With about eight aspirants from Owo, hometown of the incumbent Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu itching to govern the state, ADEWALE MOMOH writes on the factors surrounding their determination to unseat their kinsman
Every machinery is in motion regarding the forthcoming October 10, 2020 governorship election in Ondo State. Aspirants within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the major opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seek battle ready towards ensuring that Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu’s second term ambition does not materialize.
Among the aspirants, no fewer than eight of them are from Owo, headquarters of Owo Local Government Area of the state, the hometown of Governor Akeredolu, a development which is unprecedented in the state’s political history.
Since the return to democracy in 1999, it is on record that none of the kinsmen of governors who had ruled the state had attempted to thwart their second term ambition.
However, with the emergence of these eight aspirants from Owo alone jostling for their party’s tickets, the political narrative in the state has since changed as political analysts described it as acceptability test of the governor by his own people.
While most of the aspirants are entering the competitive musky waters of politics for the first time with little or no political structure, their mission had been viewed by political observers as onerous task.
Among the aspirants from Akeredolu’s hometown jostling for APC ticket are, Dapo Adelegan, Jumoke Anifowose, Olaide Adelami, Bukola Adetula, Jumoke Anifowose and Apata Awodeyi while those in the PDP are Bode Ayorinde, Femi Adekanmbi and Dayo Fadahunsi.
Dapo Adelegan
Dapo Adelegan, a former President and Chairman of the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC), is the Managing Director, PR Africa International.
With an impressive and remarkable achievement in the private sector, Adelegan has distinguished himself in public relations practice not only in Nigeria but also on the African continent.
He is credited with the successful planning and execution of Lekki Sunsplash, which was Africa’s biggest musical event for five years starting in 1988. He is a new entrant in the state political scene, though understands the art of politics.
Adelegan said the emergence of aspirants from Owo where Governor Akeredolu hails from is a referendum on the unacceptability of the governor by his people, even as he chided for Akeredolu for lack of leadership capacity to take the state to the next level of economic prosperity. He does not want anyone to use the governor’s performance as yardstick on the entire people of Owo.
He stressed that the first civilian governor of the state, late Pa Michael Adekunle Ajasin, who was from the same town with Akeredolu, left indelible and remarkable footprints in the state unlike Akeredolu who he said was doing the opposite.
Adelegan advised Akeredolu not to seek another term and bow out honourably in order to give another Owo person the chance to complete the next four years term.
He said: “The high number of people from Owo seeking to unseat Akeredolu who is also from Owo is basically a referendum on him. If he had performed well, will anybody dare come out to challenge him?
“I’m not the only one, I’m talking about 10 of us. Those who worked with him and those who supported him from onset are insisting that he must not return for second term.
“Half of the people from Owo that are out for the governorship primaries are out because they know they will be governors; they just don’t want him to come back because he under-rated virtually everyone. And you know that Ondo State people abhor ridicule. They don’t cow to money or power.
“If ten people, elite, self-made men have made up their mind to run against their kinsman, it is a referendum on the governor. Ideally, when Mimiko was the governor, no single person from his hometown Ondo came out to challenge him. There all supported him. Till tomorrow he is their hero. How did he do it? He performed so well at home.
“Anybody from Owo who is seeking the governorship ticket is qualified to be governor. They all have their various experiences. And some of the aspirants are out to destroy the little modicum of support left for Akeredolu. They don’t need to be governors but they are very sad that who they supported three years ago underestimated them.
“The APC governorship aspirants from Owo have agreed to support anyone among them that clinch the party’s ticket,” he stated.
Jumoke Anifowose
Mrs. Jumoke Anifowose, a lawyer, is the daughter of the late Chief Adekunle Ajasin, who was the first civilian governor of Ondo State. Anifowose served as the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the Adefarati Administration and was at different time the state chairman of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).
She contested the party’s primaries in 2016 where she was able to garner one vote. After the primaries, she threw her support for Akeredolu who won the primaries but the relationship between the two later went sour following the emergence of Akeredolu as governor of the state.
Anifowose is also a member of the Unity Forum, a group formed for the purpose of unseating Akeredolu.
Olayide Adelami
Olayide Adelami, the ex-Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly on his part said the emergence of Owo indigenes who are ready to square up with Akeredolu is an attestation that the governor has not lived up to expectations since he was elected.
“He has done well within the limit of capacity. I am not saying he has not done well, but he can do far better than what is happening now in Ondo State.
“As we speak there are five aspirants from Owo, and it is not only Owo vote that will produce a governor. It is the people of Ondo State that will determine who they want as a governor this time around. I think it is good for people of Ondo State to have choices.
“It is an opportunity for the people of Ondo State to be able to choose the best from any one of us. So, we are presenting the people of Ondo State with many good choices to choose. So, with over five aspirants coming out from Owo, will it affect the chances of the governor if he is popular?
“He has been there for three years, whereas we have not been tested yet. If the people so love him there is no way
they will not return him, but I think the people need a choice from the grassroots.
“If you look at all the nooks and crannies of Ondo State you will know that the people are not happy and that is the gap we want to fill in order to bring fresh blood into the scene and do what other people thought is not possible in Ondo State.
Bukola Adetula
Bukola Adetula, a lawyer by profession contested the APC primaries in 2016 but lost to Akeredolu. Adetula said that with him in saddle as governor, the state will witness proper running of government better than what is currently being experienced under the Akeredolu-led government.
“We have reached out; we have consulted people with leaders, grassroots, women, youths, and professionals across the length and breadth of Ondo State and we are convinced that for the sake of the people, in the interest of the good people of Ondo State we must do what we believe – to help and develop the state.
“We have what it takes to bring meaningful changes to the lives of people in the state and that is why we are saying we must seek the nomination form of our party to contest the 2020 Ondo governorship election,” he said.
Bode Ayorinde
Bode Ayorinde, the founder of Achievers University, a private university located in Owo, represented the people of Owo-Ose Federal Constituency between 2011 and 2015 in the House of Representatives.
He was an aspirant for the position of governor in the state on the platform of the APC in 2016. Following his decamping from APC to the PDP, Ayorinde said that he is re-contesting the position of governor in the October, 2020 election in the state.
According to Ayorinde, he is prepared to spend only four years by signing a written document with the party leaders if given the PDP ticket and eventually emerged victorious at the gubernatorial polls in order to complete the eight-year tenure the people of Ondo bequeathed the northern district when they voted for Akeredolu in 2016.
“You will recall that I was a frontline governorship aspirant in 2016 on the platform of the All APC. Eventually, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN (Aketi) won the election. In a way, that momentarily put to rest my hope to govern Ondo State since we cannot all be governors at the same time.
“Naturally, many hopes will definitely be subsumed with the success of one. In view of this reality, I moved very close to Aketi so as to join him to move Ondo State forward. Unfortunately, this gesture of mine, driven by noble intentions, were repelled and I was practically chased out of the All Progressives Congress (APC) by Aketi Team.
“I visited Aketi four times to plead with him to be magnanimous in victory and tolerant of all of us that contested with him during the primary election. I even wrote a letter to him, titled: ‘For the Record’. All efforts to make him the governor of all, in Ondo State rather than governor of Aketi Team failed.
“Present realities in the state and emerging facts have now rekindled my genuine concern that achieving a great and prosperous Ondo State is a task that must be accomplished.
“A few people had equally asked me whether an Owo man can succeed Aketi as governor. My answer has been emphatic NO, but that it is only fair and just for an Owo man to complete the expected tenure of office. Therefore, my honest intention is to complete the term due to Owo through the mandate of the good people of Ondo State and I am prepared to give our Leaders in PDP, a written undertaking to that effect,” he said.
While pundits have not ruled out some re-alignment among the aspirants ahead of the primaries, it goes to show that the battle will be a tough one for the governor.
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