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TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012
POLITICS THE NATION
E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net
Ekiti State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is in a fix. Before the recent congress, it was polarized into three factions. Now, the outcome of the cngress has deepened the intra-party crisis, reports Correspondent SULAIMAN SALAWUDEEN.
Ekiti PDP: A divided house E
KITI State Peoples Demo cratic Party is battling with protracted crisis. Although a new state executive committee was elected at its recent congress in Ado-Ekiti, the exercise failed to unite the three factions. The factions are led by the Southwest PDP leader, Mr. Segun Oni, Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Capt. Caleb Olubolade, and former Governor Ayodele Fayose. The three leaders are locked in a battle for supremacy in the party. At the congress, Mr. Makanjuola Ogundipe was elected as the new party chairman. But after the exercise, a party chieftain, Mr. Akin Omole objected to the exercise, claiming that he is the authentic chairman.Ogundipe is a member of Fayose’s faction. Omole is an active supporter of Oni. The warring leaders had presented candidates for the various party offices ahead of the congress. However, Olubolade- and Oni lost out. The two failed to enlist popular support for their respective chairmanship aspirants. Since Fayose’s candidate emerged as the chairman, the two camps have not shown the readiness to cooperate with the new
executive committee. For example, the new exco complained that it had become difficult for it to resume at the party secretariat, owing to lack of plans for official handover. Last year, PDP elders had • Oni Olubolade pleaded with Fayose to return to base, after about three years of turn to the party, Olubolade and happy that Olubolade took the firing salvos to the fold from outOni camps, which were pre-ocshine off the deposed governor side. A delegation comprising cupied with the choice of candiduring the last presidential former Deputy Governor Paul date for the 2014 governorship campaigns. In their view, Oni Alabi had appealed to him and elections, were scheming to disshould have been made minisother aggrieved members who credit one another.Party memter, instead of the retired naval had dumped the party to return, bers who worshipped at the feat officer.During the electioneerwith a promise to accord them of the minister believed that he ing, President Goodluck their rightful position in the was the main arrowhead beJonathan was inundated with chapter. cause he could distribute recomplaints that Ekiti PDP was The party elders reasoned that sources. However, prominent a divided house threatening to Fayose could assist in lifting the PDP chieftains who served unfall. Worried by the discord, he spirit of the party and reversing der the defunct Oni Adminishad appealed to the chieftains its dwindled fortunes. It was betration remained loyal to their to close rank and work for collieved that the former governor’s former boss. While supporters lective interest Oni’s camp populist inclinations could beof Olubolade perceived Oni as openly canvassed against come an asset during electioneera liability, having lost power, Olubolade’s bid to become ing. Others recalled that, when thereby exposing the party to minister immediately after the the party was done in 2001, ridicule, Oni’s men saw elections, despite the latter’s Fayose was among the new stalOlubolade as a defector comsubstantive post as a minister warts who lifted the chapter ing to reap where he did not of state. from the dungeon. sow, unlike Oni, who, as a However, things appeared to One of the banes of Ekiti PDP is founding member, laboured look bright for the party lately the absence of a top leader who for the party during difficult when, just two days before the command overwhelming suptimes. ward congresses across the port. Thus, reconciliation was Supporters of Oni are also not State, the minister summoned short-lived. Before Fayose’s re-
a meeting of the stakeholders in Ado-Ekiti. At the meeting were Fayose, Ropo Adesanya, Mrs. Fatima Raji-Rasaki and Alabi. The second day, at another meeting held at Ipoti-Ekiti, which was attended by Fayose, Alabi, Oni, Chief Dayo Okondo and former Deputy Governor Abiodun Aluko, the party leaders promised to work for unity. However, the meeting never achieved the objective of unity and harmony. While die-hard loyalists, including Senator Clement Awoyelu, former state chairman of the party, Chief Ropo Adesanya, Chief Yinka Akerele, Okondo believe that Oni should be the overall leader, Chief Alabi, former Minister of State for Energy (Gas), Mr Tunde Odusina, Aluko, and Dr Jimi Oke believe that only Olubolade is better placed to assure that role. The minister, who had an edge as the party’s representative in Abuja, had been instructed by the national leadership to rebuild the party. In discharging that role, he said: “PDP problem is not that of Olubolade, Segun Oni or that of Ayo Fayose alone, but that of every member. We have a lot of talents in our party and if these talents are harnessed, we will surely come back to power in the coming election”. However, with the selection of Oni as the zonal leader, the role reverted back to the former governor. Yet, as he took off as the national vice chairman, he is assailed by the fact that the Ekiti PDP exco has not been cast in his own image. Now, Oni’s faction, led by Barr. Akin Omole, has gone ahead to form a parallel exco, claiming to be the authentic state executive committee. War has broken out between the duly elected chairman, Mr. Makanjuola Ogundipe and Omole, and there is no end in sight to the intrigue.
Ondo ACN aspirants intensify campaign for governorship
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O fewer than 42 indigenes of Ondo State are jostling for the governorship of the state across the three main parties; the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and Labour Party (LP). The general election may hold in October in the ‘Sunshine State’. Governance in the 36 years old state cannot be a tea party. Observers argue that many challenges would stare the next governor in the face. One of the challenges is how to industrialise Ondo State. Who among the aspirants across the three parties can resuscitate the moribund Oluwa Glass Company, which has the potentials of generating employment for youths; revive the Ceramic Industry at Ifon, create a vibrant local economy by turning around the Ute’s Limestone Project, turn the abandoned games’ reserve around and boost tourism in the state beyond Idanre hills? Many of the aspirants have declared their ambition at the ward, local government, state levels and on the pages of newspapers. Also, many of them are still consulting with their constituencies and network of friends across the state. Sources said pressures are being mounted on some of them to join the fray, based on their antecedents and track records in public office and private practice.
• From left: ACN delegates from Benue State; Hon. Joseph Idoko; Hon. Dr Fidelis Anweh; Prince Maza Anga; Hon. Jerome Shimbe; Emmanuel Vambeh and Princess Dooyun Alongo at the declaration of governorship intention by Chief Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) at Akure, Ondo State.
Across the 18 local governments, politics is in the air. There are 203 wards in the state and aspirants are raising personal structures down to family units. In the last general elections, there were 3,009 polling units. Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) sources said the figure may be sustained. The population of the state is 3.4 million. How-
ever, not up to two million would vote at the polls. They include indigenes and sojourners; Igbo, Ebira, Hausa and Yoruba from neighbouring states. Top on the list of aspirants is LP Governor Olusegun Mimiko, who is the sole aspirant in the ruling party. He is expected to fly the flag of the party along with Deputy Governor Ali Olanusi, if the septuagenarian
does not step down on account of old age. Dr Mimiko, a medical doctor, hails from Ondo, in the Central District and Alhaji Olanusi, an Akoko, is from the North District. For Mimiko, how to break the second term jinx is a big hurdle. Except the late Governor Adekunle Ajasin, no governor has won election for a second term in the state. Ajasin won a second term in 1983, but he was
shoved aside by the military. In 2003, the late Governor Adebayo Adefarati was displaced by Governor Olusegun Agagu. Dr. Mimiko fought a hard battle to reclaim his stolen mandate from the PDP two years ago. Supporters of the governor have said that he deserved a second term in office. Continuity in office, they argued, would foster development through the completion of on-going projects. But ACN contender, Ekungba, objected to this argument. He said: “There is a policy in Ondo State that governors will only do one term in office. Ajasin, Adefarati, and Agagu only spent one term. The current governor is an advocate of “one governor, one term”. Why should his own be different?”. Another aspirant, Dr. Olu Agunloye, echoed him, saying: “What we need is not continuity, but change and ACN is working towards this because it is in peoples’ interest”. Another issue is zoning, which is an informal, gentlemanly agreement to move the seat round the three senatorial zones. There is no district that has not enjoyed the slot before. Prominent PDP aspirants include Senator Remi Okunrinboye, a lawyer, Rotimi Bassey, Jimoh Ibrahim, Hon. Oke Oluwole, Hon. Beatron Ogunleye, Navy Capt. Sunday Adewusi, Alaba Isijola, Moyosola •Continued on page 40