The Ondo State political ambiance, in current weeks, was overshadowed by the antics of the state’s political class, inflicting pundits to foretell a chaotic main election, particularly for the main political events, forward of the governorship election to be held on November 16, this 12 months.
Evidently, the election has since formed as much as be a straight battle between the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC), and the most important opposition, the Peoples Democratic Celebration, (PDP), a former ruling celebration within the South West state.
The first elections of the events have come and gone however rancorous outcomes have set an uphill process for his or her candidates.
Though some comparatively smaller events performed rancour-free primaries, pundits aver that solely a significant upset would make any of them win the election.
Nevertheless, the end result of the primaries in APC and PDP seems to have difficult inner crises inside their folds earlier than the celebration elections.
APC
The incumbent, Governor Fortunate Aiyedatiwa, received the APC main election. He clinched the ticket by amassing a complete of 48,569 votes. His closest contender, Mayowa Akinfolarin, trailed with 15,343 votes, whereas Chief Olusola Oke secured the third place with 14,865 votes.
The announcement was made by the chairman of the Governorship Major Election Committee and Governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Ododo.
Ododo, describing the primaries as a rigorous contest, stated it was held throughout the 18 council areas of the state, and that celebration members and supporters participated.
Nevertheless, the celebration’s returning officer for the native authorities, Oliver Okpala, stated there have been no outcomes from the Ifedore native authorities space as a result of the train was violently disrupted by thugs on Saturday.
He stated they escaped from the neighborhood following plans by thugs to assault them. “There was capturing and violence once we got here and the voters had been scattered and returned to their houses for worry of being attacked.
“There was no election within the native authorities as a result of we needed to go away and I recorded zero for all of the aspirants,” Mr Okpala stated.
Violence was additionally reported in Ilaje native authorities space the place an electoral officer and a commissioner had been kidnapped by hoodlums. They had been later launched following efforts by safety businesses.
Regardless of the violent incidents, Ododo stated reviews from the sphere revealed that the first election went on peacefully, and that votes had been counted and recorded.
“By the facility conferred on the committee, and in step with APC tips for the nomination of the candidate of the celebration within the common election, I Ahmed Usman Ododo, Governor of Kogi State and the Chairman of the Committee and the Returning Officer of the Ondo State APC governorship main election, held on the 20 April 2024, hereby declare that Fortunate Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, having glad the necessities of the regulation and scored the very best variety of votes forged within the direct main election, is hereby returned elected and declared winner,” Ododo acknowledged.
Previous to the announcement, Ododo had pleaded with aspirants for unity regardless who wins. However this plea didn’t work.
Whereas the train was being performed, some aspirants referred to as for its cancellation, claiming irregularities.
The aggrieved aspirants later petitioned the nationwide secretariat of the celebration in quest of redress. They rejected the end result and insisted the election should be canceled and repeated.
The aggrieved aspirants are Chief Olusola Oke(SAN), Wale Akinterinwa, Barrister Olugbenga Edema, Prof.Dayo Faduyile, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, Hon. Jimi Odimayo and Engr. Folakemi Omogoroye.
Whereas their supporters marched on the streets of Akure to demand the cancellation of the primaries, the aggrieved aspirants additionally boycotted the collation centre.
However the celebration candidate, Governor Fortunate Aiyedatiwa, has urged aspirants to offer him the wanted help to win the forthcoming governorship election.
He insisted that the celebration election had ended “with the emergence of a candidate as declared by the Governorship Major Election Committee, underneath the chairmanship of Usman Ododo, the Governor of Kogi State.”
The governor, who acknowledged the aspirants, stated their participation “created a lot consciousness inside and outdoors our celebration.”
Aiyedatiwa counselled towards the holding of grudges towards anybody, “however for everybody to come back collectively to work for the success of the celebration in order to stay in energy.”
“We are going to all achieve on this celebration, although at totally different occasions, if we hold religion. I salute your braveness and eager curiosity in main the state in direction of growth. It’s your proper and you’re certified and worthy members of our celebration,” he added.
The celebration management on the nationwide degree has additionally sought to douse the strain. Whereas the governor has since visited the presidency to current himself as celebration candidate, the APC nationwide chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, held a gathering with the aspirants on the celebration secretariat the place he appealed to them to simply accept the end result of the polls.
Nevertheless, there are nonetheless points that, if not rapidly attended to, might result in numerous pre-election litigations.
Pundits observe that a lot of the aspirants, particularly high contenders within the race have refused to concede defeat and are contemplating varied technique of getting “justice” together with the authorized possibility, which many, together with political observers stated might change into a significant bane to a profitable election for the celebration.
There are fears that if the fallout from the first shouldn’t be correctly dealt with, these aggrieved aspirants would possibly work towards the APC within the election.
PDP
The first election of the primary opposition celebration was additionally characterised by drama because the winner of the election. The train was majorly a tussle between the camp led by former deputy governor, Hon. Agboola Ajayi, and that of the previous governor of the state, Dr Olusegun Mimiko.
No fewer than 621 delegates from the 18 native authorities areas of the state participated within the shadow election.
There have been seven governorship aspirants within the race – Hon. Ajayi Agboola, Chief Sola Ebiseni, Hon. Kolade Akinjo, Engr. Adeolu Akinwumi, Otunba Bamidele Akingboye, Mr. Arebuwa and John Ola Mafo.
Ajayi polled 264 votes to defeat the opposite six aspirants, together with a former Home of Representatives member, Hon. Kolade Akinjo, who got here second with 157 votes.
Additionally, the previous secretary common of the Pan Yoruba Socio-Political Group, Afenifere, Chief Sola Ebiseni, a former Surroundings commissioner, got here third within the contest, with 99 votes. Whereas Engr. Adeolu Akinwumi polled 64 votes to come back fourth, Otunba Bamidele Akingboye obtained 24 votes.
A former commissioner for Info within the state, John Ola Mafo, obtained 9 votes and Bosun Arebuwa polled two votes.
Checks by LEADERSHIP Sunday revealed that Mimiko’s camp underrated the previous deputy governor, Ajayi, having dumped him after supporting him within the 2020 governorship election on the platform of the Zenith Labour Celebration (ZLP).
It was additionally gathered that the previous Afenifere secretary common, Ebiseni, who got here third within the contest, had wished to contest the governorship election on the platform of his former celebration, Labour Celebration (LP), however was wooed by one among Mimiko’s loyalists to come back to PDP with a promise that he can be given the ticket.
Political pundits noticed that Ebiseni was later dumped by the previous governor’s camp which supported a former Home of Representatives member, Hon. Kolade Akinjo.
Nevertheless, Ajayi received over celebration loyalists on the grassroots which ensured his victory on the primaries.
Because it stands, the November 16 election is about to be majorly between, two former deputy governors to late Rotimi Akeredolu. The previous governor died final 12 months.
Ajayi fell out with Akeredolu within the buildup to the 2020 election, contested towards his late boss and misplaced. Ayedatiwa, who changed Ajayi, have needed to battle with loyalists of Akeredolu earlier than he emerged as substantive governor.
Nevertheless, each candidates are but to be forgiven by managers of Akeredolu’s political construction within the state.
However how influential the late governor’s camp might be in deciding the election is suspect.
