By Emeka Alex Duru
The Saturday, October 10 Ondo governorship election, is a matter of days ahead. About 17 political parties are taking part in the poll in the contest. The All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are however seen as the most prominent. Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) had equally been considered a strong contender but following the non-participation of its flag bearer, Agboola Ajayi as well as the sudden lull in the momentum it had initially generated, its capacity in creating upset, has been under question, lately. That, effectively leaves the space open for Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of the APC and Eyitayo Jegede of the PDP.
Both are evenly matched, in a fair contest. They have the name, the reputation and solid platforms. They earned big names in the legal profession, capping it with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). Winning the election means a lot to either of the contestants. Shun of manipulations by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other agencies of the state, the election promises to be a tough task for the candidates.
Jegede seeks revenge
For Jegede in particular, the election will go a long way in situating his clout in Ondo politics. At the 2016 contest, he was seen as running under the shadow of the then governor, Olusegun Mimiko, who he served as Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice. Part of the insinuations against him then was that his candidacy was a subtle extension of the Mimiko era. The Saturday poll offers him the opportunity to prove that he can stand on his own and be judged on his person by the Ondo electorate. It is an opportunity for avenging his loss to Akeredolu in 2016.
Jegede is from Akure, a section of the state, which has cried marginalisation in leadership since the creation of Ondo. That may draw sympathy for him. He has also identified some aspects of governance that he accuses the Akeredolu administration of not giving adequate attention. With the mantra of righting the wrongs of the government, he looks forward to fair chances from the voters.
Emerging victorious in the poll, equally means much for the PDP. The party, currently does not have any state in its column in the South West. Until it was dislodged in the last elections in Ekiti and Ondo, it was in control of affairs in the two. In the build-up to the 2023 politics, PDP needs a foothold in the region to give the APC a serious battle. Its successful outing in Edo governorship poll on September 19, has also brought a resurgence of enthusiasm within its fold.
Akeredolu runs on continuity
The Jegede factor places Akeredolu under immense pressure. That does not afford him the luxury of relying on the so-called incumbency factor. In the last three weeks, he had put up a brilliant campaign flaunting the good policy initiatives of his administration. He had within the period, pointed at the developments that have taken place in the state in the past three and half years that he has called the shots especially in upgrading infrastructure in the education and other sectors. He is asking the voters to give him another chance.
His fidelity with APC right from its Alliance for Democracy (AD) days, is expected to count for him before the Ondo electorate. He has also successfully asserted himself as a man of his own and the leader of the party in the state, since successfully warding of the influence of former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu from Ondo politics.
INEC and burden of transparent poll
As the Election Day draws closer, the parties are pushing for the finish line and marketing their programmes and candidates in the 18 local government areas in the state. Being a stand-alone election, there should ordinarily not much to be cause for alarm. But reports of attacks in some parts of the state in the run-up to the election are already sending dangerous signals across the state. They call for responsible agencies of the state to sit up. The situation also demands on the players to play by the rule. Politicians in particular have a role to play in conducting themselves creditably and insisting on their supporters doing same.
Eyes are on the relevant organs of the government charged with the election to rise up to their responsibilities in ensuring free, fair and transparent exercise. Undoubtedly, the stakes are high in the Ondo poll. Coming on the relative successful outing recorded in the Edo election last month, Ondo poll poses huge challenge on the INEC not to take any chance, so as not to slip down the ladder of what it achieved in Edo. The outcome of Ondo election will go a long way in further celebrating the success of Edo exercise. If anything less transparent is encountered in Ondo, it will be a huge indictment on the nation.
Concerned Nigerians are in agreement that the election must be free, fair and transparent. For them, the ballot must count. INEC must not only be impartial but should be seen to be so. A successful outing in Ondo will offer opportunity to rekindle faith in Nigeria’s electoral system. It will also imbue trust in the efforts by the Commission on migrating to electronic voting (e-voting) in line with the agenda at reforming the country’s electoral system.
Security agencies and Ondo
In Edo, allegations of intimidation by security agents were negligible. This calls for more transparent outing in Ondo. With a Deputy Inspector General (DIG), an Assistant Inspector General (AIG) and 11 Commissioners of Police (CPs) deployed to oversee the general security arrangement during election, there should not be fear of any security breach. Expectations are on the senior officers to bring their wealth of experience to bear by ensuring the due enforcement of all electoral laws during the election. Other officers and men of the Force as well as personnel of other security agencies deployed for the election are also looked upon to conduct themselves professionally and work in line with best practices.
Many insist that the Saturday poll in Ondo should rise beyond the ugly experiences of recent staggered elections in Osun, Kogi and Bayelsa, which were trailed by controversies and contentions because of allegations of partisanship by state institutions. Voters in Ondo must be allowed to have their way in electing who governs them.