As PDP Flags Off 2024 Guber Campaign in Ondo…

Fidelis David reports that with last week’s flag off of the opposition People’s Democratic Party gubernatorial campaign in Ondo State, the next three weeks in the Sunshine State will be characterized by the ability of political parties to rally their troops and grind out superior strategy to win the November 16, 2024 governorship poll.

It is less than a month to the November 16 governorship election in Ondo State and the centre stage is fast becoming a battle of wits between the political lieutenants of late former Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and other candidates.

Parties including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC) Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) among others, are already strategising on how to win the poll.

Last Tuesday,  the state chapter of PDP flagged off its campaign where hundreds of the party faithful converged on Oyemekun Road, Akure, the state capital, in different branded party uniforms and fez caps amid fanfare.

The flag of the party was presented to the candidate of the party, Mr Agboola Ajayi, by the Acting National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Umar Damagun and the event was attended by the national, state and local government leaders of the party that included Governors of Oyo, Osun and Bauchi States, Seyi Makinde, Ademola Adeleke and Bala Mohammed respectively.

Also present were the senate minority leader, Senator Abba Moro; a former governor of Ebonyi State, Mr Sam Egwu; a former deputy governor of Ondo State, Ambassador Omolade Oluwateru, among others.

Presenting the party’s flag to the candidate, the PDP Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, vowed that party members would defend their votes with blood, saying “there is no good road and other infrastructure in Ondo. Opportunity has come for you to change the narrative.”

He said the party was united to go to the forthcoming election and take back the state, charging the people to protect their votes and deliver themselves from the government of APC, which according to him, had brought hardship to the people.

On his part, Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to do the right thing by being fair and ensuring a level-playing field in the election.

Makinde, who prayed the people of Ondo State to vote the PDP candidate, Agboola Ajayi, however, demanded the removal of the State Resident Electoral Commissioner(REC) of INEC, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, over alleged  plot to manipulate results of the election.

But the INEC, has said the claim by Makinde that Ondo REC hailed from the state was false, appealing to holders of high public office to verify their information before making serial, unfounded allegations.

According to INEC: “For the avoidance of doubt, Mrs. Babalola is not from Ondo State in line with the Commission’s policy not to deploy a REC to his or her state of origin.”

In its reaction, the APC State Publicity Secretary, Alex Kalejaye also faulted Makind’s submission, saying “APC wishes to remind the governor that neither Ondo State nor the electoral body is an appendage of his empire, where he rules as an administrator.”

The party noted that the electoral officer has, since assumption of office, demonstrated integrity, competence and capacity to handle any election.

The PDP candidate, Ajayi, who was flanked by his running mate and member of the House of Representatives, Hon Festus Akingbaso, corroborated Makinde,  demanding that Babalola should be redeployed from the state on grounds that she allegedly could not be fair if allowed to conduct poll.

His words: “Ondo REC must be redeployed. She was born here, her parents leave here. She can never be fair in this election. We don’t want her in Ondo State. Babalola must leave.”

He also listed his seven-key agenda for the state to include infrastructure, agriculture, health development, among others.

“We will enhance the capacity of law enforcement agencies particularly Amotekun, Forest Guards, Vigilantes, and Traditional Hunters through advanced training and provision of appropriate equipment. With the cooperative engagement of traditional rulers, religious leaders, and other stakeholders, we will implement community policing and neighborhood watch programs to improve public safety.

“Massively, we will produce food to immediately end hunger in the state by purchasing and distributing high yield seeds, seedlings and inputs to farmers. Increase and improve classrooms and other buildings for primary, secondary and tertiary institutions within the state. Free and compulsory education at the primary and junior secondary levels for all.

On health, Agboola said his government  will provide a primary health centre in each of the 203 wards in the state to be staffed by trained and dedicated medical personnel and provide essential drugs, hospital consumables and laboratory services to patients at affordable costs.”

It is worthy to note that Ajayi who was the candidate of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) in the 2020 governorship election had served as deputy governor of Ondo State from 2017 to 2021.

Absence of Mimiko and Allies

Though the campaign flag-off was well attended by bigwigs of PDP but the absence of former Governor of the state, Dr Olusegun Mimiko who belongs to the party might be an albatross for PDP ahead of the poll

Mimiko could be described as the most mobile politician in the state. He has been in Alliance for Democracy (AD), PDP, Labour Party (LP), back to PDP, later ZLP and  back to PDP and recently, it was rumoured that he may be officially defecting to APC.

Interestingly, two months ago, 29 political associates of Mimiko dumped PDP for APC with a vow to galvanise support for Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa ahead of the poll.

These, notwithstanding, some people believe that despite the crisis in PDP, Agboola Ajayi might still win the election because he’s a grassroot politician who knows how to knock on the doors of the common man.

During the direct primary election which led to the emergence of Agboola as the flagbearer of PDP, he surprisingly polled a total of 264 votes to defeat six other aspirants. Notably, top chieftains of PDP didn’t support him in the primary but he still won.

Particularly, Ondo PDP spokesman, Kennedy Ikantu Peretei, said anybody who has diligently followed Ondo State politics since 2007 will appreciate that, there is nothing to all the hype about Mimiko’s allies defection.

He said Mimiko has not made any public declaration of his being a member of APC but those who defected used his name as cover, which has attracted the most scathing attacks and uncomplimentary remarks on the personality of Mimiko.

 “I just wonder, why they did not use their own names, since they claimed to be big names, instead of bringing the former Governor into this controversy.

“The defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) that metamorphosed to APC in 2014 was an inconsequential political party in Ondo State. To underscore this, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, of blessed memory who was the candidate of the party in 2012 Governorship election came third. Dr Olusegun Mimiko’s Labour Party (LP) scored 260,199 votes (41.65%) to secure a second term, Chief Olusola Oke polled 155,961(24.97%) votes for the PDP as Akeredolu hugged the third position for ACN with 143,523 votes (22.97%).

“As a matter of fact, Akeredolu had to abandon his petition against Mimiko’s victory at the Supreme Court because the ACN that sponsored him for that election had become extinct in the course of the litigation. This is the background of APC in Ondo State.

“In the 2011 general elections, the ACN had no presence in the 26-member Ondo State House of Assembly. The PDP had only one, while LP had 25 members. However, in 2014 Dr Olusegun Mimiko decided to join the PDP with all his Commissioners, Special Advisers, Senior Special Assistants, two Senators, eight House of Representatives members, 25 Ondo State House of Assembly members and all the political appointees.

“The entire government apparatus was collapsed into the PDP. Former President Goodluck Jonathan believed that, with the LP joining the PDP in the State, the APC stood no chance in the 2015 General Election  (especially Presidential, which was his interest). But  PDP polled 251,368 votes (44.80%) and APC polled 299,889 votes (53.45%).

“Things did not get better for the PDP in the 2016 Governorship election. The PDP won in only two of the 18 Local Governments, that was how a minority party inherited the reins of power by default.

“Fast forward to 2019. Somehow, by this time, Dr Mimiko had exited the PDP. His new party was Zenith Labour Party ( ZLP). In the 2019 general election, the PDP roared back to reckoning even in spite of a sitting APC Governor in Alagbaka Government House, Akure and an APC President Muhammadu Buhari who sought a second term. APC polled 241,769 votes while PDP’s Abubakar Atiku polled 275,901 votes. Needless to mention that, PDP won two of the three Senatorial seats and three House of Representatives seats, lost the fourth with less than 200 votes.”

He stressed that for a place like Ondo State with very enlightened minds, politicians can defect to whichever party they want, when the election comes, the people will have to choose between their oppressors and those who wish to liberate them.

More importantly, while some of these defectors have never contested any election before, others are serial election losers. So, how can they help an Aiyedatiwa to win in November? This is the flip side of the celebration about the defections.