Why ACN lost Ondo election

Seun Bisuga

Former Ondo State Action Congress of Nigeria, (ACN), Chairman, Jumoke Anifowose (nee Ajasin) believes that the party lost the gubernatorial election because its candidate, Rotimi Akeredolu, is not a homegrown candidate.

She said that the incumbent governor and Labour Party candidate, Olusegun Mimiko won because he was home-grown and understands the terrain. “The people wanted a governor they know. I think that helped him to win a second term,”she said.

Although she did not favour her party’s selection process she decided to support the party’s choice of Akeredolu because she wanted her party to capture the state.

“Some of the gubernatorial aspirants left the party after the party supremacy decided to select a candidate. Others stayed back and I was the only woman aspirants in 28 persons that showed interest and I campaigned for CAN,”she explained.

She however reckons the election was free and fair in Owo local government area where she casted her vote.

She says the party supremacy will decide whether to contest the election in court. “We have to wait until all documents are put together before the party decides to go to the tribunal. If the evidence is strong enough we could go to the tribunal,” she stated

Anifowose, a legal practitioner, claimed Mimiko’s administration failed in road infrastructure. She pointed Owo as an example of Mimiko’s misplaced priority. “In Owo there are complaints about the dualisation of the main Owo road because there is no traffic like we have in Lagos. His performance is not impressive to those of us in ACN,” she said.

Ajasin was running a second term before Buhari/Idiagbon coup truncated his second term.