Head, News Desk, VICTOR EBIMOMI, takes a look at the dominant issues in the August 9 governorship election in Osun State, throwing to the fore the strength and weaknesses of the leading candidates
By the time the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released the list of 20 political parties cleared to participate in the Osun governorship election, it was apparent that the battle line for the August 9 encounter had finally been drawn.
The outcome of the exercise will decide who will rule the state for the next four years.
Candidates for the poll include Governor Rauf Aregbesola with Grace Laoye-Tomori (All Progressives Congress) and Senator Iyiola Omisore with Rafiu Bello (Peoples Democratic Party).
Others are Babatunde Oralusi with Adekunle Rufai (Action Alliance), Niyi Owolade with Opawuyi Abdulganiyu (Accord Party), Olufemi Hammed with Famiran Olusola (Allied Congress Party of Nigeria), Senator Sunday Fajimi with Ogundele Adeyemi (Action for Democracy), Ojo Gabriel with Adebiyi Segun (African Democratic Congress), Agboola Obasanjo with Oseni Adebisi (African Peoples Alliance), and Akintunde Adetunji with Oladitan Joseph (All Progressives Grand Alliance).
Others are Rafio Anifowose A. with Raji Bodemi (Citizens Popular Party), Akinbade Akinade with Adenipekun Tunde (Labour Party), Babatunde Adetoro with Faremi Raphael (Mega Progressive Peoples Party), Afolayanka Jimoh with Akinlabi Sunday (National Conscience Party), Adefare Adegoke with Mrs. Adebowale Mujidat (New Nigeria Peoples Party), Oludare Akinola with Wayilat Adeleye (Peoples Democratic Movement).
The rest are Ganiyu Lawal with Mrs. Grace Ojofakuade (Progressive Peoples Alliance), Funso Bunmi with Phillip Samuel (United Democratic Party), Adeoti Abiodun with Salokun Bukola (Unity Party of Nigeria), Victor Adeniyi with Mrs. Christiana Oluwatoyin (United Progressive Party) and Akinwusi Olusegun with Rashidat Olaigbe (Social Democratic Party).
Spotlight on Aregbesola, Omisore
Although there are 20 participating political parties for the contest, analysts see it as more or less a straight encounter between Aregbesola, who is gunning for re-election, and Omisore – candidate of the ruling party at the centre.
Both, incidentally, are battle-tested and had created records on their journey to public reckoning. Aregbesola, in attaining his current position, had emerged from Lagos, where he was a commissioner, to dislodge a sitting government of Olagunsoye Oyinlola. Omisore, on his own, had literally walked into the Senate from the prisons, where he was detained on allegations of involvement in the assassination of Bola Ige, former Justice Minister.
The two had also come a long way, at a time, being of the same political camp before going separate ways.
At the onset of the current democratic dispensation, they had been in the then Alliance for Democracy (AD). Omisore, it was said, was among the key financiers of the party. He was particularly credited with providing enormous financial support to the party at the national level as well as in his home state, Osun. On account of his pioneering role in the formation of the party, he was initially billed to be its governorship candidate.
However, in deference to the relatively older Bisi Akande, who is seen to have paid great dues in promoting Yoruba interest, Omisore was prevailed upon to be his running mate on the condition that he would take over from him after four years. Before the end of the term, however, the two had fallen apart, leading to the impeachment of Omisore who later crossed to PDP.
It was on PDP ticket that he won his senatorial election from detention. His party, TheNiche learnt, is fielding him in the battle on account of his immense financial war chest and stubborn disposition, which, it is estimated, would not see him being intimidated by the so-called incumbency factor that may be employed by the governor and his men. Omisore is also known to have his own crowd.
In similar stead, Aregbesola is not one to be dismissed by the wave of the hand. In fact, our reporter learnt that unlike Kayode Fayemi, his Ekiti counterpart, who is not strictly associated with the antics of the traditional Nigerian politician, the Osun governor is described in hushed tones as “one who can roll in the mud with his opponent in a given encounter”. TheNiche was told that while serving as commissioner in Lagos, Aregbesola had the ear and attention of his principal, then Governor Bola Tinubu, essentially on account of his bravery and commitment to duty. It was that Spartan disposition that he was said to have brought to bear in his contest with Oyinlola, taking the battle to the judicial turf where he was eventually declared governor by the Appeal Court presided by Justice Ayo Salami.
Since taking office over three years ago, the governor, in the estimation of his admirers, has given Osun a new shape in outlook and orientation.
His infrastructural rebirth of Osogbo, the capital, and other major cities, education reforms, moral re-orientation and people-centred governance style are among the points that are counted for him in his quest for another term. APC is said to have given him the nod for another term on account of this credential, in addition to the fact that he will not likely succumb to the so-called federal might.
The blame game
Beyond the attempts by the two gladiators to endear themselves to the electorate, there have been intense verbal outbursts and allegations of conspiracy to rig against each other.
What seemed the first salvo in the war of words was the argument for the removal of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Ambassador Rufus Akeju. PDP had declared that the REC could not conduct a free and fair election in the state and therefore wanted him to go. The PDP premised its argument on allegation that Akeju was a former employee of a national leader of APC, Tinubu; hence would have sentiment for the party.
But the APC faulted the argument, saying the PDP resorted to blackmail because it was finding it difficult to buy the REC to do its bidding.
What could be described as a further boost to the PDP position happened early last month when Akeju was replaced with Olusegun Agbaje.
In a terse statement by Kayode Idowu, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, the former REC was said to have just proceeded on leave. “Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Ambassador Rufus Akeju, has been requested to proceed on leave of absence – for his own safety and as his contribution to ensuring the credibility of the state governorship election scheduled for August 9, 2014.”
The REC, the statement continued, was requested by the commission to step down against the backdrop of intense partisan acrimony over his person, and has not been indicted for any offence.
With Agbaje in the saddle, the APC has been crying foul, alleging that INEC and PDP have conspired to rig the election.
On Sunday, July 3, the party raised alarm, claiming that INEC was executing a “sinister plan by the PDP to manipulate the electoral process ahead of the August 9 governorship election”.
In a statement by its Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, Kunle Oyatomi, Osun APC alleged that thousands of its supporters in the 30 local government areas of the state were being disenfranchised by INEC who prevented them from obtaining their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), without which they will not be allowed to vote.
It added that INEC had introduced a curious formula of dispensing the PVCs by asking voters with temporary cards what party they belonged to before the PVCs were given.
“In the process, those who have identified themselves as APC supporters have been told that their PVCs are not ready and INEC could not tell these prospective voters when they would be ready. This is part of what the PDP wants, and this is why it has removed the former Osun REC, Rufus Akeju,” the party had alleged.
INEC has, however, faulted the allegation, describing it as false, just as it warned against “unnecessary heating up of the electoral process through baseless allegations”. In fact, Jega has pledged that the commission would ensure that the Osun election is better than that of Ekiti.
But political analysts have expressed serious concern over the controversies trailing who presides over the election if the two parties really have nothing to hide. They maintained that if they are sure they would play by the rule of the game, there would have been no need for the unnecessary dispute over who presides over the conduct of the election.
Curiously, the parties appear to have decided to regale the voters more with diatribes than presentation of programmes and manifestoes. While the APC claims that militarisation of Ekiti on election day was what gave PDP an edge, it vowed that a repeat of the action in Osun would be vehemently resisted. PDP has, however, retorted; accusing APC of being already jittery. The party insisted that the presence of security men was better than allowing thugs and street urchins have their way.
It advised the APC to start campaigning well, rather than embarking on “political blackmail and empty propaganda in the media”.
Violence
While the parties were trying to outdo each other, an ugly dimension was introduced into the politicking, with the resurgence of pockets of violence in some areas, including Ife, the stronghold of Omisore. Aregbesola is from Ilesha.
Curiously, foot soldiers of APC and PDP are already boasting of victory ahead of the election, claiming some outstanding attributes that the victory would be anchored on.
For instance, Semiu Okanlawon, a media aide to Aregbesola, advertised the strong point of his principal on the overwhelming support he has been getting from the populace.
In an encounter with TheNiche at one of the governor’s rallies in Ilesha recently, he stated that the turnout was a reflection of the acceptance of Aregbesola.
The huge attendance, he said, had been the trend in Aregbesola’s campaign, stressing that “he has worked enough to win”.
However, PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, within the same time, stressed that it was not resting on its oars, but was working hard to ensure victory.
The statement assured that those factors, which gave the party victory in the June 21 election in Ekiti, including “a popular candidate with grassroots appeal, strong and well accepted message as well as the humble and effective leadership of its leader, President Goodluck Jonathan, are still at play.”
Guarding against manipulation
Tension is reportedly high in the state, as security agents are said to have ringed the state in preparation for the election. There were also allegations that their presence was to scare the people. APC is crying louder that the PDP, ostensibly fearing that federal might is being deployed.
Oyatomi, in a statement, decried the heavy presence of security personnel in the state.
“Our people should go about their businesses and ignore the presence of the security operatives,” he advised.
“A country in which the security operatives are the ones doing what we are experiencing to citizens in Osun calls for the gravest concern. Instead of pursuing and fighting Boko Haram, what we are seeing are our own security officers who should be protecting us, but have now chosen to frighten us. If this is how the PDP intends to win election in Osun, God help Nigeria.”
But the PDP faulted the complaint of the APC. Victor Oriola, a media aide to Omisore, noted, for instance, that the security men were not harassing or scaring anybody.
“Anybody that is scared of the security agents must have something to hide because they are not harassing anybody,” he told TheNiche on phone.
Also speaking, Diran Odeyemi said the PDP was fully prepared for the election and was looking forward to emerging victorious.
“We are fully prepared. We are looking forward to emerging victorious. We have campaigned across the state,” he said.
But any way the election goes, analysts believe that it will definitely serve as real litmus test for the APC and PDP strength in the South West region and, perhaps, a precursor to what to expect in 2015.
The outcome, it is also estimated, could really be a defining factor between the leadership of the two parties over the control of South West politics.
