- Heighten scheme for governorship poll
- Why Aiyedatiwa may dissolve cabinet
- Power tussle taints Akeredolu’s legacy – Analyst
Following the sudden death of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State on Wednesday, gladiators and politicians have heightened their schemes for next year’s governorship election in the state.
Constitutionally, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa is expected to complete Akeredolu’s second term which expires on February 23, 2025.
Checks by The Point revealed that Akeredolu’s death has created a good opportunity to initiate moves on how his successor would emerge.
At the moment, many aspirants in the All Progressives Congress, People’s Democratic Party, Social Democratic Party, Labour Party and other political parties are warming up for the contest, starting with the party primaries.
It was gathered that some gladiators outside the state have started returning home to contribute to the social and political development of their communities as political meetings at the wards and local government levels have been scheduled to commence in earnest.
It was gathered that no fewer than 15 members of the governing APC have discreetly shown interest in contesting the governorship ticket next year.
According to a source, they include Governor Aiyedatiwa; the Commissioner for Finance, Wale Akinterinwa; a former Chairman of the Ondo State Oil Producing Development Areas Commission, Gbenga Edema; the Special Adviser to the governor on Health Matters, Francis Faduyile; a former governorship candidate in both the PDP and the Alliance for Democracy, Olusola Oke.
Others are the senator representing Ondo South Senatorial District, Jimoh Ibrahim, Princess Oladunni Odu (Secretary to the State Government), Ife Oyedele (Executive Director Niger Delta Power Holding Company), Duerimini Isaacs Kekemeke (APC National Vice Chairman, South West), Olusola Iji (A former ambassador), Jimi Odimayo (member representing Irele/Okitipupa Federal Constituency), Soji Ehinlanwo and Matthew Oyerinmade.
All the APC aspirants are from Ondo South Senatorial District, following the party’s purported unwritten agreement that the senatorial district would produce the next governor, given that Akeredolu was from Ondo North.
Some members of the party argued that the last governor from the South senatorial district was the late Olusegun Agagu, who served for six years before he was removed by the court and replaced by Olusegun Mimiko, who is from Ondo Central.
It was also gathered that there is an impending battle for the structure of the ruling APC in the state.
The Point learnt that the looming battle is likely to be between the late governor’s camp and that of Governor Aiyedatiwa.
Both camps had before now been locked in a bitter political battle over confirmation of Aiyedatiwa as acting governor in the absence of Akeredolu, who was then on medical leave.
The pro Aiyedatiwa group is led by the state Commissioner for Energy, Rasaq Obe and Commissioner for Commerce, Akin Sowore, while the Secretary to the State Government, Princess Oladunni Odu and Special Adviser to Akeredolu on Special Duties and Union Matters, Dare Aragbaye, are in charge of the late governor’s camp.
On Thursday, the Ondo State Commissioner for Infrastructure, Lands and Housing, Raimi Olayiwola Aminu, resigned from office.
On Wednesday, Richard Olatunde, the Chief Press Secretary to former Governor Akeredolu and Special Adviser to the Governor on Union Matters and Special Duties, Dare Aragbaiye, had resigned their appointments.
Their resignations followed the death of Governor Akeredolu.
In his resignation letter addressed to the Secretary to the State Government, Odu, Aminu said the decision was premised on his conscience following the death of his leader and boss, Akeredolu.
He said his resignation took effect from Thursday, December 28, 2023.
“I sincerely thank our dear Arakunrin and the good people of the state for the opportunity to serve in his cabinet as Senior Special Assistant on Lands & Infrastructure, Special Adviser on Lands, Works and Infrastructure and Commissioner for Infrastructure, Lands and Housing,” he said.
While the two contending groups have been at loggerheads over the control of the machinery of state in the past months, the battle, according to a source, is over the control of Ondo APC structure ahead of next year’s governorship election in the state.
Aiyedatiwa is believed to have his eyes on the party’s governorship ticket in order to succeed his late principal but the Akeredolu camp is determined to have one its own, particularly the state Commissioner for Finance, Wale Akinterinwa, emerge as the flag bearer for the election.
It was gathered that Akeredolu had endorsed Akinterinwa before his death.
On a possible truce between the warring camps now that Aiyedatiwa has been inaugurated as governor, the source said he doesn’t see that playing out.
According to him, it is not unlikely that Aiyedatiwa may go for those who frustrated efforts to confirm him as acting governor.
The Point also gathered that Aiyedatiwa is likely to dissolve the state executive council to weed out pro Akeredolu/Akinterinwa’s elements.
It is also being speculated that he may go for an indigene of Ondo Central Senatorial District in his choice of a deputy in order to knock out the speaker of the state Assembly, Olamide Oladiji, in the power equation in the state.
Consequently, the speakership of the state Assembly will go to Ondo North, where Akeredolu hailed from as Ondo South, now has the governorship position.
A competent source confirmed that the dissolution of the state executive council may take place any moment from now to weaken Akinterinwa ahead of the APC governorship primary.
“That he is the longest-serving commissioner for Finance in the history of the state is something Aiyedatiwa’s camp cannot overlook. I also see changes in the leadership of the state Assembly.
“The speaker, Oladiji is likely to lose his position given the frosty relationship between him and Aiyedatiwa over the impeachment move against him as the deputy governor but in politics we are keeping our fingers crossed as we watch events unfold in the days ahead,” the source added.
Power tussle taints Akeredolu’s legacy – Analyst
Meanwhile, the Head Directorate of Research and Strategy, Act for Positive Transform Initiative, Kolawole Johnson, has argued that the legacy of the late Governor Akeredolu has been tainted by the power tussle with the newly sworn-in governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
The analyst, who spoke during a live television interview on Thursday, added that knowing what values Akeredolu upheld, it was unfortunate that people were using his condition to feather their own nests in Ondo State.
He said, “On the lessons we have learnt thus far in the state, it is a fact that if you can scheme as a man, a man will remain a man.
“Whatever they did that his ill health turned into a political advantage, it has fallen very flat, not necessarily because some other persons may not have done the same because politicians are all the same but it wasn’t just right to treat the man like that, what he stands for.
“Because, unfortunately, his legacy over time, it appears that incident, all of the drama, took a very huge bite into his legacy, into the perception you should have about Akeredolu as a person.
“Go to the state, that level of mourning you should expect for a man of status like Akeredolu is not there, not because of Akeredolu, it was because of all of the drama and the events that happened and I think it should be a lesson not only to politicians but to the man right there now.”
