Ondo guber: Why contending parties must shun candidate imposition

Expectedly, the political atmosphere in Ondo State is already charged ahead of the November 27, 2016 governorship election. Aspirants in the two leading political parties in the state and their supporters are busy preparing for their party’s primary; which according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should hold on August 22 for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and August 27 for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The prevailing situation presently is such that the resultant intra-party politics and intrigues have culminated in diverse calculations and permutations. While some aspirants appeal to sub-zonal sentiments, others beseech party leaders and political god-fathers for endorsement and possible imposition on their respective parties. This trend is obvious in both PDP and APC.

However, analysts are unanimous in that; whatever argument anyone has in favour of candidate imposition; it remains the most dangerous path to tread for any political party in the state. Candidate imposition has never worked in Ondo politics as electorates in the state have over time proven to be extremely independent.

Going down the memory lane, in the Second Republic, an attempt to subvert the people’s will was made when the federal might attempted to impose Chief Akin Omoboriowo of the defunct National Party of Nigeria, (NPN) on the people of the state as against their desire for Chief Adekunle Ajasin of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN). The attempt was ferociously and violently rejected.

In 2003, after Chief Adebayo Adefarati completed his first term in office as governor of Ondo State under the platform of Alliance for Democracy (AD), he went against wise counsel that he stepped down on account of his age to allow a younger person carry on. At the end of the day, he was rejected at the poll, leading to the emergence of late Dr. Olusegun Agagu.

Late Adefarati’s main undoing then was his age, not performance. The general believe in the state then was that late Adefarati was too old to continue. Had the then Alliance for Democracy (AD) been wise enough to present a younger candidate, they might not lose that election.

Something similar happened when Dr. Agagu was seeking to be re-elected. He was rejected at the poll after many of his loyalists deserted him because the hand writing was clearly written on the wall that the people were already disenchanted with his government.

Not even the massive rigging perpetrated by the then PDP-led Federal Government could guarantee him the much coveted second term. At the end of it all, he was dumped by the people during the general election; thus, paving the way for the incumbent governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko after a stretch of keenly contested judicial proceedings.

From the First Republic to the Second, Third and Fourth Republic, Ondo people have demonstrated electoral sophistication and high degree of independence. It is always not difficult to predict Ondo election, just has it is often very difficult to rig them out of their will because they usually vote in bloc.

For the ruling party in the state, there are numerous huddles to cross. The party is presently fighting a battle of many fronts; ranging from factional rifts to leadership crisis still rocking the party at the national level.

Aside this, Ondo PDP is grappling with mass defection and this is largely propelled by the overwhelming disappointment in Dr. Mimiko’s administration. To compound the problem, Dr. Mimiko is believed to have anointed the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for justice, Eyitayo Jegede, SAN to the disappointment of many PDP faithfuls. But Jegede, against all odds, emerged the PDP governorship flag bearer in primaries of the party conducted on August 22, 2016.

Ordinarily, the imbroglio in PDP should be to the advantage of the leading opposition party in Ondo state but their success or otherwise will depend on how their flag-bearer emerged.

The shockwave and negative reactions which trailed the recently rumoured endorsement of Mr. Segun Abraham – one of the aspirants – by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the APC political collosus and a highly revered leader of the party in South-West; should be an eye opener for whoever is planning to either undermine or manipulate the party’s primary slated for August 27.

Should APC learn from its past, it would recall that the then candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to lost to PDP mainly because there were many within the party who became disgruntled when its flag bearer emerged through a consensus agreement rather than through the party’s preliminary election.

Some party leaders felt they were short changed and refused to work for the success of the candidate. At different times, the party’s post-election report had linked the loss of the defunct ACN to the decision of some of its aggrieved stalwarts to work against its victory in the contest.

Aside a few of the aspirants who reacted angrily to the move, groups from different strata within the party have equally reacted. Everyone in the party seems to be campaigning against imposition or endorsement.

Hence, contrary to Kekemeke’s position, the State Working Committee had dissociated itself from the purported endorsement. Likewise, the Conference of the APC Local Government Chairmen had called for a credible primary. Also, the youth wing of the chapter had rejected attempts by some forces to impose candidate on the party or smear Tinubu’s image in the name of Ondo politics.

In spite of the wide reactions that the purported endorsement generated, investigation revealed something that is somewhat different from what is in the public domain.

It was learnt from a reliable source that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu did not personally convey the meeting in which the said endorsement was announced; neither did he personally endorse Abraham. But the meeting was purely at the behest of Kekemeke and the main purpose was to get the endorsement of the APC National Vice Chairman (South-west), Chief Pius Akinyelure for one of the governorship aspirants and a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Bode Ayorinde.

But one of the party leaders said Akinyelure declined to endorse Ayorinde on the ground that he did not have such power. Consequently, Akinyelure was to have facilitated a meeting with Tinubu at Bourdillon, Ikoyi where Kekemeke disclosed the mission of his team. Like Akinyelure, Tinubu declined to endorse Ayorinde outrights and disclosed indifference to endorsing any of the governorship aspirants.

Rather than supporting Ayorinde whom he met for the first time at the meeting, the national leader was said to have told Kekemeke and his team that he would prefer “to support an Abraham, whom I invited to come and contest the 2012 election. In any case, I am not in support of any aspirants in Ondo State. All aspirants should individually pursue their aspiration and work for the interest of the APC.”

However, it is pertinent to note that a politician who seeks the highest office in his or her state should be politically strong enough to win his party’s primary without resulting to taking undue advantage. After all, he would eventually be seeking the mandate from the entire state and no singular person can individually make him the governor of the most strategic state in South-West Nigeria.

Francis Suberu, a journalist, writes from Lagos