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Ondo 2020: Who Wears the Crown Today?

Published

4 years ago

October 10, 2020

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

As eligible voters of Ondo State extraction troop out in their numbers to cast their votes today, it is either a new governor is elected or the incumbent retains his seat.

Following the defeat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the September 19 Edo State election by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), fears have pervaded the camp of the ruling, while courage seem to surge into the camp of the opposition party as they believe that anything can happen.

The build up to the election itself has been anything but cordial as tantrums were thrown from one end to another, fostering uncertainty even as the day finally arrives.

One can confidently say there’s no love lost between the candidate of the APC, Rotimi Akeredolu and his estranged deputy, Agboola Ajayi, who is now comfortably pitching tent with and flying the flag of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP). Both candidates have continually been on each other’s neck, and from some of the utterances of Akeredolu, the enmity created may extend beyond the elections, but one never knows with politics and politicians.

The candidate of the PDP, Eyitayo Jegede, may just cash in on the brouhaha between the governor and his deputy to spring a surprise.

There are others however in the race as well, but their clout is far from seeing them beyond their respective polling units.

Below is the description of the three major candidates and their chances as presented by Premium Times.

Rotimi Akeredolu – APC

The incumbent governor is seeking re-election under the banner of the APC. He had earlier served the state as attorney-general and was also a former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

Mr Akeredolu hailed from Owo in Ondo North Senatorial District where he had his primary education. He attended Aquinas College in Akure, Loyola College in Ibadan, and the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) where he took his law degree.

Mr Akeredolu first ran for governor in 2012 as the flagbearer of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), one of the parties that fused into the APC in 2014.

He ran at that time against the then Governor Olusegun Mimiko of the Labour Party (LP), and Olusola Oke of the PDP.

Mr Akeredolu finished as second runners-up with 143,512 votes behind Mr Oke who polled 155,961 votes and Mr Mimiko who won with 260,199 votes.

In 2016, Mr Akeredolu ran again under the APC and won.

He earlier had issues with many of his party’s leaders, including those in a faction – Unity Forum – headed by a former deputy governor, Ali Olanusi, believed to have been formed to thwart Mr Akeredolu’s reelection ambition.

Mr Akeredolu and his deputy also had issues which led to the exit of Agboola Ajayi from APC.

Agboola Ajayi – ZLP

Agboola Ajayi is a popular grassroots politician who has been in the game since the 80s under the Social Democratic Party (SDP), PDP and APC.

The lawyer and businessman was the chairman of Ese-Odo Local Government Area between 2004 and 2007.

He was later elected to the House of Representatives to represent Ilaje/Ese-Odo federal constituency under the PDP.

At the green chamber, Mr Ajayi was chairman of the house committee on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) between 2007 and 2010.

He also served as a member of many other committees, including gas, habitat, justice and industry between 2007 and 2011.

The Ese-Odo born politician in Ondo South dumped PDP for APC to run as the runningmate to Mr Akeredolu in the November 26, 2016 governorship election which they won.

But they fought in the buildup to the 2020 election, following which Mr Ajayi joined the PDP. But he left the PDP a month after following his defeat in the party’s governorship primary. He switched camp to the ZLP with the support of former governor Olusegun Mimiko. He also survived attempts by the state’s lawmakers to impeach him after his defection from the APC.

Eyitayo Jegede – PDP

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria hails from Akure, the capital of the state, in Ondo Central senatorial district.

He was the Chancellor of Anglican Communion of Jalingo, Taraba State. Mr Jegede is also a former Chancellor of Anglican Dioceses of Yola and a member of the Implementation Committee of the American University, Yola, Adamawa State, as well as a member, Chairman Board of Governors, ABTI Academy International School and member, Board of Trustees, Elizade University, Ilara Mokin, Ondo State.

In May 2009, Mr Mimiko appointed him as the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Ondo State.

There were disputes around his candidacy in 2016 but the court resolved them in his favour a few days to the election, which he lost to Mr Akeredolu of the APC.

Mr Jegede is one of the most popular candidates and has vowed to defeat other contestants.

Headline

Breaking: Wike Plans to Attend Thursday’s PDP NEC Meeting

Published

2 days ago

April 17, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

The immediate past Governor of Rivers State, and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, may have concluded plans to attend the much advertised National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), billed to hold on Thursday, in Abuja.

Impeccable source, who is in the know, told The Boss that the minister, whose membership of the PDP is yet to be revoked even as he frolicks with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and serving in the President Bola Tinubu government as a minister.

The Source told The Boss that Wike’s impending presence at the NECeeting on Thursday is not unconnected with plans, already hatched with some governors, to weaken the opposition PDP.

“Yes, we have on good authority that FCT minister, Wike is planning to attend the NEC meeting tomorrow all in a bid to weaken the fabrics of the PDP, and pave the way for the continuation of the Tinubu administration come 2027, and by extension, relapse Nigeria to a full blown one party state.

“From every indication, Wike and his co-travellers, are bent on unleashing the same crisis ravaging the third force, Labour Party, and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso’s Nigerian National People’s Party (NNPP) on the PDP for the APC to remain the only political party in the country, and ensure that Tinubu has no challenger, come 2027,” the Source said.

It would be recalled that Wike has boasted over and again that there’s no opposition against Tinubu’s re-emergence in 2027, and that they have made sure of that. He has been compensated with the Ministerial job after he withdrew support for his party, and supported the APC and Tinubu to emerge as national government.

The Source further revealed that in the attempt to actualize the intended one party state, a lot of funding is ongoing to ensure that concerned stakeholders are ‘settled’ handsomely.

Wike, prior, during and after the 2023 general elections, has been floating in between the two major political parties; the APC and the PDP. While he claim to still be a member of the PDP, he is functioning as a minister in an APC government, mocking the inability of his party to discipline him.

Political stakeholders have concluded that the outcome of Thursday’s PDP NEC meeting will determine the path Nigeria’s political trajectory will take, and that it may portend the end of multi-party system and political democracy if Wike succeeds in his plan.

Headline

Bribery, Corruption: APC Suspends National Chairman, Ganduje

Published

4 days ago

April 15, 2024

Eric

The All Progressives Congress ward in Ganduje, Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area, has suspended the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje.

The party ward legal adviser, Halliru Gwanzo, announced the suspension while addressing newsmen in Kano State on Monday.

Gwanzo cited allegations of bribery against Ganduje levelled by the Kano State Government as the reason for the suspension.

“We decided to suspend Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje from the party due to the seriousness of the allegations against him,” Gwanzo said.

Meanwhile, efforts to contact the Chief Press Secretary to the APC National Chairman, Mr Edwin Olufo, failed as his mobile phone was unreachable.

Headline

Akpabio Commits to Collaboration with Tinubu, Governor Umo Eno

Published

1 week ago

April 12, 2024

Admin

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has stated his commitment to working closely with Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Governor Umo Eno to ensure the delivery of democratic benefits to the people of Akwa Ibom State.

Akpabio stated this in his country home, Ukana, Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom, while briefing his constituents on the journey so far as their representative in the red chamber.

He assured the people of Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District of his commitment to their welfare in appreciation of their total support for him, President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in last year’s election.

The Highpoint of the constituency briefing was the distribution of over 10,000 bags of rice and other essentials for his constituents from the wards, to the local governments.

A statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, quoted Akpabio as saying, “I am here once again, to thank you for standing by me, our President and the party, before, during and even after last year’s elections. I have come to say thank you and also bring Renewed Hope to you all.

“As the President is doing his own, the Senate President is also doing his bit and being complemented by the state governor, Akwa Ibom would be the better for it. We have finished elections and politics, we are now into governance. The governor of the state must touch you, because he is the governor of all the people in the state irrespective of political affiliation.

” As I am touching you now from the political angle, I will also touch the state without any political party affiliation. Most of the projects we are putting in place would be used by people resident in the state. Relax, things are getting better.”

The former Governor of the state, assured his constituents that his current position as the Senate President would be used for the development of the state in collaboration with the President and the Akwa Ibom State Governor.

Hear him: This Senate President is not the one that would be fighting the state government. I will collaborate with , I will collaborate with , to make the state better for us all. We cannot be out of government for a long time. You have to go to a government that carries you along”

Akpabio promised to work for his constituents and Nigeria with all his strength, noting that, “as the President of the Senate, I am for the Southern region and the entire country. I may not come here regularly to tell you what I have been doing for you, but you will be feeling the impact on way or the other. Our unemployed youths would be gainfully employed. I will construct a mini stadium in all the local governments in the district, for our youths to develop their sporting potentials. ”