Akeredolu’s demise and shape of things to come ahead Ondo 2024

The sudden demise of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu a few days ago no doubt sent shockwaves throughout the political landscape of Ondo State and the entire country.

As the state mourns the loss of the late governor, attention now turns to the political implications of the tragedy that struck the state, with the untimely demise of Akeredolu, heightening the stakes for the 2024 governorship poll.

The emergence of Lucky Aiyedatiwa as the new governor will undoubtedly have far-reaching consequences for the upcoming elections in the state. With about four months until the governorship primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2024 polls, the dynamics that will lead to the emergence of the party’s standard bearer have no doubt changed.

The political landscape in the state has been characterised by a flurry of undercurrents, giving rise to undefined political permutations and calculations in anticipation of next year’s governorship poll.

Prior to the rift between the late Akeredolu and Aiyedatiwa, the latter had been the favourite to take up the reins of governance from his erstwhile boss, following Akeredolu’s insistence that Aiyedatiwa continue from where he stopped.

During the inauguration of Akeredolu for his second term at the International Culture and Event Centre (The Dome), on February 24, 2021, he said, “The name we give our children or the name we bear at times matters a lot. You (Aiyedatiwa) have been loyal and consistent. You are worthy of this position (deputy governor), and I want to thank you for being considered to complete this journey with us.

“I have a maximum of four years; maybe you can proceed from there. It is for me now to calm down and for you to grow. I must come down for him to grow. I have done my own a little bit; I must congratulate you.”

For many political observers, the problem of Aiyedatiwa began with the statement made by Akeredolu, as some politicians who showed interest in succeeding the late governor saw it as an automatic endorsement for the 2024 elections.

Shortly after the second term journey had kicked off, the rift between Akeredolu and Aiyedatiwa became widened with allegations from the camp of the governor that Aiyedatiwa had been making moves against him.

With Aiyedatiwa faced with impeachment proceedings due to the development, which could thwart his chances of contesting for the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in April 2024, he went all out to ensure that the plan did not materialise.

However, with the death of Akeredolu, all attention is now on the presidency as to who President Bola Tinubu will support among the aspirants to lead the state in 2025.

Findings by The Guardian revealed that the sights of the aspirants are now set on the presidency over who will grab the ticket of the party with little consideration and attention on the leadership of the party in the state.

With this development, Ondo State will be one of the states where the governor cannot handpick anyone as his successor. Prior to becoming president, Tinubu had in the past backed some candidates to emerge as governor of the state, a project that has continued to meet brick walls since 2012.

During the first shot of the late governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, at the governorship seat in 2012 under the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), he was supported with all the resources needed for the project, but he was defeated by former Governor Olusegun Mimiko, who was contesting for a second term in office.

For years after, the relationship between Akeredolu and Tinubu became strained, a development that led the former governor of Lagos to switch support for Olusegun Abraham to pick the ticket of the APC.

With all odds against the late Akeredolu, who was also in the race against the likes of Olusola Oke, Senator Boroffice, and Senator Tayo Alasoadura, among others, he won the primaries with 669 votes, while Abraham polled 635 votes in 2016.

Following the defeat of Tinubu’s candidate in the primary, Oke moved to the Action Alliance (AD), where he was backed to contest the 2016 governorship poll at the request of Tinubu. Akeredolu won the poll after it was said that Oke became stranded after Tinubu allegedly withdrew his support at the request of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Meanwhile, according to the camp of one of the aspirants, the ill health of the governor and his subsequent death have greatly affected plans that had already been outlined to canvass party stalwarts and members into their fold.

While craving anonymity, a top member of the party in the state stressed that, “At the moment, open activities as regards the next year’s election have slowed down the aspirations of those seeking to contest for the ticket of the party.

“When rumours about the state of health of the governor began to fly around, the party and even those that have shown interest in the party decided to relax the subtle campaign that had been ongoing in the state, particularly on social media.

“As of now, it does not seem as if an election wants to hold in the state, unlike in the past, when by now you would have seen where everyone actually belongs. But with the demise of the governor, activities might start to gear up by January, when all political appointees interested in the ticket of the party must resign ahead of the primary in April.

“Before Aketi (Governor Akeredolu) went on his medical leave, he never endorsed anyone. Even the person we had thought would have his blessings lost favour with the governor with the role he played during his boss’s hiatus.

“But I’m certain that soon, all activities will pick up again. We have very few months until the primary ought to be held, but the governor’s illness and his death have really slowed everything down.”

With Aiyedatiwa now in good stead to clinch the ticket for APC, he will now slug it out with over 10 other aspirants. Among those that have expressed interest in the ticket are Hon. Gbenga Oedema, the immediate past NDDC Commissioner; Oladunni Odu, the Secretary to the State Government; Prof. Adedayo Faduyile, former NMA President; Chief Olusola Oke; Ambassador Olusola Iji; and Executive Director Niger Delta Power Holding, Ifedayo Oyedele.

Others include South-West APC Chairman, Isaac Kekemeke; Acting Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa; Wale Akinterinwa, the Commissioner for Finance; Morayo Lebi; and Senator Jimoh Ibrahim.

The aspirants are primarily from the southern senatorial district, as there is an unwritten rotational agreement in the state that ensures that the governorship position alternates among the three senatorial districts of the state.

Meanwhile, those opposed to Aiyedatiwa believed that though the governor is from Ilaje, the largest voting catchment area in the South, their argument is that Aiyedatiwa is not as deeply rooted as Oke, Oedema, Akinterinwa, Akintelure, and others in Ondo politics.

To them, Aiyedatiwa does not also possess the necessary leadership temperament. For instance, the deputy governor is accused of allegedly heating up politics during the political crisis in the state, particularly when power was yet to be transmitted to him.

Akinterinwa, who is from Ile-Oluji, an agrarian community near Ondo town, may be determined by the financial power at his disposal. However, he may be banking on his closeness and long-term relationship with Tinubu. Akinterinwa is a former Executive Director, Finance, at LSDPC. He was nominated by Tinubu. It was also said that President Tinubu was the one who nominated him as Commissioner for Finance in Ondo under the administration of former Governor Olusegun Mimiko, but he (Akinterinwa) parted ways with Mimiko not long after.

But Akinterinwa later fell out with Tinubu in 2016, when the president showed interest in Mr. Segun Abraham as his preferred candidate to get the party’s gubernatorial ticket then. Akinterinwa refused to endorse Abraham but pitched a tent with Akeredolu, who subsequently won the ticket and the election in 2016.

In my experience, Oke is second to none among the contenders. He is a thorough grassroots politician who has contested for governorship more than once in Ondo, but the decision-makers in in APC may not be well disposed to him because of his PDP background.

They believed the former PDP national legal adviser was a typical PDP person; he became a member of the NDDC under the PDP and later became the national legal adviser of the PDP. He seems like a PDP man, and they are afraid that if he is given the ticket and he becomes governor, he may return to the PDP.

They also alleged that Oke did not support Tinubu during the APC presidential primary campaigns. He allegedly worked for the former vice president, Yemi Osinbajo.

Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, who is from Okitipupa, is also showing interest in the governorship ticket, but his problem is that he is a new entrant in the APC. The power brokers in the party in Abuja didn’t also want him.  Also, Ibrahim had worked against the interests of Tinubu during the race for senate president. He supported Abdul’aziz Yari against Godswill Akpabio.