Akeredolu’s Overtures and Future of Ondo PDP

CICERO/Report

James Sowole writes on the likely implications of the Supreme Court’s judgment on the October 10, 2020 gubernatorial election in Ondo State on the Peoples Democratic Party in the state

RRight from the beginning of the preparation for the October 10, 2020 governorship election that returned the Ondo State Governor, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), for a second term in office, the governor, noted for his bluntness and fearlessness, never looked down on his major opponent, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who is equally a SAN.

At every available opportunity, Akeredolu always spoke glowingly of his learned colleague, even during the campaigns, which the leaders of his All Progressives Congress (APC) and their supporters, were not pleased with.

For reasons not expressed at any forum, Akeredolu, in relating with Jegede, was never carried away even after he was declared winner of the election.

After the three-man Election Petition Tribunal dismissed the petition of Jegede, the governor had maintained his humility in victory, inviting his main challenger to join his hands in moving the state forward. Akeredolu preached the same message after the Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, upheld the decision of the Election Petition Tribunal.

Some people, who thought that Akeredolu would change his position towards his learned colleague after the Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the Court of Appeal, were proved wrong as the governor again extended an olive branch to Jegede.

But without any response to the invitation from his friend, Jegede in a statement he personally signed, congratulated Akeredolu on the split 4- 3 Supreme Court judgment, that finally dismissed his (Jegede) petition.

While saying that apex court’s ruling won’t deter him from respecting the judiciary, Jegede thanked the PDP, the people of Ondo State and his counsel for a good fight.

He said, “Now that we have explored the grievance procedure permitted by the constitution and the law, it is time to give glory to God.

“We thank specially our legal team, under the leadership of Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), for their commitment, industry and dedication to our cause. Over and above all, we thank them for their sacrifice.

“We are thankful to the people of Ondo State for their steadfastness; we were in this for service and for the collective interest of the majority of our people.

“The outcome of today’s judgment should not deter good and well-meaning individuals from aspiring for leadership in our state and in our country. For all our people who have stood strong, we salute you.

“We thank the national and state leadership, and the generality of the members of PDP for providing us with great support. For our governors who provided the required leadership and kept faith with our aspiration, gratitude; history will judge you right.

“With this outcome, our respect and reverence for the judiciary and our justices of the supreme court has not diminished.”

However, that Jegede did not accept the Akeredolu’s offer was expressed by the PDP in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Ikantu Peretei, describing the offer as laughable.

The PDP asked the governor to leave the party and its candidate out of the current administration in the state.

Peretei said: “Our party and its candidate cannot be part of a government that has thrown out many students of tertiary institutions in the state because their parents can no longer pay the astronomical school fees charged by the Akeredolu government.

“Our party and its candidate cannot be part of government that has crippled the health care system in the state. We cannot be part of a government that has withdrawn free shuttle buses for school children.

“It is unthinkable that Akeredolu can ask our candidate to join a government that has pauperised civil servants in the state through the payments of 30 per cent salaries that are not even regular. Civil servants now have to take loans to be able to pay house rents or send their children to school.

“The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa chapter has just embarked on an indefinite strike. What has been the government’s response to all these myriad of problems?

“It is important to stress that, before the October 2020 election, Eyitayo Jegede, and the PDP drew up a well- articulated manifesto on education, healthcare delivery, agriculture, industrialisation, welfare of civil servants and much more in contradistinction to what is obtainable now in the state. To this extent, there is no meeting point between what was designed by the PDP and Akeredeolu’s score card.

“Our party wishes to advise Akeredolu to hannel his energies to improving the welfare of Ondo citizens instead of grandstanding and clicking of wine glasses over the Supreme Court judgment.”

Though, the judgment had come to stay, discussions have started on the implication of the development to stakeholders and the PDP as it concerns the candidate himself and members of the party.

While speaking with THISDAY, the state chairman of the PDP, Hon. Fatai Adams, said the party was moving forward and had appealed to members that the future was bright for the party, both in the state and at the national level.

THISDAY however, learnt that a strategic stakeholders meeting, was held to review the situation. It was gathered that at the meeting attended by Jegede himself, he thanked leaders and members for standing firm while the litigation lasted.

Jegede was also said to have told the leaders and members of the party that with their commitment and steadfastness, PDP remains formidable because of its organisational structure and respect for rules

However, some people were of the belief that the loss of the governorship election would affect the party adversely in the area of funding. Some people said many members may defect to the ruling party in due course.

According to them, some party members may capitalise on the Akeredolu’s overture to defect.

The state chairmanship candidate of the PDP, Hon. Denis Niyi-Longe, had few days to the apex court’s judgment, defected to the APC, after losing the state chairmanship position to Hon. Fatai Adams.

The defector, who said he has no confidence in the suit that terminated at the Supreme Court, said PDP had no future in the state.

Also, a major issue being discussed is the political future of the PDP’s candidate, Jegede, who was defeated twice consecutively by Akeredolu.

When the PDP fielded Jegede in 2016, a major argument against him, was that it was not the turn of the Ondo Central to produce the governor but Ondo South, since Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, who is from the Ondo Central had just completed two terms of four years each.

The story was the same when PDP again sponsored Jegede in 2020. In actual fact, Akeredolu at one of his campaign rallies, had told his learned colleague to wait for another 12 years before he could aspire to become the governor of the state.

The governor had premised his argument on the expectation that he would spend his second term from 2021 to 2024, and after which the Ondo South, would produce the governor for eight years, before it could be the turn of Ondo Central, where Jegede hails from.

A PDP chieftain, who spoke in confidence with THISDAY, said nobody would consider sponsoring governorship candidate from Ondo Central no matter the pedigree of such candidate.

He said, “We tried it in 2016 despite several controversies, we failed. We did the same thing in 2020, we all saw what happened and now that the court, has ruled, we must not try it again now that everybody is now looking up to Ondo South, to produce the next governor after Akeredolu.”

For the ruling APC, it is not yet a complete dancing party, as controversies are brewing over the congresses being conducted in view of the Supreme Court’s decision on the party’s national leadership.