Special Correspondent, JULIUS ALABI, writes on the challenges arising from the purported defection of Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, from Labour Party (LP) to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), especially in sharing of slots for elective offices.
Five months ahead of the 2015 general elections into the state and federal legislatures in Ondo State, the picture of the impending battle is gradually taking shape.
Mimiko’s defection rumour
There are, in fact, indications that the elections could turn out momentous for the long term future of the state. The permutation is that the encounter may be interesting given that the players are already trying to outsmart one another especially in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), that the governor, Olusegun Mimiko, is rumoured to have joined.
Engagements in the state in the last three weeks provided a pointer to the likelihood of this scenario. The purported defection of Mimiko and his alleged plot to move the Labour Party (LP) structure in the state to the PDP are particularly said to be affecting calculations in APC on one hand, and LP and PDP on the other side.
Although Mimiko’s rumoured defection to PDP is seen by chieftains of the party as a welcome development, since he would be returning to a familiar terrain, it is envisaged that the battle of fielding candidates for elective positions, especially into the House of Assembly may not be a smooth exercise for him. Some members of LP are, for example, said to have vowed not to join PDP with him, preferring to remain in LP.
The 60:40 sharing formula
It is estimated that in the event of this being the case, there may be crisis over which of the parties would have majority members in the House of Assembly, an issue, it has been stressed, Mimiko may have much interest in. This particular consideration, TheNiche learnt, necessitated the ongoing 60:40 agitation between the governor, LP and PDP members before his official defection.
Already, candidates for the House Assembly from LP and PDP are working seriously to win endorsement of Mimiko. Some of them were said to still be consulting while some have made up their mind to roll out posters in readiness for the campaign take-off.
Investigations by our reporter indicated that the unfolding intrigues in the run-up to the National Assembly (Senate and House of Representatives) elections in Ondo may not be as intense as those of the state legislature, as all the political parties in the state appear bent on fielding credible candidates for the election.
Stampede for ticket
In All Progressives Congress (APC), despite speculations of anointed candidates, many aspirants have continued to besiege the party’s secretariat to declare their intention, confident of picking the party’s ticket.
What seems to be emboldening the aspirants under APC is the state executive’s recent declaration that there would be no automatic ticket for aspirants to the 2015 National Assembly and House of Assembly elections in the state. With the current position, some of these aspirants who considered themselves as the anointed candidates may be disappointed.
It was learnt that APC is doing everything in its capacity to field credible candidates for all elections across the state, to win elective positions in the state.
The party, according to a source, is waiting to get directives and guidelines from the national headquarters in Abuja on the process of picking candidates for the election. Already, consultations are on, with the party leadership seriously sourcing for people of proven integrity that will feature in the elections.
In addition, the state chairman of the APC, Isaac Kekemeke, recently said the State Executive Committee (SEC) of the party would soon embark on mobilisation tour of all the 28 local government areas of the state to sensitise the people on the need to embrace APC that has people-oriented programmes.
Impending crisis
This, it is feared, may not be the situation in the new look PDP in the state. Observers rather note that the issue of who becomes a House of Assembly candidate in the fused LP and PDP could plunge the party into crisis, if care is not taken.
The assumption, for now, is that some local governments where PDP is strong may be conceded to it as part of its 40 per cent, while LP will hold onto the remaining 60 per cent and will field candidates from the local governments where it has upper hands.
Even at that, developments within the parties still remain hazy, as some aspirants in both LP and PDP, who had hoped to get nominations from their respective parties before the purported merger, may have their fate hanging on the balance, until arrangements and consultations are finalised.
The governor and his LP are said to have insisted on 60 per cent of the candidates, leaving PDP and it members with 40 per cent. PDP, it is gathered, is, however, not ready to shift ground on 50:50 sharing formula for the tickets. Given PDP’s hard stance, Mimiko, it is feared, would have an onerous task of convincing members to accept 40 per cent sharing arrangement while LP takes 60.
Last line
With the unfolding developments, there are indications that how the primaries or selection in the new PDP in the state will go, and how it will affect the fortunes of the party in the 2015 general elections cannot easily be determined.
But as the hands of the clock tick towards the 2015 elections, the game in Ondo may be an interesting one, with observers saying that the race for the House of Assembly and National Assembly may likely witness upsets.
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