The battle for Alagbaka Government House, Akure, intensified yesterday, after President Muhammadu Buhari stormed the Ondo State capital to campaign for the candidate of his party, All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Rotimi Akeredolu, in Saturday’s governorship election in the state.
Meanwhile, the occasion was a low point for the APC as some of those who matter in the politics of the South-West, where Ondo is located, stayed away.
They include Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is not only one of the most influential figures in the APC in the South-West but also across the country; APC governors of Lagos, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode; and his colleagues from Osun, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, and Oyo, Chief Abiola Ajimobi.
The only governor from the South-West present at the rally was that of Ogun, Ibikunle Amosun. Another influential APC figure from the geopolitical zone, Chief Bisi Akande, the pioneer National Chairman of the APC, was also absent at the occasion.
Analysts, last night, interpreted the absence of Tinubu, Akande and three South-West governors at the rally as the continuation of the crisis in the APC triggered by the emergence of Akeredolu as the party’s candidate in the Ondo election as against Dr. Olusegun Abraham supported by Tinubu.
The Akure rally held on a day Sunday Vanguard learnt that incumbent Governor Olusegun Mimiko had become a ‘beautiful bride’ in the poll to choose his successor, after the chances of his candidate in the poll, Eyitayo Jegede, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), diminished, on account of the adverse litigation against his (Jegede) candidature.
Sources said Mimiko may mobilise against the PDP candidate recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim, following a court order, in favour of Akeredolu or the candidate of the Alliance for Democracy, AD, Chief Olusola Oke, a long-time ally in the PDP, before the Mimiko left for the Labour Party, LP, only to return and take over the PDP.
Before yesterday, it had been rumoured that Tinubu may support Chief Oke, in protest against the alleged scheming out of his candidate (Abraham) in the APC primary election. Apart from Amosun, the only South-West governor at the Akure rally, yesterday, other APC governors present were Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa), Umar Ganduje (Kano), Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Rochas Okorocha (Imo) and Yahaya Bello (Kogi). Also in attendance were some members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and Senate President Bukola Saraki, among others.
Addressing the rally, Buhari said he was convinced of victory for Akeredolu following the support for him as could be seen from the large crowd at the occasion.
The President expressed satisfaction with the governorship primary that produced Akeredolu as the party’s candidate.
He asked the people of the state to vote enmasse for Akeredolu so as to belong to the mainstream politics where they are sure of enjoying the dividends of democracy. He said the party’s machinery and that government had been deployed in support of Akeredolu to make him the next governor of Ondo. “No turning back; we are here to show our support and solidarity for Akeredolu and we want to tell the people of this state that we will win the election on Saturday”, he stated.
The National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Oyegun, said the “entire family of the APC has come to Akure to show support and solidarity for Akeredolu and we are asking you (the electorate) to belong to that family”. Oyegun assured the people of Ondo that once the state joined the mainstream politics, better days were ahead. Senate President Saraki appealed to the people of the state not to make another mistake of not voting to belong to the mainstream politics.
Saraki said a vote for APC in Saturday’s election “is a vote for more political appointments at the federal level”. Ondo State Chairman of the APC, Isaac Kekemeke, assured that the state would join the club of progressive states from Saturday.
Kekemeke absolved the Buhari administration of the economic recession facing the country, noting that the former PDP administration stole the country blind. Ogun governor Amosun said the people of Ondo should not fall for the deceit of AD, describing the party as dead on arrival. The APC candidate, Akeredolu, promised to turn around the fortunes of the state if elected. He promised not to disappoint the people if given the opportunity to serve them.
Okorocha, who is the Chairman of the APC Governors Forum, said a vote for Akeredolu, who had shunned federal appointments on many occasions to serve the people of the state, “is a liberation from bondage” Also at a meeting with the governorship aspirants of the APC,yesterday, Buhari commended their loyalty to the party. “I am very pleased that those of you who lost the primary are still very much in the party”, the President told them. “That you lose elections doesn’t mean you should walk away, you keep on trying.
I went to the Supreme Court three times in my bid to become the President of Nigeria. “I like your high spirit and your commitment to the party and I hope your constituencies are taking note of that”.
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