlola are from Ila division.”

     

    The gladiators

    In spite of the raging zoning debate, aspirants continue to throw in their hats into the ring for the 2018 governorship contest in the state. And a look at the leading political parties revealed that not less than fifteen contestants are already painting the state in various colours in their bid to make it clear to the people of the state that they are serious with their aspirations.

    In the ruling APC, no fewer than ten aspirants are all over town either openly or subtly, pursuing their governorship ambition. While a few are bold enough to have openly declared their aspirations, many more are yet to make categorical declaration of their intention to contest for the governorship ticket of Governor Aregbesola’s party.

    Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Lasun Yusuf, who hails from Ilobu in the central senatorial district, leads the pack of APC stalwarts jostling to succeed Aregbesola as governor. The Deputy Speaker has publicly declared his desire to wrestle for the party’s ticket ahead of the 2018 governorship election.

    Others being fingered to be interested in the APC ticket include the Chief of Staff to the governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola from Iragbiji in the West senatorial district and the former Chairman of the defunct Action Congress (AC) who is the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti. The SSG is from the West senatorial district too.

    From Osogbo, the youthful legal practitioner, Abdur-Rasheed Kunle Adegoke (K-RAD), is reported to be highly interested in the race. Though he has not declared formally, our checks reveal that he has gone far in consultations towards realising his governorship ambition.

    And still from Iwo division are the likes of Hon. Gafar Salensile, and Mallam Rasheed Olawale, a media partitioner.

    The Managing Director of the Osun Investment Company Ltd, Mr. Bola Oyebamiji from Ikire in the West senatorial district; the Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly, Hon. Najeem Salam; former Speaker of the House of Assembly and member representing Ejigbo/Iwo Constituency in the House of Representatives, Prof. Mojeed Alabi are also being touted as aspirants.

    Others believed to be seriously interested in jostling for the governorship ticket of the ruling party include the immediate past Commissioner of Regional Integration and Special Duties, Dr. Ajibola Basiru, and former Chief of Staff to the Oyinlola administration and Chairman, Local Government Service Commission, Elder Peter Babalola.

    Those expected to contest for the chance to represent the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the governorship election include former deputy governor and former chairman, Appropriation Committee in the Senate, Dr. Iyiola Omisore and former Federal Commissioner in the National Population Commission (NPC) in Osun State, Chief Lere Oyewumi.

    Others are former Speaker, House of Assembly and the PDP’s deputy governorship candidate in the 2014 election, Hon. Adejare Bello, from Ede in the  Western senatorial district as well as former chairman of Ife East Local Govern

  • Fresh debate over zoning in Anambra

    Fresh debate over zoning in Anambra

    Preparations are in top gear for the November 18 governorship election in Anambra State. As the various political parties strategise for the contest, one issue that is generating controversy is zoning. Correspondent NWANOSIKE ONU examines the position of the parties on the contentious issues and how it is likely to affect the outcome of the election.

    On November 18, the people of Anambra State will go to the poll to elect a governor. Political parties have continued to strategise on how to win the contest. The forces massing up against Governor Willie Obiano are many. Even, the so-called small parties are not relenting in their preparations.
    However, about six of them constitute a serious challenge to the ruling All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA. They are the All Progressives Congress (APC), the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the United People’s Party (UPP), the Progressive People’s Alliance (PPA) and the Hope Democratic Party (HDP). Others are merely positioning themselves for mergers and alliances with the top six.
    Obiano is doing everything possible to retain his seat. Ordinarily, it should have been a smooth sail for him. But, his major headache is the internal wrangling in the ruling party. He appears to have fallen apart with many of the party chieftains that helped him to win his first term mandate three and half years ago.
    The opposition is becoming increasingly confident that it can upstage the ruling party in the election. Though, the campaigns have not started, going by the timetable of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), APGA and PPA are already on the field, mobilising their people.
    Some opinion molders are already canvassing support for Anambra North Senatorial zone, where the governor comes from, to retain the post for eight years; to give the zone an opportunity to fully utilise its slot. One of the major issues that dominated the election three and half years ago was the idea of zoning the governorship to Anambra North, which had not tasted power since the return of civil rule.
    Stakeholders from Anambra South zone are also clamouring to be given a chance to occupy the Anambra State Government House, since the tenures of those who governed the state from that axis were truncated. For instance, former Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju, who ruled the state between 1999 and 2003, was not given a chance to go for a second term by the powers that be in the ruling party.
    The tenure of Senator Andy Uba, who hails from the zone, lasted only 17 days; as a result of the Spureme Court judgment that removed him and brought in former Governor Peter Obi. Uba came on board in 2007, but he was later removed on the grounds that Obi won that election and INEC wrongly declared him the winner.
    Dame Virgy Etiaba, from the same Anambra South senatorial zone, also occupied the position for three months, when her principal, Obi, was purportedly impeached by the House of Assembly. She was Obi’s deputy.
    In 2003, when Senator Chris Ngige, from Anambra Central, came in as governor, he lasted only 34 months before the Court of Appeal removed him, paving the way for Obi to occupy the Government House. Obi, who is from the same zone with Ngige, ruled the state for two terms of eight years.
    Obi, it was said, deliberately brought in zoning to hand over power to his anointed candidate before he bowed out. It was out of sympathy for the people of Anambra North who had not tasted power hitherto that Obiano was elected as governor three and half years ago.
    As a result, many stakeholders are arguing that there is nothing like zoning in Anambra politics and that the race should be thrown open to all eligible contestants.
    A pressure group, the Obiano Support Group, is insisting that, based on what it describes as the governor’s good performance in the last three years, he should be allowed to go for a second term.
    The group, which is led by Sir Jude Emecheta, has been moving round the 21 local government areas, trying to convince the people to support Obiano to complete the work he has started.
    The group has been receiving gifts like vehicles from those who share their view within the country and the Diaspora. Emecheta said the group is not relenting in making sure that Obiano retains the seat during November 18 election.
    He said: “We have been able to keep the party alive, even those from other political parties are joining us to help us reach our destination.”
    But, the Publicity Secretary of the UPP, Mr. Uche Amatu, believes APGA has failed the people and should be voted out at all cost. He said APGA does not have the interest of the people of the Southeast at heart, even though it prides itself as the authentic Igbo party.
    The APC is also making all the necessary arrangements to stop Obiano from being re-elected. Its Chairman, Emeka Ibe, said nothing will stop his party from taking over Anambra State come November 18, 2017.
    Ibe said all the gimmicks being used by APGA to win elections in the past would fail this time around, as its government in the last three years has been a disaster. He said with the calibre of people that had indicated interest to contest the election on the APC platform that Obiano does not stand any chance of challenging the eventual winner of the party’s primary.
    Ibe is also of the view that there is nothing like zoning in Anambra. He said the APC does not subscribe to the idea of zoning and that the ruling party is using it as a ruse to confuse the undiscerning electorate.
    Ibe’s HDP counterpart, Sam Oraegbunam, said his party has been touring the 21 local governments in the state to prepare for the election. As a result, he said the days of APGA government were numbered.
    Already, the Obiano administration and the PDP are at daggers drawn over the election. Its Chairman, Prince Ken Emeakayi, sent a letter recently to the state House of Assembly, urging the lawmakers to investigate the governor for abandoning the state for 30 days without transmitting power to his deputy.
    Emeakayi alleged that Obiano threatened to kill him, if he does not refrain from such act.
    Emeakayi’s letter was later endorsed by other 27 political parties in the state under the aegis of the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC), led by Hon. Kate Oby Okafor, the state chairman of Advance Congress of Democrats (ACD).
    For Nze Modestus Umenzekwe, a chieftain of the APC, anybody talking about zoning in Anambra State is living in a fool’s paradise. Umenzekwe is of the opinion that democracy thrives when those in power perform, adding that the current APGA-led government had messed up the legacy left behind by the past administrations of Ngige and Obi.
    The Chairman of PPA, Mathias Emeke, said his party has already secured a quality candidate in Mr. Godwin Ezeemo, to replace Obiano.
    One of the questions on the lips of many in Anambra State, as far as the election is concerned, is what sin has the APGA government committed to warrant such a gang up?

  • Ango Abdullahi on zoning

    SIR: Nigerians should be grateful for the life of someone like Prof Ango Abdullahi, an elderly man who is interested in Nigeria’s political order and decorum for peace and progress. He recalls in an interview with Daily Sun, recently, how “the PDP had agreed that the presidency should be rotated between the north and south”, and he “thought that everybody should be happy with that.”

    I was extremely happy, because lack of political order led to the Civil War and the annulment of the 1993 free and fair presidential election, thereby retrogressing Nigeria politically and otherwise. But, as Abdullahi said in the interview, “Obasanjo tried to side-line it when he was seeking a third term in office”, but thanks to all the forces that mobilized against him, the move was frustrated.

    Even then, as the Prof recalls, after Obasanjo’s eight years when it was to be the turn of the North, rather than allow the region to decide who to choose, Obasanjo “came and picked Umaru Yar’Adua” who “was not elected by us”, and “some of us initially kicked against it, but we were told by our elders to keep our cool and since Umaru is there, a northerner, so be it.”

    The worst came after Yar’Adua died, and Obasanjo “argued vehemently that Jonathan should continue as president against the zoning arrangement”, Jonathan “came out denying knowledge of this zoning arrangement.” The elderly statesman was pained that “Even Obasanjo did deny that there was zoning. So there is this complete break-down of trust.”

    This is my plea to northern elders and Nigeria’s leaders of thought, generally. Let’s go back to the drawing board of rotational arrangement. As the Professor admits, the earlier arrangement was that of a political party, namely, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). This time, we should not leave the matter to only the All Progressives Congress (APC), but mobilize all who believe that a nation like Nigeria cannot survive on the basis of survival of the fittest, without an established order, rooted in the nation’s constitution.

    Denial and truncation were possible because it was not in the constitution. The south felt marginalized by the north. That was why the north conceded the first shot to the south, and Obasanjo from the South-west got it, while he worked against the North-west’s second term that the South-west enjoyed. Key political offices should rotate zone-to-zone, north-south, vice versa, and not just north-south, in a confused manner. In 2019, we should start with South-east, and then Northeast after eight years only. Opportunism and survival of the fittest exploited by Jonathan should be blocked. Ordinarily, that isn’t done in traditional Africa!

     

    • Prof Oyeniran Abioje, PhD,

    University of Ilorin.

  • Ekiti apc governorship aspirant rejects zoning

    Ekiti apc governorship aspirant rejects zoning

    An All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Dr Adebayo Orire, has condemned the calls from some groups and individuals that a particular senatorial district be allowed to produce the governor.

    Orire said a primary is the valid, legal and constitutional avenue of electing a candidate to fly the flag of any political party at elections.

    Speaking with reporters in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, on the 2018 governorship poll, the medical doctor-turned politician stressed that zoning was unknown to the constitution of the APC, describing it as a “wish which cannot stand the test of time.”

    There have been agitations by stakeholders from Ekiti South Senatorial District which has not had the opportunity to produce governor since the state was created in 1996.

    This accounts for why Ekiti South parades the highest number of aspirants in the APC. Ekiti Central had produced governor three times while Ekiti North has tasted the position two times.

    Orire who is from Ekiti Central, stressed that candidates from Ekiti South have been availed of the opportunity to take a shot at the seat.

    He maintained that Ekiti South may not make it again, should they fail at the primary that would produce a candidate, adding that contestants from the zone must submit themselves in a contest that involves aspirants from other zones.

    Orire, who described himself as a home-based politician noted that he had spent decades in Ekiti giving succour to the people through his medical profession.

    According to him, the people of the state are clamouring for a home-based politician whom they believed understands their language and knows where and how to tackle major problems facing the people.

    The former Chairman of Ekiti Hospitals Management Board explained that the APC is fully on ground to win the next election, adding that the PDP in the state have disappointed the people of the state by the leadership they threw up.

    Describing APC as “the only peaceful party in the state that would not kill or maim when they conduct their primary or general elections”, Orire explained that the little internal wrangling within the party would make it stronger and come out victorious in the future elections.

    He criticised Governor Ayo Fayose for allegedly not living to the expectation of Ekiti people and for his failure to accord priority to the welfare of the workforce.

    The aspirant advised Fayose to use the latest Paris Club refund by his administration to offset the outstanding salaries of the workers and forget the bogus projects that have no immediate value to the well being of People.

    Orire explained that the leadership of the APC had learned from Ondo State experience and believed that the leaders would be circumspect while dealing with the primary.

  • Ekiti 2018: Can zoning be deciding factor?

    Ekiti 2018: Can zoning be deciding factor?

    The 2018 Ekiti State governorship race is gathering momentum. Aspirants from the three senatorial districts have started mobilisation. Ekiti North and Ekiti Central have each produced two governors. But, since 1999, Ekiti South has not enjoyed the slot. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA examines the arguments for and against zoning in the  Fountain of Knowledge.

    Zoning plays an important role in ensuring equity, balance and proportional sharing of offices and positions in politics.

    Political parties, in a bid to ensure that offices are equitably distributed, share them to members after winning elections on the basis of where they come from to ensure that no geo-political zone, region, state and local government area is exluded.

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is the only party which has officially adopted zoning as a means of sharing offices in its constitution. Other parties also implement zoning, although they do not have it in their constitutions.

    It is an unwritten rule across the federation that a governor and deputy cannot come from the same senatorial district. Also, the President and the Vice President are not expected to cone from the same geopolitical zone.

    The practice of electing a President or governor from another  zone or senatorial district other than where the incumbent comes from is being entrenched in the nation’s political culture.

    The failure to adhere strictly to  zoning in the PDP was one of the reasons why former President Goodluck Jonathan lost last year’s presidential election.

    The North which felt aggrieved that the late President Umaru Yar’Adua could not complete his term on account of his deaths expected power to come back to their zone after Dr.Jonathan completed the remaining one year and went ahead to win another four-year term.

    In Ekiti State, zoning has not influenced voters’ decision during governorship poll occupies since  1999 .

    Voters in Ekiti.  They always vote in favour of any popular and acceptable candidate irrespective of where he comes from.

    Ekiti State has three senatorial districts; Ekiti North, Ekiti Central and Ekiti South.

    Since the state was created in 1996 and had the opportunity of electing the first civilian governor in 1999 (after being ruled by military administrators for the first three years of its existence), only Ekiti South has not had the opportunity of producing a governor.

    In 1999, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo from Iyin Ekiti in Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area of Ekiti Central Senatorial district who ran on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) defeated Prof. Tunde Adeniran, from Orin Ekiti Ido/Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti North senatorial.

    In the 2003 governorship poll, the two major candidates were from Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area in Ekiti Central.

    The winner, Mr. Ayo Fayose from Afao Ekiti, who ran on the platform of the PDP, defeated Adebayo who was seeking a re-election on the platform of the AD.

    It was a battle of two major candidates from Ekiti North Senatorial District in the 2007 contest, Segun Oni from Ifaki Ekiti in Ido/Osi Local Government Area running on the PDP platform against Dr. Kayode Fayemi, from Isan Ekiti, Oye Local Government Area?  ran an the platform the flag of the defunct Action Congress (AC).

    Oni was declared the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and a long litigation ensued before the Court of Appeal ordered a rerun in 2009.

    Oni won the rerun in highly controversial circumstances after which Fayemi relaunched another marathon legal battle before being declared winner on October 15, 2010.

    Fayemi held office until another election was held in 2014 when Fayose was again fielded by the PDP lost to Fayose.

    It should be noted that before Fayose won the PDP primary on his way to victory at the main election, a battle was launched by some forces within the umbrella party to have the ticket zoned to Ekiti South senatorial district which produced the highest number of aspirants.

    A move was made to adopt consensus to chose the PDP flag bearer but pro-Fayose forces prevailed on the Jonathan Presidency to use a primary election to elect a flag bearer which Fayose won in acrimonious circumstances.

    The implication of is that Ekiti Central has occupied the governorship seat on three occasions (Fayose twice, Adebayo once) while Ekiti North had the privilege twice (Oni and Fayemi, once each).

    As the 2018 governorship election draws nearer, political gladiators from Ekiti South are staking a big claim for the highest office state as it remains the only senatorial district yet to produce governor.

    Ironically, the zone has the largest land mass, as it extends from Ogotun, which shares boundary with Osun State to Emure and Ikere which share boundaries with Ondo State and Omuo, which shares boundary with Kogi State.

    Ekiti South has more local government areas than both Ekiti North and Ekiti Central. Ekiti North and Ekiti Central has have five local government areas each while Ekiti South has six local government areas.

    Local government areas in Ekiti South are Ekiti Southwest, Ikere, Ise, Emure, Gbonyin and Ekiti East. Council areas in Ekiti Central are Ado, Irepodun/Ifelodun, Ekiti West, Efon and Ijero while those in Ekiti a North are Moba, Ido/Osi, Ilejemeje, Oye and Ikole.

    Ekiti State has a total number of 177 wards with Ekiti South having the lion share of 64. Ekiti Central has 57 and Ekiti North 56.

    In terms of the number of registered voters voters on the three senatorial districts, Ekiti South comes second behind Ekiti Central while Ekiti North is last.

    Records with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) show that Ekiti Central has a total number of 301, 687 registered voters while Ekiti South boasts of 239, 243. Ekiti North has 191, 203.

    All these demographic features supposed to work in favour of Ekiti South but the politics being played in the state is peculiar and highly unpredictable.

    The million dollar question in Ekiti politics, ahead of the next governorship poll is: will power shift to Ekiti South, which has never had the opportunity to produce the governor?

    In a bid to realise the dream, a group, the Ekiti South for Governor Movement, has taken up the gauntlet by rallying forces in the  district, ahead of the 2018 poll.

    Members of the group include governorship aspirants, party leaders, interest groups, opinion moulders and leaders of thought from the senatorial district. It recently sponsored an advertorial in national dailies on the Ekiti South governorship agenda.

    They are reaching out to traditional rulers, labour unions and other groups to ensure that the district produces the next governor.

    This explains why Ekiti South has the highest number of governorship aspirants, although only one of them has officially inform his party.

    The two major political parties in the state-APC and PDP-are yet to come out with any zoning formula.

    In the ruling PDP, Fayose, who is expected to vacate office in 2018, holds the ace in determining who picks the governorship ticket. There are speculations that he is planning to defect to another party due to the protracted crisis in the party.

    In the PDP, eyes are on Deputy Governor Kolapo Olusola; the Senator representing Ekiti South, Mrs. Abiodun Olujimi; former Minister of State for Works Prince Adedayo Adeyeye; former Deputy Governors Adebisi Omoyeni and Abiodun Aluko; Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Mr. Owoseni Ajayi and the Chairman, House of Assembly Service Commission, Mr. Olatunji Odeyemi.

    Olusola, Aluko and Omoyeni are from Ikere,  Ikere LGA.  Olujimi is from Omuo, Ekiti East LGA. Adeyeye and Ajayi hail from Ise, Ise/Orun LGA while Odeyemi is from Ode, Gbonyin LGA.

    All of them are from Ekiti South District and they are being tipped by party members, based on their experience, pedigree and loyalty to the party.

    Fayose had publicly acknowledged Olusola’s loyalty to him. But, his earlier declaration that the two of them were leaving in 2018 may prevent the former from succeeding his boss.

    Olujimi, Adeyeye, Omoyeni, Aluko, Ajayi and Odeyemi are tested and experienced politicians. But, Fayose’s alleged plan to choose a successor from another senatorial district other than Ekiti South is causing disquiet in the party.

    The governor, like his Ondo State counterpart, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, is allegedly plotting to anoint a successor from Ekiti Central where he hails from. Sources in the PDP allege that Fayose may throw up a politician from Ado, the state capital,  as the party’s candidate for the next election. Fayose’s hometown, Afao Ekiti, is less than 10 kilometers from Ado Ekiti.

    Mimiko’s gamble of anointing a successor from the Ondo Central, where he hails from, backfired in the recent governorship election.

    Unless the game changes with the dynamics of politics, Fayose is said to be mulling over the choice of Mr. Kayode Oso, his former Chief of Staff and Works Commissioner during his first term, who also served, until recently, as Works Commissioner.

    Oso, who hails from Ado Ekiti, resigned on April 6 from the State Executive Council in controversial circumstances, although the government claimed that he resigned on “health grounds.” He traveled abroad immediately after resigning only to return few months later.

    At the Udiroko Festival, which marked the commencement of Ado Ekiti traditional calendar in August, Oso stole the show as he brought his friends and political allies to pay homage to the Ewi, Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe, which gave a hint of a possible governorship ambition.

    Fayose’s plan to anoint an Ado Ekiti indigene as successor is believed to be the reason why he is executing key capital projects in the city including the palace of the Ewi. Ado Ekiti has about 130,000 registered voters and any candidate that wins there and the second largest town, Ikere Ekiti usually clinches the governorship seat.

    But the Mimiko/Jegede fiasco in neighboring Ondo State is reportedly giving Fayose some headache as voters in other parts of Ekiti may not not be favourable disposed to an Afao indigene handing over to a native of Ado Ekiti.

    In the APC, only the former Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr. Olufemi Bamisile, has officially informed the party about his intention to contest.Bamisile is from Omuo, Ekiti East council.

    The APC  parades a galaxy of  aspirants.

    The APC aspirants from the South include Senator Gbenga Aluko, Mr. Bamidele Faparusi, Mr. Funminiyi Afuye, Mr. Kola Alabi, Dr. Wole Oluyede, Chief Bisi Aloba, Chief Sesan Fatoba, Chief Dele Okeya, Mr. Yemi Adaramodu, Mr. Muyiwa Olumilua, Captain Sunday Adebomi, Mr. Bayo Idowu, Mr. Bayo Babalotin, among others.

    Aluko and Faparusi are from Ode. Afuye, Alabi, Oluyede, Aloba Fatoba and Olumilua are from Ikere while Adebomi, Idowu and Babalotin are from Ise. Adaramodu is from Ilawe.

    Aspirants from Ekiti Central include Dr. Adebayo Orire, Dr. Femi Thomas, both of whom are from Ikoro in Ijero Local Government Area. Aspirants from the North include Mr. Bimbo Daramola is from Ire and Ayo Akinyemi Jnr is from Ikole.

    Aluko, Faparusi, Daramola  are former federal lawmakers. Afuye, Aloba, Fatoba, Okeya and Thomas are former commissioners. Orire and Idowu are former board chairmen. Adaramodu is a former Chief of Staff. Oluyede, Alabi, Akinyemi, Babalotin and Adebomi are new breed politicians.

    There is a new twist to the struggle. Oni and Fayemi, who are from the North, are said to be intrested.

    Oni is the APC Deputy National Chairman (South). Fayemi is the Minister of Mines and Steel Development.

    Although they have not declared their interests, their foot soldiers are on the field feeling the pulse of party members and selling them to interest groups and the electorate.

    In Ekiti, it is a crowded race.  Parties are neck deep in claculations about how zoning will shape the process. Ekiti is one zone. But, it was divided into three zones, based on the three senatorial slots. The three districts are not different in language, culture and tradition. There is neither a case of discrimination nor marginalisation.

    However, politicians are fueling sentiments about imaginary zoning. It is not a big issue in Ekiti politics.

    The next few months will determine the extent to which zoning will determine who wears the next governorship crown in Ekiti.

  • ‘It’s dangerous for PDP to abandon zoning’

    ‘It’s dangerous for PDP to abandon zoning’

    Sola Ebiseni is a former Commissioner for Environment in Ondo State. He is among the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirants, who picked their nomination forms from the Senator Ali Modu Sheriff-led faction, ahead of the November 26 election. In this interview with reporters in Akure, the state capital, he speaks about zoning and the party’s crisis. LEKE AKEREDOLU was there. Experts.

    What will you do differently from the present administration, if you become the governor?

    I am proud of our achievements under Dr Olusegun Mimiko, my leader, elder brother and friend. I come not to abolish the law but bring it to greater fulfilment under a fresh anointing, combining the experiences garnered under previous administrations. Every administration has its own priorities defined sometimes by its peculiar challenges. While issues of access to quality education and health services are given, I intend not to pay lip service to the diversification of the state economy in this critical times. My experiences being in charge of the Ministry of the Environment and Mineral Resources, which spread across the state, is a plus. Our territory is replete with all conceivable minerals ranging from quarry rocks from Ore through Idanre, Ondo, Akure, Itaogbolu, Ifon, Supare, Ikare, lime stone at Okeluse and iron at Akunu not to mention our bitumen and crude oil and agriculture in which we undoubtedly have comparative advantage. We have the longest shoreline among the littoral state. Yet, we are the only state yet to explore and exploit its coastal advantages and resources a factor which makes states like Lagos and Rivers thick. Proximity of Ogun to Lagos gives Ogun its industrial advantage and revenue from basically two local government areas  of Ado Odo/ Otta and Ifo. It is amazing to know that Ondo state to Lekki along the coast is less than an hour drive. Our unique state drags the Yoruba into the Niger Delta territorially and ranks fifth among the nine oil producing states. In our development blueprint to be launched as soon as we secure our party’s ticket, we intend to demonstrate in details how these resources will be translated to our advantages as a state.

    What’s your take on the clamour for the zoning of the ticket to a particular senatorial district?

    Honestly, that is an issue I would ordinarily not want to discuss because Iam involved. Yet, like I said earlier, certain ingredients are becoming noticeable in our political culture, which any political party may ignore to its own peril. Such ingredients like zoning as a  guarranty of equitable access to power by stakeholders in the polity are rooted in the peoples political consciousness in both our traditional and democratic political practices.  In my experience as a lawyer, I have seen and been involved in  protracted chieftaincy litigations against monopolistic tendencies. In my area I know a chieftaincy that has been vacant since 1989 and the ruling family in court on issue of zoning. In our modern politics, particularly in this state, there are unwritten conventions engraved in the minds of the people of every council rotating their chairmanship, and their parliamentary positions. In all states, except where a group is dominant and takes such advantage like Ibadan in Oyo state, Igala or Kogi East in Kogi State or Tiv in Benue, there is understanding among stakeholders for equitable access to the governance of their respective states. Even in a seemingly monolithic and urban state like Lagos, after the tenures of Tinubu and Fasola who are Muslims, there was subtle agitation for both a Christian successor and for a Lagos East consideration. In spite of his known grip on Lagos politics, Asiwaju kowtowed to the sentiments of the people culminating in Ambode’s governorship from Epe. At a time, Tinubu had to jettison his ambition for the Senate in favour of Ganiyu Solomon to put an end to the disquiet in his party. The greater consideration for support for Jonathan’s second term presidency by all groups in the Southsouth was what made particularly the Ijaw and other riverine people of Rivers State tolerate the succession of Amaechi by Wike, his Ikwerre compatriot. Jonah Jang was not that lucky on the polyglot Plateau when he went for a successor from his senatorial district after his own eight years. The people showed their resentment by voting PDP in other elections, except the governorship. That was similar to what happened to our party, the SDP in Lagos in 1992 when Sarumi was given the governorship ticket, instead of Agbalajobi favoured by party members. The resultant was Otedola of the NRC.   Ondo, more than any other state, has shown determination against dictatorship and the incumbent governor in his political career has been a veritable source of inspiration to those averse to lack of internal democracy.

    The national leadership of our party PDP has just come up with its zoning arrangements for the National Convention such that both the presidential candidate and the National Chairman shall not come from the same zone, North or South. The rise and fall of empires and even modern states are almost directly attributable to agitation for justice in access to governance. Even in America, blacks and the coloured all over the world celebrated the election of Barack Obama.

    The people of the South are clamouring for the governorship slot. do you see the party giving the ticket to the area?

    That agitation is legitimate. The party members and ultimately the electorate will decide the tenability of such agitation based on the political history of our state and other criteria. In addition to verifiable issues in our political history, as it is in warfare or even in soccer, it behoves  every political party to consolidate its stronghold. That is what the South represents as the soul of PDP in Ondo State. In all of these, the place of a free and fair primary, if we still can have one, is fundamental.

    If you fail to win the primary, would you opt out of the party or support the candidate of the party?

    Interesting. Primary or delegates’ election is a technical one that is almost  predictable. All things being equal, particularly ensuring free and fair process, there is no way we won’t win.

    Your recent  resignation from office as Commissioner was sudden and dramatic. Any special reason for that?

    Well, I don’t understand what you meant by sudden. It was a political and not a civil service appointment and required no statutory or administrative notice. Besides, part of creating level play ground for all aspirants is ensuring that no one has undue advantage using government facilities or resources either for his own use or in mobilizing stakeholders.

  • Jegede: On merit, not zoning, I stand

    Jegede: On merit, not zoning, I stand

    Ondo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) is on the tour of the three senatorial districts to solicit support from delegates, ahead of the primary. Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU highlights the challenges that will confront him and his party as the state warms up for the poll. 

    A pattern of succession is gradually being established in the Southwest geo-political zone. The governors appear to prefer technocrats as successors. In Ondo State, Governor Olusegun Mimiko is about to thread the same path. His preferred choice, Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), is traversing the three senatorial districts to solicit the support of the delegates for his ambition. But, how far can he go?

    Jegede, a native of Akure, the state capital, is not a typical  politician. So far, he has been straightforward in his consultations with the stakeholders. He is unapologetic that he is fit to take over from the governor he has served for almost seven years as the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice. His emergence has drawm the envy of his rivals, following the tacit endorsement of his aspiration by his political leader. Having placed his hands on the plough, the legal luminary is not looking back. In the bar, he has a good tale to tell. But, can he weather the storm politically?

    Analysts are of the view that the contest is in two dimensions. The election is between Mimiko, whose two terms of eight years will expire early next year, and the All Progressives Congress (APC) family. It is a popularity test for the politician fondly called Iroko by admirers. The main opposition party is working assiduously to get power. The PDP is guiding the seat of power jealously. But, it is also a contest between those pushing for the ‘Akure Agenda’ and the exponents of power shift to the North District. Akure, which has not produced a governor in recent times, has a date with history in November. The North, consisting of Akoko, Owo and environs, is undaunted.

    However, in Jegede’s view, actors may have started relegating other salient issues to the background, to the detriment of democracy. “Integrity and merit should count,” he said, adding that he only wanted to be an efficient administrator, and not a run of the mill politician. “I want to do more of governance and less of politics,” he stressed.

    The lawyer is confident of his ability. He told reporters in Lagos that entrusting Ondo State in his care is not a risky venture, pointing out that he has the understanding of the enormous challenges, its people, the strengths and weaknesses of the current administration and how to build on the feats of his boss. “Challenging times need extraordinary measures,” he said, recalling that he has added value to state administration in the last few years as a trusted ally of the governor.

    But, Jegede has some hurdles to cross. Other aspirants are also determined to get the ticket. They are seasoned politicians, unlike him. The struggle for the ticket may be gradually putting the ruling party on edge. Other aspirants have said that they will not step down for him. In the crowded race are Third Republic Senator Remi Okunrinboye, Nekan Olateru-Olagbegi, a prince of Owo, Bamiduro dadam Chief Sola Ebiseni, a grassroots politician, Dare Eniolaa, Gbenga Elegbeleye, Adedayo Omolafe, Dayo Fadahunsi, Pastor Ola Amuda, Benson Amuwa, Dare Bada and Debo Ajimuda. In protest, some chieftains have even defected to other platforms, saying that Mimiko is partial.

    According to analysts, the PDP may be warming up for a primary in an atmosphere of strife and rancour. To avoid post-primary crisis, party elders should brace up for the task of reconciliation. Another challenge is the crisis affecting the PDP national leadership, which has spread to Ondo. Some chieftains have pledged allegiance to the embattled National Chairman, Senator Modu Sheriff, instead of the National caretaker Committee, led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi. The implication is that, if the crisis is not nipped in the bud, the primary may be finally resolved in the court.

    In a vague reference to his endorsement by the governor, Jegede said Mimiko, a governor, leader and delegate, is at liberty to support an aspirant of his choice. He rejected the label of a stooge or a lackey, saying that, at his age, it is odd to describe him as a mere stooge or lackey, having added value to the administration and the state in the past seven years.

    The aspirant also said that zoning is a non-issue. Although he acknowledged that some aspirants have hinged their ambition on the sentiment, he said zoning has paled into a convenient argument for those hoping to benefit from it. Yet, in another dimension, he said he may emerge as its greatest beneficiary, if his campaign orgaisation and supporters decide to exploit it. Jegede claimed that he has roots in the three senatorial districts.

    Born in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, and the political headquarter of Southwest, his father, a prominent Christian leader, was born in Akure, Central District. His mother is from Ipele, Owo sub-division, North District. His grandfather was born in Igbotako, South District. “So, I can lay claim to any of the three zones. But, what matters are competence and efficiency,” he maintained.

    After his primary education at Modakeke, Osun State, Jegede attended Aquinas College, Akure, and later the famous Christ School, Ado-Ekiti. He studied Law at the University of Lagos, Akoka. The turning point in his life was the one year compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Yola, capital of the old Gogola State. He practised in the Chamber s of Murital Aminu, who later became a judge. He learned at the feet of the eminent lawyer for 12 years. For 25 years, he traversed the North with his wig, winning cases and making friends. His path and that of Boss Mustapha, his senior colleague at the bar, crossed. “Mustapha would ask me to take on a brief for him in those days.” he recalled. In 2008, Jegede became a SAN. Later, he was invited home to serve as a commissioner.

    Initially, the legal luminary was drafted into the senatorial race. But, he declined, saying that he could only aspire to the governorship. He entered the race at a time his Akure kinsmen have intensified their clamour for a governor from the state capital. Although Jegede conceded to them their right to agitate within the ambit of the law, he clarified that he did not initiate it. “I see myself as someone from Ondo State, ready to serve,” he stressed. In his opinion, the argument that a candidate from the Central should not succeed Mimiko because the governor is from the same district does not hold water. What is important, he said, is competence.

    Jegede paid tribute to Mimiko, saying that he has performed in the last seven and half years. He made references to his strides in the health sector, especially the Abiye Hospitals, which have reduced mother/child mortality, infrastructural development and education. “Our mega schools can rival the facilities in some polytechnics. The school busses that transport children are captivating,” he said.

    The aspirant noted that governance cannot be a child’s play in a period of economic recession. If he becomes the governor, he will inherit some of the economic difficulties that have confronted his successor. But, he said that he is up to the task. “These are hard times. But, I will not run away from challenges. We need to generate money internally. People are not ready to pay tax. IGR is going down. The way to go is a minimal tax without stress,” he added.

    Jegede also said that his administration will build on the foundation laid by Mimiko in all areas. “Mimiko and I are different. The unifying factor is the vision,” he said. He promised to develop agriculture and revive the industries, whose resuscitation have been hampered by the power problem. He said Ondo should also return to its first love, which was cocoa production. “We want to grow the economy of the civil service state, create employment and build infrastructure.” he added.

  • Commissioner: zoning has no place in Ondo politics

    The Ondo State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Kayode Akinmade has given reasons for the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) decision against the zoning of its governorship post ahead of the November 26 election.

    Speaking in Akure at the weekend, Akinmade said no governor has ever been elected in the state on the basis of ethnicity, adding that competence had always been the major  factor considered.

    “If you go into history, between 1999 and 2012, all the candidates of PDP in those elections have been coming from a particular zone and at that time we never thought of zoning.

    “In 1999 when the late Adebayo Adefarati wanted to contest election, the late Dr. Olusegun Agagu contested against him, the people of Ondo State voted for Adefarati. They did not vote for Adefarati because he was from Akungba-Akoko in Ondo North Senatorial District. They voted for him because he was central to the agitation for the emancipation of Nigeria from the military junta in Ondo State.  He was a leader of Afenifere in Ondo State. He was voted because he was vocal and was able to achieve a lot in galvanizing the people towards a common goal.

    “In 2003, he also stood for  election with late  Dr. Olusegun  Agagu from the South. At that time, Dr. Agagu won the election.  Dr. Agagu did not win the election because he was from the southern senatorial district. He won the election because of the political structure of that time. In 2007, the same re-contested election with some other people from other zones. You will recall that Prince Ademola Adegoroye from Akure contested the election and Dr. Olusegun Mimko from Ondo contested the election. It was not based on any primordial sentiment.

    “At that election, Dr. Mimiko won and he was rigged out. But thank God, he got his mandate back through the judiciary. People voted for Dr. Mimiko in 2007 not because he is from Ondo, they voted for him because of what he has consistently stood for in terms of progressivism politics. They voted for him because he has used the instrumentality of government to better the lot of the people of Ondo State. They voted for him because he has pedigree.”

    He said there is no agitation about zoning in the PDP as being portrayed by some individual, submitting that what is being witnessed at the moment was that aspirants were moving round the state to canvass for support and candidate would emerge at the primary.

  • ‘Akoko elders’ position on zoning in Ondo wrong’

    •APC aspirant seeks peace among contestants

    Former Ondo State House of Assembly Speaker,Victor Olabimtan, said yesterday he “is  still very active” in the governorship race to Alagbaka House.

    He spoke against the report that some Akoko elders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), led by Chief Felix Ayegbusi, zoned the governorship slot to Akoko North Federal Constituency at a meeting in Arigidi-Akoko.

    Olabimtan is from Supare-Akoko in the Akoko South Federal Constituency.

    The party elders said they took the decision to sustain peace,unity, progress and statesmanship in Akokoland.

    Contestants from Akoko North, where they purportedly zoned the governorship position are Tunji Abayomi,Segun Abraham and Gani Dauda.

    The aspirants in the South are Ajayi Boroffice, Victor Olabimtan and Folusho Adefemi.

    The former Federal Civil Service Commissioner said: “I am not opposed to consensus but such process must be thorough and all inclusive.Any arrangement that will pitch us against ourselves and further split Akokoland will not augur well for us and APC as a whole.

    “Their decision, which we read in the newspaper does not have the inputs and blessing of the ‘genuine’ APC leaders from Akoko North and the generality of Akoko sons and daughters, who are fervently praying and believe that the next governor of Ondo State should be an Akoko indigene.”

    The former Speaker, therefore, dissociated himself from what he called “sectional arrangement”, which he said had died before it was born.

    But ahead of All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship election primary in the state, an aspirant, Mr. Akinwale Akingbade, at the weekend urged other contestants to give room for peace.

    Akingbade warned that social media and verbal attacks among the aspirants might deem the chances of the party in the November 26 poll.