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Ondo APC primaries: 12 aspirants, one ticket

Twelve aspirants, including Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, will today battle for the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the October 10 election in Ondo State. ADEWALE MOMOH X-rays the 12 gladiators and their chances at the shadow poll

 

 

The political atmosphere in Ondo State could best be described as super-charged following the readiness of the various political parties to elect their respective standard bearers for the October 10 governorship election.

 

With the current realities, the governorship contest will no doubt be a clear contest between the two main political parties, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following their structures and wide-spread membership across the state.

 

For the APC, the contest is to maintain its dominance of the polity, while the PDP would want to make a statement and use the election to make an inroad into the South-West geopolitical zone ahead of 2023 general election after capturing Oyo State in the 2019 election.

 

With the process in full throttle, 12 aspirants under the APC will slug it out with each other today after their clearance by the party’s screening committee. The APC screening panel chaired by Tijjani Tumsa had on July 8 and 9, screened the state’s incumbent governor, Akeredolu, alongside 11 other aspirants in Abuja.

 

Contrary to the speculation that one of the aspirants was disqualified by the panel during the process, the party’s deputy spokesperson, Yekini Nabena, quoting the report from the screening exercise submitted by the panel, said none of the 12 aspirants was disqualified from the race.

 

“The APC screening committee cleared 12 aspirants to contest the party’s forthcoming primary election,” he said.

 

He listed the aspirants for the primary to include Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, Segun Abraham, Joseph Iji, Olusola Oke, Olayide Adelami, Isaacs Kekemeke, Ife Oyedele, Jimmy Odimayo, Olajumoke Anifowoshe, Awodeyi Akinsehinwa, Olubukola Adetula and Nathaniel Adojutelegan.

 

Though efforts were made to get some of the aspirants to step down, but almost all of them insisted on seeing an end to the race having obtained the party’s Expression of Interest and Nomination forms at N22.5 million.

 

No doubt, it is going to be a fierce contest between Akeredolu and other contestants who are gunning for the highly coveted APC ticket as most of the aspirants have been touring every unit, ward and local government across the state, soliciting for support from party faithful.

 

While some camps are clamouring for indirect primary election, some have shown their preference for a direct primary. But the chairman of the election committee and Kogi State, Governor Yahaya Bello had laid to rest speculations over  the mode of primaries to be adopted after his committee was inaugurated by the National Chairman of the Caretaker Committee, Governor Mai Mala Buni, at the National Secretariat in Abuja.

 

“On the issue of the mode of primary, this has been settled by the previous National Working Committee (NWC) and ratified by the National Executive Council (NEC), which gives the opportunity to the state executive committee to choose the mode of primary that they would want.

 

This has been settled. “The Ondo primary election would be conducted via indirect mode.

 

This was the option chosen by the Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and ratified by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of our great party in the last meeting. So, we are going for indirect primary,” Bello said.

 

Meanwhile, 11 of the 12 aspirants had kicked against indirect primary, insisting it confers an undue advantage on Governor Akeredolu, who is seeking reelection.

 

Among the aspirants, when it comes to politicking in the state, some can be regarded as veterans, while others will be using the exercise to cut their teeth in politics as they will, for the first time, be baptized in the turbulent waters of politics.

 

Whilst most of the aspirants are from Ondo Northern Senatorial District of the state, only three hail from Ondo South with no aspirant from the Central senatorial district of the state.

 

The preponderance of aspirants from the northern senatorial district is against the backdrop of the opinion that they should be allowed to spend another term after the expiration of Akeredolu’s term, so that power can shift to any of the other zones again.

 

But there is apprehension in the APC circle over the flurry of aspirants eyeing the number one seat, which might cause more havoc for the party in the state. It is believed that if Akeredolu loses the ticket to any of the contenders, it might widen the gulf in the party, while it is believed that allowing the governor to fly the party’s flag might bring an end to the crisis in the party if well managed by him this time around.

 

Oluwarotimi Akeredolu Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) is the incumbent governor of Ondo State and is no doubt the top contender and most favoured for the APC governorship ticket.

 

The governor, who hails from Owo in the northern senatorial district was in 2008 elected the president of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA). He is seeking for the party’s ticket again to enable him to consolidate on the gains he has recorded in his first tenure.

 

He first contested for governorship position in 2012 on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) but lost to the then governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko. With ACN merging with other parties in 2013 to form APC, Akeredolu sought for the party’s ticket for the 2016 governorship poll.

 

He eventually emerged as its standard-bearer and went ahead to win the main election. Despite the hurdles before him, Akeredolu looks set and prepared to outwit other aspirants to win the party’s ticket again. Apart from

the power of incumbency and his financial muscle, one of the factors that stand Akeredolu out in the race is his firm grip on APC structures in the state as presently constituted from the wards to the state level.

 

According to political pundits, with the indirect mode of primary to be used, Akeredolu is likely to pick the ticket. Also, that majority of the aspirants hail from the northern district where the governor is from means that their votes would be largely divided, thus giving Akeredolu a better edge over others from the zone.

 

Olusola Oke Oke, a former member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) defected to APC to contest the 2016 governorship primaries where he came third and subsequently joined the Alliance for Democracy (AD) after losing the ticket to Akeredolu in APC.

 

He, however, lost to Akeredolu again during the governorship election. Oke returned to APC in 2018 and was welcomed back to fold but later parted ways with Akeredolu.

 

He pitched his tent with the Unity Forum (a group within Ondo APC) and emerged as the consensus candidate of the group. His emergence as the consensus candidate polarized the Unity Forum, with eight of the nine aspirants not only kicking against his choice but vowing to contest the party’s primary election even without the support of the forum.

 

He is believed to be one of the frontline contenders for the APC governorship ticket and has been enjoying some goodwill from the people, following his series of consultations and meetings Oke, a grassroots mobiliser, remains one of the few politicians in the state tipped to have the political strength and structure to oust the incumbent.

 

He remains a candidate to beat in the election as his established structures cut across all political parties. Speaking on his desire to rule the state, Oke said: “I’m encouraged by history.

 

Olusegun Agagu continues to be my political mentor. He contested three times before he became governor. Buhari remains our political mentor; he contested three times before he became president.

 

So, mine is not strange and it’s not peculiar. “I believe that when you have a mission; you don’t look back until that mission is fulfilled. The reasons I contested in 2010, if they were 10, they are 100 today. If they were small, they are giants today.

 

Therefore, I cannot fold my arms and keep silent in the face of tyranny.” Following the adoption of indirect mode of primaries by the party, Oke stressed that the exercise would lay the foundation to legally challenge the outcome of the exercise.

 

“I won’t boycott the election on Monday, so that I can have the locus to challenge it. I don’t boycott any election. It is not in my character and it is not advisable. Under the electoral law, if you boycott or you don’t participate, you cannot challenge.”

 

Meanwhile, findings have shown that Oke is likely to move to another party to realize his aspiration with African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Social Democratic Party (SDP) top on the list of parties he is considering if he loses the APC ticket.

 

Isaacs Kekemeke

Kekemeke is the pioneer chairman of APC in the state and was at the helms of affairs of the party in 2016, when it won the governorship election in the state. He had before then served as Secretary to the State Government (SSG), commissioner for Works as well as Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state.

 

Though Kekemeke hails from the Ijaw minority area of the state, he remains one of the few politicians who understand the politics of the state and has been involved in it for about 30 years. He parted ways with Akeredolu after the 2016 election and had since been relegated to the background.

 

Despite his popularity and political experience, Kekemeke is said not to have a deep pocket compared to other top aspirants and there have been speculations that Kekemeke might be seeking the deputy governorship slot peradventure he did not get the ticket.

 

Ife Oyedele

 

Another aspirant to watch out for is the Executive Director of Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), Ife Oyedele.

 

Oyedele, who is believed to be financially capable for the Ondo APC governorship primary election is for the first time be contesting for elective position in the state.

 

The Okitipupa born Electrical Engineer is being touted as a political associate of President Muhammadu Buhari.

 

He was said to have missed being appointed as a minister in Buhari’s cabinet in 2019 even as it was learnt that he was initially favoured to be the minister from Ondo in 2015, a slot that was later given to Akeredolu’s ally, Senator Tayo Alasoadura.

 

Though Oyedele is said to have no political structure to pursue his governorship aspiration, he is said to have the financial muscle to execute the project.

 

Although not as popular as others, who have tested their popularity in the past, some analysts believe that Oyedele could spring a surprise.

 

Olusegun Abraham Olusegun Abraham is another contender from the Unity Forum.

 

He lost the 2016 primaries to Akeredolu and later went to court to challenge the result of the exercise but lost. He had been championing the cause of the Unity Forum until lately when he decided to part ways with the group.

 

The Akoko born politician whose aspiration received the blessing of the APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in the last election might not pull any surprise this time around unlike in 2016, when he gave Akeredolu a run for his money. He is said to have lost his foot soldiers to other contenders after he lost because he failed to oil his political structure.

 

The belief is that winning the party’s ticket by the politician, who is said to be promoting the northern district and Akoko agenda might be difficult. His aspiration is also not considered to be a threat to the second coming of Akeredolu who hails from the same district with him.

 

Jumoke Aniwofowose

 

Mrs. Jumoke Anifowose, a lawyer, who is the daughter of the first civilian governor of Ondo State Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin, is the only woman in the race.

 

She served as the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the Adebayo Adefarati-led administration.

 

Anifowose was the chairman of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the state. She contested the APC primaries in 2016 and was only able to garner one vote and like in the last exercise, the Owo born politician’s chance of clinching the ticket this time is very slim.

 

Olusola Iji Amb. Olusola Iji from Ondo South Senatorial District is Nigeria’s current ambassador to the Republic of Togo and he stands out as the most ranked party man among the other aspirants.

 

Being a consistent party man, Iji has been a strong member of Alliance for Democracy (AD) and he is a former chairman of the party. His strong commitment and connection with the progressive party also nudged him to once again become the Action Congress (AC) state chairman.

 

He was also in Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). A lawyer and an activist, who enjoys a cordial relationship with Tinubu and the former Interim National Chairman of APC, Chief Bisi Akande, perhaps, explains why Iji is rated among leaders of the party in the state and beyond.

 

But as the nation’s representative in Togo, he is said to have lost touch with the politics of the state and might find it difficult to cope in the race to the Alagbaka Government House.

 

Though, a grassroots politician, his political impact might not be felt in the 2020 governorship race even as it was gathered that like Kekemeke, Iji is also negotiating for the deputy governorship slot should he fail to secure the ticket.

 

The other aspirants like Jimmy Odimayo, Olayide Adelami, Olubukola Adetula, Awodeyi Akinsehinwa and Nathaniel Adojutelegan are politicians trying to be known within the political space of the state and their chances at the primaries are slim unless the unthinkable happens, which is not likely

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