Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Ese- Odo local government area of Ondo state, Mr. Samuel Olorunwa has resigned his membership from the party.
Olorunwa tendered his resignation letter on Friday at the APC state secretariat in Akure.
He said he resigned his position as chairman as well as being a member of the APC.
Olorunwa is a closed ally of Deputy Governor of the state, Agboola Ajayi, who recently defected to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
![[TNG Analysis] Ondo 2020: Finally, Akeredolu bares his fangs as state Assembly suspends Dep Speaker](https://thenewsguru.ng/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Akeredolu.jpg)
By Emman Ovuakporie
Finally, Governor of Ondo state Rotimi Akeredolu in cohort with the state Assembly have succeeded in suspending the deputy speaker, Hon Irioju Ogundeji alongside Adewale Williams.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) in this brief analysis x-rays the many political battles the embattled governor is fighting to remain afloat.
Both lawmakers were among the nine lawmakers that kicked against impeachment move against Deputy Governor of the state, Hon Agboola Ajayi on Tuesday.
Recall that Ajayi had defected to the main opposition party in Nigeria, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to slug it out with his former boss in the forthcoming guber election in the state.
Also, Ajayi had raised an alarm that his principal was hell bent in greasing the palms of the state Assembly lawmakers to ensure he is impeached.
In the last three days the assembly has been making frantic efforts to perfect impeachment of Ajayi.
On Tuesday, the state Assembly issued an impeachment notice to Ajayi and nine members also notified the assembly that they are not part of the kangaroo arrangements.
On Wednesday two lawmakers were suspended apparently to get the required figures to impeach Ajayi.
Since Ajayi defected, Akeredolu has not known peace fighting his powerless deputy who had relocated from APC to PDP to seek a fresh lease of life to better his political future.
He had sacked all his deputy’s ploitical aides and by last Monday his SSG, Sunday Abegunde fired Akeredolu and narrated how his principal never in the first place won the 2016 guber polls in the state.
Abegunde has equally vowed not to leave APC as he would rather remain behind in the party to fight against Akeredolu.
This is one battle that the embattled governor may not be able to fight as the former SSG will spill more beans and plant mines on the path of Akeredolu.
As the immediate past SSG there maybe more secrets to expose that may turn the tables against the governor.
The forces mounting against the Sunshine State Governor are becoming larger than life as on a daily basis more political enemies are emerging.
At this point, Akeredolu does not really need enemies rather he should be fishing for political allies.
![TNG analysis [Ondo 2020]: Burden of an incumbent governor seeking reelection from self-isolation](https://thenewsguru.ng/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Akeredolu-Deputy.png)
Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, and his campaign team are now grappling with how to sell his reelection bid amid disturbing waves frustrating his chances of becoming the toast of the town and pushing him to lose ground to opponents in his aspirations to lead Ondo for another term.
Before Akeredolu announced his Covid-19 status on Tuesday, Aketi, as he is popularly called by his admirers on campaign fronts, hardly gets quality mentions in the media space when compared with the grand newsworthiness and dramas that catapulted his counterpart in Edo, Godwin Obaseki, from All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a clear indication of Aketi’s wobbling and uninteresting campaign.
Though Akeredolu wields the power of incumbency in Ondo, he is, however, as a result of his poor political sagacity losing traction even among his core constituencies.
1. Akeredolu’s Covid-19 status: Burden of an incumbent leading re-election bid from self-isolation
Considering the intermittent twists and turns of politics, especially as regards Nigeria where electoral decisions and processes are fraught with much more volatility, to head a governorship campaign from self-isolation is a hook in the throat of Akeredolu’s campaign team.
Bracing up to the new challenge, the governor who disclosed his Covid-19 status in a broadcast widely circulated on social media has assured his people that he will continue to perform his official duties from his self-isolation
His exact words, “Let me assure our people that the work is going on here at home I will be attending to files which are the normal thing I do and there is nothing that will stop work from going on.
“I want to plead with my political associates that they should continue with the project we are sure to win. “As you know, I am gifted to get through to my destination, knowing that I am a man with special gifts, and my trust in God to get through this is unshaken.”
While we observe how politics will subsequently unfold in Ondo as Akeredolu rules from isolation, time will tell if the outcome will be favourable for the Aketi’s ahead of the governorship election in the state.
2. Estranged Deputy Governor
Another apparent hole in Akeredolu’s re-election bid is his frosty relationship with his deputy, Agboola Ajayi, who recently decamped to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) but was able to keep his position.
As a governor who has zero capability to influence his lawmakers, Akeredolu finds it difficult to expel his deputy, who is now a thorn in the flesh of Aketi’s journey for a second term ambition.
Things got uglier for Akeredolu after he slipped into the confinement of Covid-19, and his deputy started pressuring him to hand over government pending the time he recovered from the virus.
Akeredolu swiftly reacted on the issue of Ajayi running the state’s affairs as he battles the deadly virus, he said the idea of handing over power to his deputy should be buried, noting that he (Ajayi) had exhibited traits of a betrayer.
Reacting to the position of the governor, Mr Ajayi said “ordinarily, one expects Mr Governor to bring to the front burner the background of his profession as a lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, (SAN) but surprisingly, the Governor has chosen this perversion of justice… ”
The deputy governor, who reacted on the matter through his media adviser, Allen Sowore, on Saturday furthered: “Section 190(2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) is apposite in this circumstances. On our part, we will continue to pray fervently for Mr Governor’s quickest recovery. However, it should be noted that Mr Governor is at liberty to handover or not within 21 days after which the constitution becomes operational.
3: MIMIKO: An undeniable force to reckon with in Ondo
To date, the enigmatic role the former Governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko plays in Ondo’s politics remains unparalleled. This phenomenal Ondo politician, who is nicknamed ‘Iroko’, a large tropical western African tree is undoubtedly rooted in the heart of Ondo people and has one of the largest political support bases in the state.
In 2016, Akeredolu had an easy ride to power only because his major challenger at the time, Eyitayo Jegede of Peoples Democratic Congress, who was backed by Mimiko was troubled by the legal battles with Jimoh Ibrahim, over the legality of his candidacy as a PDP flag bearer.
Despite the obscurity of Jegede in politics and the burden of the legal war with Jimoh Ibrahim, which slowed his campaign in 2016, he was still able to put up a good show in the election. Recall court granted him a delayed justice (two days to the election) that denied him the opportunity to sell himself, all thanks to Mimiko who was able to save him from an abysmal outing.
More intriguing is the slant among political analysts that Mimiko eventually consolidated Akeredolu’s emergence as governor, a last-minute decision he was said to have made as a back-up to the cracks in Jegede’s campaign at the said time.
If not then, Mimiko after his exit had given more support to the Akeredolu-led government in several capacities.
However, the failure of Akeredolu to return the favour from Mimiko made supporters of Iroko build their tents far from the Aketi’s, again, this further dwindles Akeredolu’s political influence and favours his opponents in the governorship race.
Noting Akeredolu’s lapses, Oyo State governor, Mr Seyi Makinde, who is regarded as the leader of the PDP in the region, recently led some members of the party to Ondo home of the former governor Mimiko to solicit for his support in the election.
The details of the meeting which was held between the two political leaders and some other PDP leaders to pacify Mimiko to support the PDP candidate in the election, this romance will dangerously affect Akeredolu’s reelection plans.
Mimiko was a member of the PDP before he dumped the party for Zenith Labour Party, (ZLP) after his second term in office in 2017.
4. FAMILY AFFAIRS, non-inclusive government
Since the day he was sworn into office, Akeredolu never denied placing more priority on his household interest at the expense of the state’s machinery or his political group ( house of assembly, cabinet, APC members).
Nicknamed in the streets as ‘One-family-government’, unapologetic Aketi and his wife, Betty have both argued with critics who accused him (Aketi) of running Ondo state like a family affair.
One good example was when he (Aketi) addressed the criticism that his son Babajide, handles most of the projects in the state.
In March, while speaking in Akure during a dinner organised in commemoration of his third anniversary as governor, Akeredolu while justifying his actions told critics his son worked harder than most members of the campaign.
His words: “When somebody says Baba (Babajide) is this, I just laugh at them. If I wanted to make Baba my chief of staff, he can be; did you do more than him in the campaign? Ask yourself, how many of you did more than Baba in the campaign? How many?” he asked.
“The young boy was going everywhere and all of us saw him but we decided not to because he wouldn’t want it. My son is satisfied, that’s why. If he is not, I will put him somewhere, there is nothing anybody can do. I will put him there, there is nothing you can do. Is he not my son? Is he not from Ondo state? Has he not worked?”
Utterances like the one stated above damaged the perception the public holds about the Akeredolu-led government and even divided those in his core support group.
5. First hurdle: Getting the party’s ticket
In the build-up to the October 10, 2020 governorship election in Ondo State, aspirants of the APC are working hard to surmount all hurdles to win the election for the party. The race to get the party’s ticket is not limited to the 10 aspirants, who had earlier formed an accord to wrest power from the incumbent governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu. The governor, too, is battling tooth and nail with forces within and outside the state to retain his seat.
Though not unusual of any governor seeking a second term, Akeredolu seems to be affected on all sides by political adversaries who have sworn to stop his re-election bid and end his tenure in February 2021. Aside from the political opponents in Unity Forum, a medley of APC bigwigs opposed to the governor across the 203 wards due to the 2016 governorship fallout, are also on his case, in addition with the national leadership of the party.
Governor Akeredolu, especially after his colleague in the struggle against the former chairman Oshiomloe, Obaseki, was screened out of the primary election in Edo State, had found uncommon peace with the party’s leadership. The dissolution of APC NWC by President Muhammadu Buhari at a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting last Thursday sent some jitters down the spines of some members and guber aspirants of the party in Ondo.
Though with the suspension of APC’s National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole and the subsequent dissolution of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, it would appear Akeredolu has been handed some advantage over his bitter rivals in Unity Forum faction in Ondo APC.
But, the Unity Forum members are yet to relent, the group presented a donation of N22.5 million to the consensus governorship candidate, Chief Olusola Oke, to obtain his nomination form in Abuja.
The leadership of the group explained that the candidate emerged through a free and fair process, though eight other aspirants in the group rejected the choice of Oke. A former deputy governor of the state and member of APC Board of Trustees (BoT), Ali Olanusi, who was represented by the former House of Representatives member, Afe Olowokere, presented the donation to support Oke’s ambition.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Screening Committee for Ondo State governorship election has assured the party aspirants that none of them would be unjustly disqualified.
The Chairman of the Committee and immediate past Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Yakubu Dogara, gave the assurance while speaking with newsmen shortly after screening the aspirants in Abuja.
Dogara assured the aspirants that the committee was out for justice; and justice would be served.
“Justice is indivisible. What is justice for one has to be justice to the other.
“We are sure that at the end of the day the party will be proud of the exercise that we have done. Nobody will be unjustifiably denied clearance for any reason. For any one who is qualify.
“As a matter of fact, is it not even our responsibility to clear them, it is the documents they have presented before us that will clear them.
” As far as we are concern, once you have your papers and records intact, you are good to go. So, the assurance is that we are out for justice and we will ensure that justice is served to the end,” he said.
Dogara said though the committee had screened all the aspirants, it would adjourned till Friday 1 p.m. before taken its final position on the exercise.
He said that the committee recognised the responsibility bestowed on it and would do a thorough job.
“This is in view of that fact that developments in politics no longer support the case of whimsical screening exercise any longer.
“You have seen it, some people have won elections and lost elections on the account of defective screening that was done by the officials of their party.
“So, we are aware of that and we are holding each of the aspirants to account for the information given to the party and the documents that they have submitted,” he said.
Dogara commended members of the committee for their patience for the exercise that lasted for about 12 hours.
When asked to comment on the large number of aspirants for the poll, he said no political party in a true democracy would restrained its interested members from participating in an election.
“Even if they are 50 aspirants let them come, it is their constitutional rights. The party cannot prevent that. Nobody can regulate the provisions of the constitution.
“In as much as they are members of the party and they want to run for this office, no one has the power to circumscribe the provisions of the constitution regarding their rights to vile for any office, except if they are defective in terms of requirements of the law or the party.
“But, as long as they are qualified, no one can guard their rights to contest for any office. No political party should do that,” he said.
The aspirants included the incumbent Deputy Governor of the state, Dr Agboola Ajayi; Eyitayo Jegede; Sen. Boluwaji Kunlere ; Dr Eddy Olafeso; Ben Okunomo; Bode Ayorinde; Otunba Bamidele Akingboye; Mr Godday Erewa; and Mr Sola Ebiseeni.
![[TNG Analysis] Ondo 2020: APC’s politics of acrimony as Akeredolu throws caution to the wind](https://thenewsguru.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/akeredolu.jpg)
By Emman Ovuakporie
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN with so many years of legal practice attached to his tall credentials.
A former President of Nigeria Bar Association, NBA with an impeccable record to display.
But events unfolding in his Sunshine State clearly indicate that his immaculate records needed to be x-rayed a second time.
He threw caution to the wind immediately his deputy, Hon Agboola Ajayi left him to sail alone.
His first mission after he lost his deputy was to fire all his aides without thinking of tomorrow.
It will cost him nothing to retain his aides because their salaries are already budgeted and the money can never go to his pocket.
His predecessor, Olusegun Mimiko will be adored by most politicians in Ondo for one singular reason.
As soon as Mimiko assumed office in 2008 he paid the severance fees of all political appointees from 1999-2008 thereby touching the lives of those men and women who were in government house before his emergence.
In Edo State, Akeredolu’s suspended chairman, Adams Oshiomhole chased away virtually everybody that was associated with his predecessor, Senator Oserheimen Osunbor.
Nobody can tell the story better than this writer because he was a victim as a former aide to Osunbor.
Just the way he de-marketed his new god son so we were labeled thieves in Edo months after we had returned government vehicles and properties in our possession.
It’s on record that till date no aide of Osunbor was paid severance but today we are all watching him doing his macabre dance alone.
In the case of Akeredolu, he is too polished and too refined to degenerate to the level of his suspended chairman who probably did not see the four walls of a grammar school.
But quickly forgot that it was the benevolence of very kind gods that elevated him to such lofty positions he attained on planet earth.
Akeredolu should take a cue from his predecessor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko and reinstate those men and women he fired in the name of politics.
Heaven will not fall rather he will be elevated before men.
![[TNG Analysis] Ondo 2020: Another wrong signal from APC as Agboola Ajayi shifts base to PDP](https://thenewsguru.ng/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Agboola-Ajayi-1.jpg)
Ondo and Edo States seem to have their political navels enjoined as they tend to share same political affinity.
The defection of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s deputy, Hon Agboola Ajayi to the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP clearly indicates that just like Edo all is not well in Ondo APC.
Going down memory lane in 2007 when the then President Umaru Yar’dua and the PDP party felt the election that brought it into power was flawed, the need to trade some states came to fore.
In Ondo Olusegun Agagu had emerged governor and in Edo Senator Oserheimen Osunbor too had defeated Adams Oshiomhole of the ACN.
PDP probably feeling guilty concorted all manners of judicial methods alongside some political leaders and traded both states.
By the end of 2008, Oshiomhole and Olusegun Mimiko of Labour Party, LP had emerged governors of both states.
Oshiomhole ensured he crushed all those that brought him to power and even went to Ogbe Stadium to bury apostle of godfatherism in the state, the Late political sage, Chief Tony Anenih who supported him through the backdoor.
Both states are already being haunted by the ghosts of political and judicial manouvres of 2007 through 2008.
Last Sunday, Agboola decided to finally jump ship by pitching tent with PDP leaving behind Akeredolu that they both had a joint ticket in the APC, a clear signal that the APC is no longer at ease in Ondo just like Edo.
This is coming exactly one week after Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki dumped the APC pitching his tent with the PDP.
The APC at the national level is facing leadership crisis as it has not been able to pick an acting chairman after Oshiomhole was suspended by the Appeal Court after his screening committee disqualified Obaseki from partaking in the APC guber primary in the state.
In the case of Agboola, he has not been suspended or disqualified but sensing the danger ahead and the envisaged outcome of whatever structure the APC put in place the man simply shifted his base to PDP.
Agboola is said to enjoy top grassroots followership in the state which he used to support Akeredolu in the last guber polls in the Sunshine State.
If he gets the PDP final nod, the APC that is already having cracks at both state and national levels may just wave bye bye to both states just the way PDP deliberately sold them to the opposition in 2007.
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has commenced Sale of Expression of Interest and Nomination forms to those seeking the ticket of the for the October 11 Ondo State governorship election.
The APC has scheduled its shadow poll for July 20.
According to the schedule of activities for the Ondo State governorship primary released by the party’s National Organising Secretary, Emma Ibediro, the sale of the forms will be on till July 1 at the party’s national secretariat.
Aspirants are expected to return their filled forms, accompanied with necessary documents and credentials, to the secretariat on or before July 2 while the party will on July 6 and 7 display the names and credentials of aspirants for public verification, claims and objections of information and credentials provided by aspirants.
By July 8, the party’s screening committee will scrutinise the aspirants and their credentials in line with the party’s constitution while room will be given for appeal from the screening on July 10 and the party primary slated for July 20.
A leading aspirant in the July 20 All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primaries in Ondo State, Mr Isaac Kekemeke, has refuted speculation that he was a mole for any particular candidate.
Speaking with newsmen at his campaingn office in Akure in Thursday, Kekemeke expressed disappointment at the “fake news” suggesting he might compromise his position as a leading aspirant in the upcoming Ondo APC primaries.
“Those who say such things insult my pedigree; I cannot be working tirelessly in the last 17 months, building my political structure across the 18 local councils of the state and be doing so as an undercover agent.
“It is a lie from the pit of hell, it’s a de-marketing strategy by lazy opponents and their supporters who are intimidated by the wide acceptability my political brand enjoy.
“I repeat again, I am too big to be anybody’s undercover agent,” said the former APC Chairman in Ondo State.
On the forthcoming Ondo APC primary, Kekemeke said direct primaries would help mobilise party members to participate effectively and actively in the governorship election.
He added that direct mode of primary would also give party members sense of belonging and responsibility to deliver whoever candidate that emerged at the primary.
“The party members already have a moral responsibility to deliver the candidate in the general election for victory.
“The only thing that our party can be preparing for will be an inter party contest to involve the big segment of the party through participation in the direct primary.
“So that one section will not feel other particular section is being favoured through handpicking officers at wards, local government and state levels who serve as an electorate for indirect primary.
“Adoption of direct primary will fight money polictics, fight ‘see and buy’ because nobody has the capacity to buy all eligible voters but money can do it when it comes to handpicked individuals; so the best way is to adopt direct primary at this time.
“And considering the COVID-19, asking over 2000 people to gather in a single place to vote is contrary to the protocol of NCDC, so let us decongest by asking people to decide their rightful candidate in their various wards,” Kekemeke said.
… PDP 17, APC 15
…as Incumbent Gov battles to secure ticket
…Edo and Ondo share a common political affinity
32 aspirants predominantly in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and All Progressives Congress, APC are gunning for Governor Rotimi Akerodolu of Ondo’s job.
The ruling party, All Progressives Congress, APC has slated July 22 for the state’s guber poll primaries.
The incumbent has not really gotten the blessings of the bigwigs in the party and this has snowballed into the Edo scenario.
While in Edo it’s almost fait accompli that the powers that be had zeroed their minds to dump the incumbent, in Ondo Akeredolu is still scheming to remain afloat.
If he gets the right connect which might be difficult he might just get the ticket and run under the platform of APC.
But most of his political detractors are within his ruling APC in Ondo and the headquarters in Abuja and this could be a very disturbing signal for the incumbent Governor.
Many of the party bigwigs in the state, their followers across the 3009 units, mobilizers in the South West and Abuja are sworn adversaries of the governor who believe Akeredolu should go back to his law practice rather than govern the state.
Ondo shares a common political affinity with Edo, recall how the PDP traded Edo and Ondo in 2008 when Senator Oseirhemhen Osunbor and Late Olusegun Agagu were removed via the courts in 2008.
Today both states have staggered guber polls because of the court verdicts that altered their guber polls.
As it’s if Ondo APC denies the incumbent a ticket his possibility of migrating to PDP the second strongest party might be difficult as the political turf there could be very turbulent for him.
The incumbency factor is gradually waning because of strong individuals who weild enormous political influence atimes to the detriment of the party.
Akeredolu got into trouble because of his political firmness over political issues with the foundational fathers of APC.
It was sheer miracle that fetched him the party’s ticket three and half years ago as godfathers of the party were against him.
Same miracle now mayybe a scarce commodity this time around going about the strong political alignment and re-alignment on-going in the state.
Those eyeing Akerodolu’s job:
Isaac Kekemeke who is from Ese-Odo Local Government has declared his intention to replace him, he was a former commissioner for works in the state. He has also served as Secretary to the State Government.
Also in the race is oil business magnate Jimi Odimayo. Odimayo was one of his biggest promoters for the 2016 election.
Another strong APC chieftain from the state who is set to shove him aside is the Executive Director of Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), Ife Oyedele.
Before the appointment of Alasoadura he was highly positioned and favoured as the right man for the ministerial job, considering his closeness to President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
Oyedele was a strong member of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) before the birth of APC after the merger of political parties but lost out in the struggle to make the ministerial list.
Oyedele, who hails from Okitipupa Local Government Area, was said to have played a crucial role in the formation of APC in 2013 and he was being groomed and nurtured to take over the mantle of leadership in the state in 2020 from Akeredolu.
Many of his political friends like Banji Ayiloge, his Campaign Director in 2012; Abdulsalam Taofeek, former Speaker and commissioner; Sola Amodeni, a commissioner too, who left the cabinet, have turned against him.
The same political chess being played in Edo is already in place in Ondo and Akerodolu may just be heading for another platform if elders of APC refuse to crown him come July 22.