Senior Correspondent, JULIUS ALABI, writes on the Ondo State chapters of PDP and APC ahead of Presidential, National Assembly and House of Assembly elections.
As in all states of the federation, the battle for supremacy between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, gets stronger as the two major political parties intensify their campaigns for the Presidential and National Assembly elections, scheduled for next week. The heat is also felt in the 18 local government areas of the state for the House of Assembly poll. While the ruling PDP angles for consolidation, APC is exploring all opportunities to take over the control of the state’s politics.
PDP, led by Governor Olusegun Mimiko, while campaigning for President Goodluck Jonathan, also makes case for its candidates going for the National Assembly and House of Assembly positions.
APC, on the other hand, is rooting for its presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, as well as its candidates for February 14 and 28 polls. While the two leading parties are on full throttle in their campaigns, they still grapple with incidences of internal crises. While the disquiet in APC has become full-blown, the party is trying to manage its own aside being confronted with challenge of fund to prosecute its campaign in the state.
Though Mimiko’s government gained public sympathy and support while he was in Labour Party (LP) and was credited with some measure of developments and achievements he made in his term in office, he has been under intense criticism from different quarters in the last few weeks for abandoning the organisation which he nurtured to a winning party in the state.
What particularly has not been defined is how the reconciliation between the old PDP and new PDP would be possible and successful, considering the fact that the bone of contention is the political interest of the major stakeholders in the party ahead of next year’s general elections.
Interestingly, politics in Ondo as in other parts of the country, is hardly issue-based.
While the party battles to regain its bearing, the state chairman of APC, Isaac Kekemeke, has alerted that the party is out to spring a surprise in the election and take over the state from PDP, adding that what the people are praying for is good governance.
“We have machinery in place now on how to win all elections across 18 local government areas in the state. As I have said, I am confident that APC will win massively and enthrone good governance unlike what we are witnessing now in Ondo” he said.
According to him, Buhari is the person to salvage the damage situation of the country. “When you talk of a man at his age or whatever age, you will recall that late Obafemi Awolowo was around 72 or thereabout when he still fought on the platform of UPN. Awolowo died at the age of 78. Look at Nelson Mandela. He was far above the age of 70 when he became South African president and ruled well. What is important is for somebody to have sound mind. Buhari has chosen an able running mate, a Professor of Law, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and a man that has been ascribed with impeccable character. All they need is to put the mental work on ground and implement it.
“When you see Buhari talk, he does not need to read from books. He explains issues intelligently. Buhari is not looking for cars, houses again; His opponent has not been able to find anything incriminating against him and that tells you that Buhari has good record. So, Buhari is fit enough to rule Nigeria,” Kekemeke added.
On its part, a coalition of President Goodluck Jonathan support groups in the South West has launched massive grassroots campaign for re-election of the president next week. The coalition consisting of over 35 support groups said it is ready to match the opposition APC in the region, strength for strength, pledging to deliver every available vote to the PDP flag bearer.
In a communique read by the chairman of the coalition, Banji Omotoso after a joint meeting in Akure, the group solicited support of the Presidential Campaign Organisation of Jonathan/Sambo headed by Dr. Ahmadu Ali to achieve its goals.
“Whereas, we have over two million members who are financially handicapped to go on door to door campaigns.
“We, therefore, appeal strongly to. Mr. President to order PDP headquarters and Musa Babayo, the national chairman for support groups to release funds to the South West coalition groups to embark on their door-to-door, house-to-house campaigns in the South West zone,” the communique read in part.
Omotoso who is the coordinator of Campaign for Transformation Agenda (CTA) for Goodluck Jonathan, urged Mimiko, the South West Zonal Coordinator of Goodluck/Sambo Campaign Committee, to integrate members of the group into the Presidential campaign team.
He said the support groups in South West has always been in the forefront of campaign for the re-election of President Jonathan even before he emerged flag bearer of PDP.
“It came as a surprise to us that since governor Mimiko took charge of the campaign committee of the President in South West, he has not deemed it fit to invite or assign any role for the coalition in the campaigns, so far. If given the necessary support and logistics, we are ready go all out campaigning for the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan, and let Nigerians know of his transformation agenda and the need to sustain it beyond 2015,” he said.
Analysts are of the view that in the race ahead, PDP in the state has considerable advantages over APC, especially if it can resolve the crisis within its ranks. This, incidentally, was the advice by Jonathan, during his rally in the state.
What this means, according to close watchers of the state’s politics is that APC must work hard to win. But even the unyielding optimists in the party, are known to have expressed concern that the party would have very tough time to convince the electorate that APC would perform credible well if its candidates are voted for.
As the battle of wits rages, the question is, which party emerge overall winner in Ondo.