“I will Announce Tinubu’s Choice for Ondo State Governorship seat Soon” – Niran Oladunni
Niran Oladunni needs no introduction in the political sphere of Ondo State having been Governorship Aspirant for not less than twice even at a very tender age. In this interview with the Chronicle, the APC Chieftain spoke the mind of the President, Bola Tinubu as far as endorsement of the next Ondo State Governor is concerned. Excerpts;
Sir, a lot of people are laying claims to the fact that they have been anointed to be the next Governor of this State by the late Governor before his demise. What is your take on this sir?
In the season of politics when election is very close, an electioneering campaign is activated, you hear so many claims and counter claims. Everybody tries to make statement whether factual or deceitful in order to sway the people’s support to their sides.
Unfortunately, the Governor is late and there is nobody that can confirm whatever anybody says. So, they have the prerogative to either keep up with the truth and reality of things or not. But, I can assure you, even if the Governor had been alive,I do not think he has the capacity to say he wants to anoint a candidate.
The majority of the people of Ondo State elect and anoint the candidate of their choice, so it is very wrong and undemocratic for any reasonable political aspirant to be flaunting around and saying the Governor endorsed him.
The Governor would have had one vote just like any other person, even though as influential as he may seems to be, he can decide to plant his influence around and the influence can either be positive or negative depending on the reality of the State at that particular time. So, it is very unwise and unrealistic for any serious minded aspirant to be saying he was anointed by the ex Governor and I don’t think the endorsement of the ex Governor could make anybody the Governor outside the majority of the people of the State.
Some of the aspirants are also saying they have the backings of the President of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as far as candidacy of APC is concerned. Some of them are talking to people in that prospect, what do you have to say about that and has the President ever endorsed somebody or will he endorse somebody in this election?
Our people like to gallivant a lot.There are many people I have heard over time that have been making claims to know, understand and have the ears of Asiwaju the President. Asiwaju is an elder, he is a father for all. He is experienced and wise enough to understand the dynamics of every local politics.
I tell you for the fact that there are some of us that have been following Asiwaju politically in the 90’s, in the days of People’s Solidarity Party before he got to the Social Democratic Party. Some of us have been students of his political school and we understand the process very well and aside that, we have never guessed wrongly.
The President is so charismatic and practical in his political idealogy that I can tell you that the criteria he may use to decide his support for a candidate in Lagos State may not be the same he will use in Oyo State or other States.
If anybody will announce the candidate the President will support in Ondo State, I am in the best place to make the announcement and which I’m going to make. I will tell you and that announcement will not change.
The President will not go and support a candidate that is not supported by the majority of the people, he will not support an unpopular candidate and he hardly supports gladiators, you can take that to the bank.The President has access to every information that is required to guide in his choice of choosing the best candidate.
Let me tell you something from experience, in 2007 from the days of ACN, Labour Party and coming back to APC in Ondo State, I have had privileged information of the people that Asiwaju had supported in the past, so Ondo State is a very peculiar State and I do not see him coming up to support someone that is not wanted by the majority of the people.
*You said the President will make his choice known very soon, that you are going to make the announcement. How soon should we expect that?
- You should expect that very soon. He is the President and a father of alI.I just heard that the National Working Committee of the party has released the election guidelines, we are waiting to still peruse the guidelines appropriately and once that is done, the stakeholders will hold a meeting and there is going to be a lot of consultations. During the declaration of Lucky Aiyedatiwa recently, we found out that almost all the members of the National Assembly from Ondo State, probably except *one were not in attendance. What does this indicate in Ayedatiwa’s camp?
- Lucky Aiyedatiwa was an elected Deputy Governor who ran on a joint ticket with late Governor and we all understood the build up to the emergence of Lucky as the substantive Governor of Ondo State. So, most of these National Assembly Representatives had already pushed their supports to one aspirant or the other.
You see, Lucky is lucky and there is nothing anybody can do about that and anybody that wants to move against Lucky, is someone that wants to be unlucky but what we know for a fact is that Lucky is the choice of the majority of the people of Ondo State and they want him.
A lot of people will come that they want to show their interests and some of these National Assembly Members are already warming up having tasted what they see in Abuja and they are warming up for the possibility of going for the second term. There are different strategies that many of them want to adopt. I know at the appropriate time,they will reconsider their stand and identify with Lucky. 24hours is a long time in politics because anything can happen. It’s just about positioning and repositioning.
Despite the way the people of Ondo State are embracing Lucky Aiyedatiwa, a lot of aspirants are still coming out to challenge him that they want to replace him in Alagbaka within the APC family. What is your advice to all these people?
If you know me very well, you will know that since 2012 that I have been contesting elections in Ondo State, I had contested for the position of Governorship twice and the two times I contested, I got the primaries. So, I can say it with all sense of modesty that I am experienced enough to understand the dynamics of the Ondo State gubernatorial election.
A lot of people come out for different reasons and let anybody that wants to come out, come out but what we know that will not change is that the majority of the good people of Ondo State are rooting for Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
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