IDOWU AJANAKU, is a former Director of media for the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, and a former Special Adviser to Governor Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos State. In this interview by Soji Ajibola, he speaks on the forthcoming governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) in Ondo State and why the issue of continuity should be taken into consideration.
The National Working Committee of APC had said there won’t be an automatic ticket for any of the aspirants in the gubernatorial primary schedule for April, including Governor Aiyedatiwa, does this not sound counterproductive?
There are three ways specified in the Constitution of the APC for choosing candidates for elective offices. Party candidate(s) can be elected through the direct primaries, the delegates and adoption of consensus candidate.
The NWC of APC has not said anything to undermine anyone; it has only reiterated what is in the constitution of the party that where there is more than one candidate there would be a primary election. This was done in Kogi recently. The NWC has not said anything new. You may also recollect that in 2020, the late Arakunrin Akeredolu contested as a sitting governor in the primaries to become the candidate of the party in that election. It cannot be counter-productive and cannot in any way be to the disadvantage of any candidate.
Why should Aiyedatiwa be given special privilege over other contestants?
No special privilege has been given to him by the national leadership, but he is favoured by the zoning arrangement. The reasons are not far-fetched; Ayedatiwa has been part and parcel of the vision of former Governor Akeredolu since 2012. He was involved in the production and publicizing of the 5-point Agenda designated AKETI in his first attempt at the governorship of Ondo State, which did not succeed. He never left the party. Even when he wanted to go the Senate in 2019 and the National leadership decided to return the sitting Federal legislators, he took it in good faith and did not follow the others who decided to run in the AA party against the APC. This is a testament to his consistency in the progressive fold.
In terms of experience he served as Commissioner in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), a full-fledged Deputy Governor, an Acting Governor and now a sitting governor.
It is a fact that majority of the aspirants jostling for the APC ticket in Ondo State today are images of the PDP who used fake soldiers to drive out the progressive government under the leadership of Adebayo Adefarati in 2003. They are the same people regrouping to steal the ticket of the APC to foster their conservative and reactionary ideals in the state reputed as the cradle of the progressive politics in Nigeria. APC cannot be deceived – the wind has blown and we have seen whatever they believed they were hiding!
Do you not foresee a scenario where other aspirants may work against the incumbent governor if he wins the primary?
Do not forget that after the primaries, the aspirant will become the candidate of the party and all the genuine members of the progressive stock in the state will work for his victory. Moreover, the man is already showing signs of good leadership and has demonstrated capacity for progressive ideas. He still has over seven months to further impress the people of Ondo State and deliver the dividends of democracy such that there would be no reason why genuine members of the party and the people of Ondo State would not vote for him.
Here is a man who gave the members recognition for the first time since 2016 when he gathered them in a stakeholder forum recently. The members of the party were elated and joyous. It would be a pipe dream for anyone to think he would be able to rally such people against him after he has won the party’s ticket.
It is an obvious fact that Akeredolu’s achievements in office cannot be wished away. You cannot wish away the formation of the Amotekun security force, which he championed to stem the tide of the devilish move by killer herdsmen in Ondo State and the Southwest in general even at the risk of his second term ticket. He rose in defense of his people.
The Flyover at Ore is the first of its kind in the entire state. The dangerous OkeAlabojuto at Oka that has led to the death of many people was conquered by Akeredolu. The construction of many roads was started and completed across the state. It was rather unfortunate that the health challenge truncated his move for many more ground-breaking achievements that could have been recorded amongst, which is the seaport for Ondo State and the completion of many other road projects.
These achievements by the Akeredolu/Ayedatiwa government cannot be wished away. There is no way you can also write that history without recognising the supportive role that Ayedatiwa played as the Deputy Governor to Akeredolu. It cannot be an albatross but rather a blessing that Ayedatiwa served meritoriously with Akeredolu to deliver the dividends of democracy to Ondo State people within the resources available to them. He is justified to continue, to do better and also correct any perceived wrong that anyone may think of the past. He will be running the new regime with a huge benefit of hindsight that any other person cannot have.
Considering what happened before the death of Akeredolu, won’t Aiyedatiwa be regarded as a traitor, which might possibly work against him?
The first question to ask those who are playing this narrative is whether they heard Akeredolu, when he was governor, make a public declaration and pronouncement the day they were sworn in? In the full glare of the public and the media he thanked Aiyedatiwa for his loyalty and declared him as his successor. How does this translate to betrayal?
There is no public evidence that Akeredolu ever changed his mind on his perception of the person of Governor Lucky Ayedatiwa all through his lifetime. This brouhaha started the day he pronounced him his successor. The ill-health of Akeredolu provided the room for the cabal to hijack the system and even the man to the extent that they rendered him incommunicado in his last moment. They were the only ones that could see him and publish whatever they liked. There was no time and evidence all through the time that Ayedatiwa ever came out to fight his boss.
When they met with the President, they could not provide any evidence to support the claim that Ayedatiwa was working against his late boss when they were asked for it. This was why they were unable to impeach him. The question of being a ‘traitor’ has no basis, it only existed in the figment of the imagination of the cabal who thought Ondo State was in their pocket to plunder as they wished. They underestimated God.
Do you believe that zoning will work in favour of Aiyedatiwa both in the primary and real polls?
The reality is that there was already an agreement by stakeholders that this should be zoned to Obdo South. It was clear that after the eight years of former Governor Segun Mimiko from Ondo Central, and Akeredolu from the North, it is only natural and just that the governorship seat should go to Ondo South. This was the slogan during Akeredolu’s campaign for second term and that was why for the first time in the history of the state, the progressive won in the enclave of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo South overwhelmingly. It is also the reason why most of the aspirants are from Ondo South this time around.
Ayedatiwa is a well-placed being from Ilaje in Ondo South, the area that lays the golden egg for the state. In terms of zoning he is favoured and as the incumbent governor, he has an edge over others.
The APC has a protocol and laid down procedure for choosing their candidates. They will not give their tickets to outsiders. Again on loyalty, this same Ayedatiwa gave Akeredolu the first bullet proof vehicle when he was nominated as the candidate of the party in 2012.
Above all, I believe that there is a finger of God in Ayedatiwa’s ascension to the office of governor and this will also show in his subsequently getting the ticket of the party and winning the gubernatorial election in November this year.
