Ondo 2016: Uncertainty deepens in APC

By SUNDAY ODIBASHI

THE crisis ravaging the All Progressives Congress (APC) since the conduct of the party’s primary election in Ondo State for the flag bearer in the November 26, 2016 governorship election has degenerated series of uncertainties in the party’s build up to the election. This is more so as national leaders of the APC, who include Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, John Odigie-Oyegun and others, are also at war over the same issue.

Emerging political phenomena from the lingering crisis portray that the APC appears to be in disarray in Ondo State. The most discontent aspirants in the primary election – Olusola Oke, Senator Ajayi Boroface and Segun Abraham, won by Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), are already on their way out of APC.

Senator Ajayi Boroface who was not as vocal as Oke and Abraham in the emergent protests had earlier resolved to seek the governorship ticket on the platform of another political party. His supporters and campaign workers have since been mobilizing the electorates in this direction.

While Abraham, who was widely celebrated to be sponsored by Tinubu, is still putting his team together for another political party, Oke unreservedly moved his army of supporters to the Alliance for Democracy (AD), the platform he intends to contest the November 26 governorship election. Oke regretted what he considered the injustice perpetuated in the party’s primary election in Ondo State which compelled him to dump the APC for the AD with his supporters.

The crack in the Ondo APC has continued to be deepened; recent revelations indicated that the Tinubu political machine in Ondo State may also be deployed in the service of another political party as his legion of supporters are also negotiating to dump the APC for another party where Abraham could use the platform for the election.

Invariably, Akeredolu is left in Ondo APC for the governorship election. The popular belief in Ondo State is that “except the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is deployed by powers from Abuja to rig the election, Akeredolu might be on a goose chase.”

In the last governorship election Akeredolu contested on the platform of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), he was beaten to the third position. Governor Olusegun Mimiko won that election on the platform of Labour Party, while Oke, PDP candidate was second. Akeredolu, thereafter, contested the result of that election in court and also lost. Akeredolu, in that contest, had maximum support or sponsorship of Tinubu.

Apparently, the APC needs urgent reconciliation in order to restore people’s confidence in the party and brighten the candidate’s chance in the November 26 polls.

APC postponed the Ondo primary election twice before it eventually held on Saturday, September 3 in Ondo State to elect the party’s candidate for the November 26, 2016, governorship election.

Before the primary election was conducted, there were innuendoes that Segun Abraham was sponsored by APC national leader and former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju bola Ahmed Tinubu. Accordingly, some governorship aspirants stepped down for Abraham while others vowed to resist imposition of a candidate by any godfather. To the consternation of all the aspirants and party stakeholders, the perceived anointed aspirant lost in the primary won by Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN).

All the defeated aspirants were noticed to have accepted the result of the primary election, some congratulated Akeredolu on his victory and further pledged to support the party candidate in the election.

Within about 72 hours, opposition mounted against Akeredolu by the defeated aspirants who raised alarm that Akeredolu was sponsored by party leaders from Abuja.

Segun Abraham, thereafter, rejected the result of the governorship primary after he had congratulated Akeredolu, saying the election was nothing but a fraud.

Olusola Oke, had earlier rejected the result of the election. The aspirants complained that APC forces from Abuja manipulated the election for Akeredolu; protesting that it signified a worse imperial domination from outside the South West zone. The Abuja forces were said to be desperate in ensuring that Tinubu’s anointed candidate was defeated.

The aspirants spotted the imminent danger of the plot against Tinubu from Abuja for APC in the Ondo governorship election.

They had insisted that Tinubu remains the leader and a portent force in the South West, arguing that, any attempt to undermine his political authority in the zone will be counter-productive for the APC.

All these appear to be playing out now in the party.

There were temptations of defeated aspirants to join forces with the PDP candidate, Eyitayo Jegede SAN, who was said to be a better candidate than the APC candidate. However, dumping the APC has become the alternative option, an indirect support for the PDP by the discontented APC governorship aspirants. Their departure from the APC will weaken the party in the state.

Governor Muhammed Abubakar of Jigawa State who conducted the election at the International Cultural and Event Centre, Akure, had declared that Akeredolu had 669 votes to emerge winner; Abraham got 635 votes, Oke 583 votes and Senator Ajayi Boroface 471 votes. Abubakar highlighted that 2,744 voters were accredited for the APC primary election.
While the crisis rages, Akeredolu has commenced campaign across the state.

The PDP had earlier successfully conducted its primary election in August supervised by Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State. Jegede, former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, won the primary election with 760 votes at the International Cultural and Event Centre, Akure. He defeated Saka Lawal, former deputy governor in 2012, who polled 22 votes, beside others.

The PDP does not encounter internal bickering like the APC and the party has since commenced its electioneering campaign.

Meanwhile, the entire state still has its own conflicting interests over power rotation. The popular expectation is that the next governor should come from Ondo North that is Akoko part of the state where Boroface comes from.

Interestingly, both Jegede of the PDP and Akeredolu of the APC are from the same zone, Ondo Central, same zone with Governor Olusegun Mimiko. Jegede is from Akure, while Akeredolu is from the Owo axis, adjacent to Akure. Invariably, the two domiantn politlca parties in the state present their candidates from the same zone generating controversies over power rotation.

Governor Olusegun Mimiko had, however, argued that no Akure indigene has ever been governor in the state.