…strategise, deploy huge cash to influence voters
. TMG, 400 CSOs declare govs’ involvement as threat to credible poll
The D-Day for the battle royale for the governorship seat in Ondo State is here, but as the 1.4million eligible voters go to the polls today in Ondo to decide who becomes the next governor of the state, the influence of some seating governors from other states, who have since relocated to the sunshine state, is expected to have palpable effects on the outcome of the election.
1stnewsonline.com learnt that some governors on the platforms of both the ruling All Progressives Congress and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party have stayed behind in the state since Wednesday, after the two major political parties had their grand rallies in Akure, the state capital.
The APC and PDP state governors, it was gathered, had since been strategising with the candidates of their individual political parties in Ondo on how best to win today’s election.
It was, however, learnt that the governors had been involved in deploying their financial strength in support of their parties’ individual candidates with the main objective of influencing the electorate in the state.
While Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu is the chairman of the APC campaign committee for Ondo, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde heads the PDP team for today’s election in the state.
Both Sanwo-Olu and Makinde are being assisted by some other governors of the APC and PDP, respectively. Both parties have, however, been joined by some other state governors who not members of the campaign committees in the state state, but interested in influencing the outcome of today’s poll.
The widespread influence of the governors has become so noticeable in Ondo that observers in the election have become concerned over the implication of this development for today’s exercise.
On Friday, a coalition of 400 civil society organisations under the aegis of the Transition Monitoring Group raised the alarm that the ‘invasion’ of Ondo State by some state governors posed serious threat to the conduct of a free and credible election in the state today.
TMG, however, condemned the development.
TMG Chairman, Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, said at a pre-election press briefing on Friday that the refusal of these state governors to leave Ondo threatened peaceful and credible conduct of the election.
Akiyode-Abiola did not, however, mention the names of the governors currently in the state.
She expressed fears that the governors could use their immunity to perpetrate electoral malpractices like vote-buying, intimidation and could also sponsor political violence.
She said, “TMG condemns the practice of governors from other states that have invaded Ondo State and refused to leave after campaign has ended.
“These governors who travelled and sponsored their political expedition with the meagre resources of their states may constitute a threat to free and fair election by taking advantage of their immunity to be involved in election malpractices like vote-buying, intimidation of security operatives and sponsorship of political violence. All invading governors should leave since campaign has ended.”
Meanwhile, today’s mother of all battles will essentially be fought by the candidates of the three major political parties. They are incumbent Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of the ruling APC; main opposition PDP candidate, Eyitayo Jegede and incumbent Deputy Governor Agboola Ajayi of the Zenith Labour Party.
No fewer than 15 political parties had initially thrown their hats in the ring to contest today’s governorship poll in Ondo, but only three of the candidates have turned out to be the real contenders.
Ten governorship candidates had a few days ago withdrawn from the race to back PDP candidate, Jegede, while two other political parties also collapsed into the ruling APC to team up with Governor Akeredolu, who is seeking re-election for a second term in office.
Tension has, however, continued to grip the people of the state following pockets of trouble and violence in many parts of the state in the run-up to today’s poll, especially in Akure, Ipele, Oba-Akoko, Idanre, Ondo and Owo.
Following the development, observers have been expressing fears that except the security operatives do the needful, there may be serious crises during today’s election.
The three major parties had traded blames over the incidents with some campaign vehicles belonging to both the APC and PDP vandalised and burnt in many parts of the state.
Also in the run-up to today’s poll, the three candidates signed peace accord midwifed by the National Peace Committee under the leadership of former head of state, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar.
Inspite of the violence and crises that had characterised the campaigns of the political parties, the candidates agreed at the peace accord signing ceremony to maintain peace in the state during and after the election. They also assured that their followers and supporters would embrace peace.
But to ensure adequate security and a peaceful poll today, the police have deployed about 33,000 men in the state for the election. Similarly, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has sent in 7,049 of its operatives to join the police and other security agencies to provide security during today’s exercise.
No doubt, the three candidates have their supporters and loyalists in all the 18 Local Government Areas of the state, but it was learnt that there are plans by some politicians to work for opposing candidates during today’s election following the forging of last minute alignments and realignments within the political class in the state.
Today’s election is, therefore, still too close to call, and predicting who amongst the contestants will carry the day is difficult, especially in a situation where the three major contenders boast of high number of supporters going by the huge crowd of people that attended their campaigns.
But one unique feature of today’s election is the fact that a sitting governor is contesting against his deputy. Both Akeredolu and Ajayi will slug it out at the polls today for the number political office in Ondo State.
Since 2016 when they were first elected on a joint ticket on the APC platform, both Akeredolu and Ajayi had been close allies until their relationship went sour recently and they both parted ways with the deputy governor defecting, first to the PDP and later to the ZLP.
In today’s election, both Akeredolu and Ajayi are on opposing sides for the number one political office in Ondo.
The PDP candidate, Jegede, is not new in political contest against Akeredolu. Four years ago, both of them, on the platform of their respective political parties, slugged it out at the poll for the same office with Akeredolu defeating Jegede. But the PDP candidate never challenged the incumbent governor’s victory in court.
But while Akeredolu sees himself as the candidate to beat in today’s election, his estranged deputy, Ajayi, has been boasting that he would defeat his boss, if the conduct of the exercise is free and fair.
Efforts to forge an alliance between Ajayi and Jegede for today’s poll had failed as the two sides could not totally agree on the modalities for their coalition.