HAKEEM GBADAMOSI looks at how various tendencies in the All Progressives Congress (APC) are squaring up at different levels ahead the primary to decide who picks the November governorship ticket in Ondo State.
FROM all indications so far, the battle of wits ahead primary for the governorship ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State is raging behind the scene in far away Abuja. The key contenders are temporarily working on certain forces in strategic positions that will play a crucial role on who becomes APC candidate in the November 2024 poll.
Insiders said the battle is being fought at two levels in the federal capital. One is the pressure being piled on those close to President Bola Tinubu perceived to weld influence, especially on matters affecting the ruling APC. The other level of the background lobby embarked on by some of the aspirants is at the APC top echelon. They are said to be collaborating with their foot soldiers with higher pedigrees to curry the favour national officers holding strategic positions. This is notwithstanding the insinuations that a couple of the national leaders favour Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa emerging as APC candidate for the crucial poll. The sources said the dual edge strategy of the frontline contestants is being sustained by their belief that the body language of the president is not yet suggestive of who should be the standard-bearer of the party.
The desirability of a free and fair primary has taken the front burner in the campaign by most of the contenders for the APC ticket. Each of them use most auspicious occasions to restate the need for transparent process in the choice of a candidate. For instance, while on a visit to the secretariat of the party in Akure on Monday, Chief Olusola Oke, charged the leadership of the APC to provide a level playing field to all the aspirants, just as he appealed to APC stakeholders in the state not to compromise the electoral process to avoid any unnecessary crises. He was confident of winning the primary if the exercise is free, fair and transparent. He said: “All I have come here to ask for is not to ask you to descend to the arena but to organise a free, fair and transparent primary. Once this is done, we will all go to the field and I assure you I know I will emerge. But in any circumstance, I will remain a loyal party member.”
Home front
While the intense lobby in Abuja is going on, the aspirants have not totally shut down their activities aimed at putting themselves on a sound pedestal at the home front. There is increasing unease within the rank and file of the Ondo APC as the conduct of governorship primary in April fast approaches. Some of the aspirants are said to be mulling a collaboration aimed at producing the candidate from their fold. One of their plans is designed to checkmate the incumbent in his quest to pick the ticket. He emerged as substantive governor of the state, following the demise of his principal, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu in December. Ayedatiwa had acted in that acapcity before he was subsequently inaugurated as the seventh governor of the state. So, other vested interests in the APC ticket see Aiydatiwa as a major challenger in next month’s primary.
The associates, allies and supporters of Ayedatiwa say their ‘candidate’ is unperturbed by the intense intrigues, horse-trading and divergence playing out ahead the party primary. The showmanship, as one of the leaders described the present scenario, is informed by decision of different groups and politicians in the state continue to identify with him, declaring and endorsing his aspiration to rule the state.
The army of other contenders for the ticket include: an astute politician, Chief Olusola Oke; former finance commissioner, Wale Akinterinwa, former member who represented the state on the Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Olugbenga Edema; former member, House of Representatives, Mayowa Akinfolarin and business mogul, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim; APC national vice-chair (South-West), Isaac Kekemeke; former President of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Adedayo Faduyile; renowned entrepreneur and medical practitioner, Dr Paul Akintelure; retired Director of Finance at the Nigerian Defence Academy, Olumide Ohunyeye; Jimi Odimayo, Funmilayo Adekojo, among others.
Despite the large number of aspirants in the APC, the real scramble for the ticket took an upward swing recently, after the conclusion of rites for Akeredolu who was buried late February. The number of aspirants has continued swelled after Akeredolu’s burial. Aiyedatiwa was expected to officially declare his interest in the race this Tuesday.
Fallout
Some main stakeholders in the state are becoming apprehensive following the twists and turns that have characterised the battle for the ticket lately. Some concerned individuals and groups have called for caution so as not to further heat up the political space and rock the boat.
However, a common factor among all the aspirants vying for APC ticket is that they all hail from the southern senatorial district of the state. Incidentally, Ayedatiwa is also from the district. There is a deft move to counter the assumed plan by the APC leadership to favour the governor in his bid to secure the ticket.
Cynism
The first sign of a gulf within the APC in the state was the absence of all the party’s aspirants in the first stakeholders’ meeting called by Ayedatiwa three weeks after his inauguration as governor. The other aspirants claimed there was no invitation sent to them for the meeting. This, rather than building unity ahead of the election, caused division. Though, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Ebenezer Adeniyan, said every stakeholder was invited to the meeting, they all said the invite was sent few hours to the meeting and was deliberate, in order to shut them out. Adeniyan said: “They were all invited through their local governments,” some of the aspirants who confirmed the receipt of the invitation said they received the invite around 3am while the meeting was slated to 10am, and most of them were far away in Abuja or out of town.
Open letter to President
The meeting apparently necessitated an open letter written to President Tinubu by some members of the House of Representatives from the state, who accused Aiyedatiwa, of creating a crisis in the Ondo APC, among other allegations. The letter, signed by six out of nine lawmakers: Adesida Abiodun Cornelius (Akure North/South), Timehin Adelegbe (Owo/Ose), Festus Ayodele (Ileoluji-Okeigbo/Odigbo), Ojogo Donald (Ilaje/Ese-Odo), Odimayo Okunjimi (Okitipupa/Irele), and Adegboyega Adefarati (Akoko South West/South East) called on the President to intervene in the interest of the party at the November poll in the state. Leader of the caucus, Mr Adesida alleged that since the swearing-in of Aiyedatiwa as governor, he has made decisions that indicated, among other things, showed his lack of concern for the party’s growth in the state. The lawmakers in the proper letter alleged that the governor had been associating with arch political enemies of his late predecessor and romancing the opposition party. “The deputy governor appointed by Mr. Aiyedatiwa is a well-known political adversary of the late Governor… Furthermore, it has become common knowledge in the state that Mr. Aiyedatiwa has aligned himself with every disgruntled and established political enemy of the late Akeredolu. As an example, the appointment of Kola Olawoye, a suspended APC member and former Attorney General of the state, as Aiyedatiwa’s campaign coordinator in Owo has been widely condemned by loyal party members, particularly in Owo,” the letter read. The lawmakers disclosed that their primary concern is to prevent Ondo State from falling into the hands of the opposition due to internal conflict. They stressed the urgent need for decisive and unifying leadership in this trying period for the party. “The decision made by Aiyedatiwa to dissolve the Ondo State Executive Council has raised concerns. One of the main criticisms is the perceived rush behind the decision. Many questioned why the Governor couldn’t wait until the final burial of Akeredolu before taking such a drastic step.
But, a member of the House of representatives, Honourable Abiola Makinde, differs with the lawmakers, vaulting their stand on Ayedatiwa. Makinde in a statement by him, said the aggrieved lawmakers have personal axe to grind with the governor. He said: “Adesida, leader of the caucus, is angling to be the running mate of one of the governorship aspirants in the state. Odimayo is a governorship aspirant. Adelegbe is the Director General of the campaign of another governorship aspirant, Mayowa Akinfolarin while Akinfiranye is the Director General of the campaign of another aspirant, Wale Akinterinwa, who is his kinsman. “Therefore, it is easy to see where the truth lies in all of this. There is nothing honourable in being bonded to fight a common enemy who you think is ahead. I will never join such,” he added.
The Publicity Secretary of the party in the state, Alex Kalejaiye, said there were misgivings which were raised in a meeting with the governor. He noted that all the issues were resolved and the governor promised to address all concerns. “Right now, the party is united and there is no conflict between the party and the state government. So, the party is prepared for the coming election and you can see that many people from the opposition are defecting to the APC,” Mr Kalejaiye said.
The private visit of President Tinubu to the state to condole with the people of the state and late Akeredolu’s family was turned to a political jamboree, with various aspirants trading words over violence that erupted after the visit. This created tension in the camp of the ruling party. Some suspected political thugs engaged in a free for all and destroyed billboards and posters of aspirants. It led to claims and counterclaims. Speaking on behalf of all the aspirants, a former Finance commissioner in the state, Akinterinwa, described the attack as barbaric and that no supporter of other aspirants was given access into the Airport to receive Tinubu. The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Adeniyan, however, said Ayedatiwa had ordered investigation and arrest of those behind the attacks. “The governor says his administration will not tolerate any form of violence that is capable of threatening the peace and tranquility of the State. As the governor has said repeatedly, any political campaign that disturbs the peace in the State is unacceptable and must be met with the decisive actions of law enforcement agencies. It is pertinent to make it clear that nobody associated with the governor or the government of Ondo State was involved in any of the reported activities ascribed to “political thugs” during the president’s visit to Owo and Akure,” he warned.
The dust over the attack was yet to settle, when one of the Gbenga Edema Campaign Organisation, asked Aiyedatiwa to clear his name on controversial allegations of certificate forgery. However, the CPS, Adeniyan, described as false and sponsored by political enemies to discredit the governor ahead the governorship poll. Adeniyan said that some “desperate elements,” having failed to get Aiyedatiwa impeached, had resorted to blackmail. “Mr. Governor contested in a joint ticket with his former principal in the 2020 governorship election and his credentials were duly submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and those are in public domain.”
Also the Special Assistant to the Ondo State Governor on Digital Media, Yòmí Oyékàn, said the allegations was an attempt to blackmail the governor and cause distraction.
“The relentless scrutiny and orchestrated advertisements from opposing factions only serve to underscore Governor Aiyedatiwa’s influential stature in Ondo State politics. His credentials and proven track record stand as testament to his competence, reminiscent of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s encounters with certificate-related controversies. As Governor Aiyedatiwa remains steadfast in his duties and reelection endeavors, his adversaries resort to desperate measures to undermine his standing,” his aides said.
Ripples over appointments
The complusory retirement of the state’s Head of Service, Mr. Kayode Ogundele and subsequent appointment of Mr Bayo Philips as the new Head of Service in the state was greeted with criticisms by some stakeholders who felt the decision and steps taken by Ayedatiwa were political. The retirement notice was contained in a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Prince Adeniyan, who said a new Head of Service has been approved by the Governor. According to him, “the Governor has approved the appointment of Mr. Bayo Philip as Acting Head of Service, to take immediate effect. But in a swift reaction, the Aketi Legacy Movement, in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Mr Yomi Ayodele, alleged that the governor was playing politics over the retirement of Ogundele and appointment of Philip. The group noted that the steps by Ayedatiwa further reinforced “our belief that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa is determined to erase every trace of the late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu’s legacy.
But the CPS to the governor, Adeniyan, said the governor’s action is in order adding: “If they say it’s politicised, then they are invariably saying that Ogundele was a politician or that he played politics with his position as HoS. The position of HoS is the pinnacle of service for public servants and whoever gets there knows that he or she can leave the position at any time.The Governor reserves the right to appoint HoS and he has no need to consider politics before taking such decision. This decision was taken to revitalise the civil service for optimum performance,” he said. Similarly, a socio-political group in the APC, the Akoko Progressive Movement (APM), expressed displeasure over the appointment of some member of the new cabinet, especially Gani Mohammed Ajowa, who was inaugurated recently, as one the governor’s special advisers. They alleged the governor was rewarding individuals, who worked against the party in the 2023 general election. The allegation was contained in a statement by its Director of Media, Seye Johnson.
Indeed, the last few weeks has been a season of boundless allegations and counter-allegations with less emphasis on the vision of majority of the contestants and their foot s soldiers for the critical mass of the citizens. The primary is just weeks away. There is a pall of uncertainty within the rank and file of the APC in the state. Will there be a paradigm shift.
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