By Dayo Johnson, South-West Regional Editor

The Ondo governorship primaries of the two major political parties – the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC; and the opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP fixed for April 20 and 25 respectively can best be described as the battle of titans.

Interestingly, all the gladiators in both parties that are jostling for the governorship seat are from Ondo South senatorial district except one of the female aspirants on the platform of the APC, Mrs. Funmi Waheed-Adekojo, who hails from Ikare, Akoko North East Local Council in Ondo North.

Some of the 16 aspirants jostling for APC ticket are heavyweights, who had contested for the position many times and if the exercise was not properly managed, it may cause internal crisis. The party has adopted direct primaries to elect its standard bearer

In the PDP, which chose indirect primaries, a few of the seven aspirants are considered as contenders while others are pretenders. There are also pretenders in the APC, who are expected to use the governorship aspiration to negotiate for political positions when the chips are down.

While the ruling APC is bent on retaining power, the opposition is out to spring a surprise.

21 aspirants pick APC, PDP forms

At the last count, 21 governorship aspirants have collected nomination forms of the APC and PDP and both parties have raked in over N1 billion from the sale of nomination forms. While the APC realised N750m from its 16 aspirants, the PDP got N259 million from seven aspirants.

Although, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in the state disclosed that 19 political parties had notified it about the conduct of their governorship primaries, only the APC and PDP have presented their aspirants for screening. The other 17 parties are yet to present their aspirants.

According to Ondo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, the parties that notified the commission of their readiness to conduct governorship primaries billed to last from April 6 to 27 include the APC; PDP; Accord Party, AP; Action Alliance, AA; African Action Congress, AAC; African Democratic Congress, ADC: African Democratic Party, ADP; and All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA,

Others are Allied Peoples Movement, APM; Action Peoples Party, APP; Boot Party, BP; Labour Party, LP: New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP: National Rescue Movement, NRM; Peoples Redemption Party, PRP: Social Democratic Party, SDP; Youth Party, YP; Young Progressives Party, YPP; and Zenith Labour Party, ZLP.

Battle for APC ticket

Aspirants who have obtained the APC N50m nomination forms include the incumbent governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Chief Olusola Oke, Hon Mayowa Akinfolarin, Hon Isaacs Kekemeke, Wale Akinterinwa, Hon Olugbenga Edema, Senator Jimoh lbrahim, Hon Jimi Odimayo, Diran Iyantan, Mrs. Funmi Waheed-Adekojo, Soji Ehinlanwo, Morayo Lebi, Dr Olamide Ohunyeye, Mrs. Funke Omogoroye, and Engr. Ifeoluwa Olusola Oyedele. Female aspirants are exempted from paying for the nomination form but must pay N10 million for the expression of interest form.

Tinubu’s body language

Meanwhile, while the APC aspirants wait patiently for President Tinubu’s body language on his choice of the partys flagbearear, the aspirants in the opposition party have rolled up their sleeves to battle for the ticket on April 25.

The choice of President Tinubu’s anointed candidate, if not generally accepted, may make or mar the chances of the ruling party in the November governorship election.

At least two of the aspirants in APC may withdraw from the contest few days to the April 20 governorship primary election and defect to other parties to realise their ambitions when the veil over the president’s anointed candidate is eventually removed.

Other parties including the main opposition PDP have scheduled their primaries days after that of the ruling party. Analysts said the opposition parties are expected to harvest aggrieved APC aspirants.

The coming weeks will be interesting in Ondo State as aspirants intensify their lobbying to secure the President’s endorsement in the ruling party while aspirants in the opposition slug it out on the field of play.

Jostle for PDP ticket

The seven aspirants in the PDP that have purchased their forms include, former Deputy Governor of the state, Hon Agboola Ajayi; former General Secretary of Afenifere, Chief Sola Ebiseni; John Ola Mafo; Bamidele Akingboye; Adeolu Akinwumi; Bosun Arebuwa and Kolade Akinjo.

Other parties await APC, PDP

Findings by Saturday Vanguard showed that most of the other parties are waiting to harvest aggrieved aspirants from the two major parties.

Although the chairman of the ZLP in the state, Lawrence Oyebamiji, recently said that the party’s nomination form is N15 million, no one has so far bought the party’s form.

Unwritten zoning agreement

Going by the zones of the last two governors, there is an unwritten agreement among power blocs that governorship seat should rotate to Ondo South because the two erstwhile governors, Dr Olusegun Mimiko and late Rotimi Akeredolu came from Ondo Central and Ondo North respectively. While Mimiko governed for eight years, his late successor, Akeredolu, spent seven years leaving his then deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, to complete his term.

Profile of the aspirants Lucky Aiyedatiwa (APC)

The incumbent governor stepped into the shoes of his benefactor, Rotimi Akeredolu after the latter’s death on December 27, 2023. Aiyedatiwa hails from Obe-Nla, an oil-bearing community in Ilaje Local Government Area. He’s a strong contender in the race and is banking on the incumbency factor to win the primaries.

Olusola Oke (APC)

He contested for the governorship position twice under the PDP in 2012 and the now-defunct Alliance for Democracy, AD, in 2016.

Oke was a member of the House of Representatives in 1992, NDDC Commissioner in 2001, and chairman of the Ondo State Oil Producing Area Development Commission, OSOPADEC. He was also the National Legal Adviser of the PDP.

He hails from llowo, a coastal town in the oil rich Ilaje council area of the state. Leaders of other parties have promised to work for him if he wins the ticket.

Jimoh lbrahim (APC)

He’s from lgbotako in Okitipupa council area of the state. Jimoh is presently the Senator representing Ondo South. Jimoh was the governorship candidate of the All Nigeria People Party, ANPP, in 2003.

Mayowa Akinfolarin (APC)

He was a two time member of the state House of Assembly, former deputy speaker and a former House of Representatives member that represented Ile- Oluji/Okeigbo Federal Constituency. He’s from Odigbo area of the state. He has backers at the Presidential villa rooting and followers across the parties who are ready to work for his victory in November if he wins the party’s ticket.

lsaacs Kekemeke (APC)

He’s presently the National Vice Chairman of the APC, South-West. He was a commissioner and secretary to the Ondo State Government under late Governor Olusegun Agagu. Kekemeke is from Agadagba- Obon in the riverine Ese- Odo council area of the state. He also has supporters across all political parties that are ready to support his ambition if he wins the party’s ticket.

He was the pioneer chairman of the National Examination Council, NECO, and pioneer chairman of APC in Ondo State.

Wale Akinterinwa (APC)

He hails from ile-Oluji area of the state. He was a Finance commissioner under Dr Olusegun Mimiko and also held the same office under Akeredolu for seven years. He’s a financial expert and is said to have backers at the Presidential villa, and has inherited the political and administrative structure of Akeredolu.

Jimi Odimayo (APC)

Currently a member of the House of Representatives representing Okitipupa/ lrele federal constituency, he’s from lrele, in lrele council area of the state. He’s a businessman who’s into oil and gas.

Olugbenga Edema (APC)

He’s from Ogogoro community in the oil rich Ilaje council area. He was a commissioner in NDDC and former chairman of the state intervention agency, the Oil Producing Area Development Commission, OSOPADEC.

Soji Ehinlanwo (APC)

He’s an ICT expert and a former governorship candidate of the defunct CPC in 2012. Ehinlanwo is from Ugbo community in Ilaje council area. He’s the son of a two-term senator, Hosea Ehinlanwo, who represented Ondo South senatorial district in the National Assembly.

Olamide Ohunyeye (APC)

He’s a retired Army Brigadier General, Ohunyeye hails from Ilutuntun in Okitipupa council area.

Diran lyantan (APC)

He was a commissioner for local government and Chieftaincy Affairs in the state and a former federal commissioner in the National Population Commission, NPC.

He’s from Aye, in Okitipupa area of the state

Dayo Faduyile (APC, Ondo South)

The former President of Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, and former Special Adviser to late Governor Akeredolu on health matters, Faduyile is a Professor of Pathology. He hails from lkoya in Okitipupa

Morayo Lebi (APC)

He’s from Ajagba, lkale in lrele council area. He was a senatorial aspirant in the last general election. Lebi recently lambasted the party for not rewarding members who sacrificed their resources to establish the party in Ondo.

Ifeoluwa Oyedele (APC)

He’s the Executive Director in charge of Engineering & Technical Services of Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited. Oyedele hails from Igodan-Lisa, Okitipupa LGA. He stepped down for Governor Akeredolu in 2020 before the party’s primaries.

Funke Omogoroye (APC)

She’s the second woman in the race and relatively unknown in the political circle of the state. Reports had it that she was an aide to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos.

Olusola Ebiseni (PDP)

He was the erstwhile secretary general of the Pan-Yoruba Socio-Political group, Afenifere. Ebiseni is a lawyer, three-time commissioner in the state, and the state chairman of the Law Commission. He hails from Mahin in Ilaje LGA.

He became the chairman of the old Ilaje LGA at the age of 29. He contested for the governorship ticket of the PDP in 2016.

Agboola Ajayi (PDP)

He was a member of the House of Representatives representing Ilaje/Ese- Odo Federal Constituency on the platform of the PDP. He was the deputy governor to the late Governor Akeredolu. He resigned and joined the PDP, following irreconcilable differences with the late governor. Agboola hails from Apoi in Ese Odo LGA.

John Olu Mafo (PDP)

He was Information, Sports and Youths commissioner in the state, and a deputy governorship candidate in the 2016 election. He hails from Aheri in the oil rich Ilaje LGA.

Akinwunmi Adeolu (PDP)

He was a special adviser to former Governor Mimiko. He was the first to obtain the n PDP nomination forms. He hails from Okitipupa LGA.

Bamidele Akingboye (PDP)

He has contested for the governorship seat many times and has not defected to another party. He has been described as one of the most consistent party leaders in the state. He hails from lgodan-lisa in Okitipupa LGA.

Bosun Arebuwa (PDP)

The ode- Aye born politician, is a chartered accountant and chartered tax practitioner. He also hails from Okitipua.

Kolade Akinjo (PDP)

He was a member of the House of Representatives. He’s from Mahin in Ilaje LGA.

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