.APC Cries Out

Less than two months to the April 27, 2024 council poll in Oyo State, there are strong indications that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will clear all the 33 council chairmanship seats. The Guardian checks revealed that the party may concede a few councilorship seats to opposition.

Although the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) has affirmed that 18 political parties would participate in the contest, preparations toward the contest does not indicate the seriousness of opposition parties to put up any strong contest against the ruling PDP, more so, under the incumbent governor, Seyi Makinde, who many are alleging to rule Oyo like an emperor.

Not even the major opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) is considered strong enough to give the ruling Oyo PDP a challenge in the coming election. More importantly, opposition is in shambles in Oyo. More so, the extent of disenchantment of the electorates is very high, as they face economic hardships. This is considered a factor the ruling party is waiting to cash on.

During the March 18, 2023 gubernatorial polls in Oyo State, Governor Makinde of PDP won in 31 councils while APC only won in two, which still gives the ruling party an edge and possibility of clearing the entire 33 chairmanship seats on April 27.

Beyond the factors mentioned above, the issue of funding may also give the PDP candidates an edge over opposition candidates, who observers of events in the state describe as participants sponsored by PDP to give the exercise some kind of credibility.

Since 1999, council elections have always been dominated by sitting governors and ruling parties, Oyo State, definitely, is not an exempted from this bandwagon.

Towards the end of his tenure in 2019, Makinde’s predecessor, the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi, conducted council polls in 2018 in which the then ruling APC won all the 33 local governments chairmanship, and perhaps, conceded few councilorship seats to the opposition.

The incumbent did not waste time to dissolve the elected chairman when he assumed office in 2019, a case that is still in the court till date.

In 2021, when Makinde conducted a fresh council poll, the ruling party cleared the entire 33 councils chairmanship seats.Going by such development, there may not be a recognisable departure from the norm.

Analysts also say that PDP will be banking on candidates of parties such as Social Democratic Party (SDP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and Labour Party (LP) who aligned with Governor Makinde in 2023 gubernatorial poll to ensure his victory.

Southwest leader of NNPP, Alhaji Bisi Olopoenyan, in fact, affirmed that though his party would field candidates for chairmanship elections and councilorship, he, is however, not sure of its chances.

Last week, the PDP got a boost its when a former APC stalwart, Abdulfatai Buhari, defected to the party from the Accord Party, where he contested the 2023 polls to PDP. The implications of such defection is that whatever exploit Accord is hoping before to make in the elections from Buhari’s camp is tactically sealed for PDP ahead of April 27.

Meanwhile, the Oyo chapter of APC, last week, said it might withdraw all its candidates from the exercise, if OYSIEC failed to guarantee the usage of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for the poll. This is despite the fact that most of the registered political parties indicate readiness to participate in the election based on assurance by  OYSIEC that it would be fair in its conduct against the background of insinuation that the electoral body was set up to do the bidding of PDP.

Spokesman of Oyo APC, Olawale Sadare,  expressed concerns over what it described as “game of deceit being played by OYSIEC over the need to deploy BVAS machines for the polls, which also show the world that it was not out to do the bidding of the ruling PDP as it happened the last time when candidates of other parties were denied their earned victory particularly in Ido and Ibarapa East local government councils.

Sadare said, “we have watched with dismay the lip service being paid by OYSIEC to the issue of BVAS required for the smooth conduct of the poll. The commission is apparently under pressure to jettison the usage of BVAS because the ruling PDP is averse to it even as the powers-that-be in the state are prepared to compromise the April poll in their bid to ensure all the candidates of the PDP win at all cost.

“It is the height of insincerity on the part of OYSIEC to hide the status of any request made to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the release of the machines for the planned poll even as we have been reliably informed that INEC does not have any reason to turn down such request if properly and genuinely made. Apart from the fact that the devices are owned by Nigerians, INEC is committed to the conduct of credible elections and the Commission is ever ready to assist the cause within and outside Nigeria.

“Oyo APC took a bold decision to field candidates in this election basically for two reasons: to deepen our democracy at the grassroots level and also rescue the third tier of government, which has been rendered ineffective by the current PDP administration. Consequently, that PDP is paranoid today is understandable and we use this medium to restate our commitment to the cause of constitutional democracy and good governance. However, we are concerned about the palpable desperation in the camp of the ruling party in their bid to sustain the status quo, which does not augur well for the masses.

“As a matter of fact, we have observed that the Chairman of OYSIEC might not be able to be fair to all parties as he is wont to do for obvious reasons. The fact that the PDP elements are averse to BVAS is responsible for the failure of OYSIEC to announce to the world that the machines would be used for the election. At this juncture, we are stating it categorically that Oyo APC would not be a party to any sham or charade and should the election body fail to guarantee the usage of BVAS for the April poll, they should count us out.”

The alarm by APC is further supported by the fact that OYSIEC is yet to respond to the letter written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) through it asking for the release and permission to use the BVAS for the polls.

Findings from OYSIEC revealed that the Chairman of the commission, Isiaka Olagunju (SAN), is determined to deploy the usage of BVAS for the conduct of the forthcoming council polls to make a difference and letters have been written to that effect through the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Oyo to INEC  and he is still awaiting reply. This is contrary to the claim by APC. A credible source from OYSIEC said there is nothing the body can do if INEC refused to release the BVAS for the council polls.

On the lackadaisical attitude showed by the opposition parties in Oyo State, National Association of Public Affairs Analysts (NAPAA) observed that opposition parties in some states, including Oyo, are not conducting themselves well “especially in the areas of holding the party in power accountable to the people.”

Coordinator of the association, Comrade, Jare Ajayi, who spoke on its behalf, maintained that the state governors are getting away with a lot of things that are not necessarily in the interest –  let alone best interest – of the people.

In Oyo State, for example, some steps have been taken by Governor Makinde’s administration that shouldn’t have.

The sorry state of council administration under Governor Makinde too would have been ameliorated were the opposition parties alive to their responsibilities.

“We are not calling for confrontations between the parties in power and those in the opposition. What we are saying is that they, parties currently outside of government offices, should be vibrant and speak to the government in the best interest of the people. This can be done in a peaceful manner that would still be achieving the desired result.”

A political science scholar at the University of Ilorin, Prof. Gbade Ojo, said: “Opposition parties don’t have sufficient information about the ruling party in the state. Thus, they are not doing much. Makinde government is shrouded in too much secrecy for the opposition party to handle them well. His government is far from communicating, too, as key officers of his government.
They are to keep the government on its toes. Expectedly, they should operate as an alternate government preparing for the next election.”

The Head of Politics and International Relations at the Lead City University, Prof. Akeem Amodu, said: “Globally, opposition parties play crucial roles in democratic systems by providing checks and balances. The leading opposition parties in Oyo State, APC and LP need to do more with respect to further scrutinising the ruling government’s actions, offer alternative policies, and deepen accountability. The dynamics of opposition politics in Oyo State should help maintain a healthy democratic process and foster a more inclusive representation of diverse perspectives.”

Dr. Steven Lafenwa of the Political Science Department, University of Ibadan, said: “The main opposition party APC is battling with internal crisis since its gubernatorial candidate lost the election to Governor Seyi Makinde. Other political parties like APC are having leadership crisis, there are so many factions in LP, for instance, before the elections. Also, at this point in time no one can really point to the political party that the incumbent Governor belongs to. Majority of the politicians are looking for a way to recoup their campaign expenses. It is now everything goes. Lastly, none of the opposition parties has alternative political ideologies and strategies to run the state effectively.”

A public intellectual, Prof. Olabode Lucas, doesn’t think the opposition is ready for election. “The House of Assembly is in his pocket and toothless. This is the situation in many of the states in Nigeria. To me, most of the State Governors are dictators.”

A former leader of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Omotoye Olurode, said: “Which are the opposition parties in Oyo State, Comrade? APC? Labour Party? Even the so-called organised labour ńkọ́? Makinde’s government is a conspiracy of all the parties. We knew all of this but some of our comrades called us all kinds of names.”