Ondo 2020; Diverse Opinions Over Aketi’s Second Term Ticket as Tinubu Stands Aloof.
By Olaseeni Oyesusi
The race to the Alagbaka Government House after the expiration of Aketi four years Mandate has continue to generate controversies especially within the camp of the ruling All Progressive Congress.
It would be recalled that there was e reconciliatory meeting organized by the Ondo State Chapter of the Party in conjunction with the Akeredolu led Government recently.
Majority of the Party Big wigs in the state have refused to throw their weight behind the Aketi second term agenda due to a lot of Political malpractices that played out during the last Presidential and National Assembly Elections of which the State Working Committee of the Party were alleged of sponsoring another political Party in the State at the expense of the APC.
Meanwhile, this has generated doubts and contemplations in everyone’s mind as rumors begin to spread about Aketi going for a re-election n the coming gubernatorial election.
Even though it is believed in some quarters that Akeredolu has not been doing too bad at delivering the Dividends of Democracy to the people of the state especially in the area of Infrastructure, yet internal Democracy is an integral part of the governance. The issue of Ambode of Lagos State second term is a case study.
And of course, at the moment, many are saying otherwise.
However, does what people think really matter? As event unfolds, one will begin to smell what may likely happen in the coming gubernatorial election.
More so, it is important that one should check where and what led to the rumor orchestrations.
Meanwhile, the peace meeting that took place on July 9, 2019 which included the former Governor of Lagos state ,Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the former National Party Chairman of APC, Chief Bisi Akande, former Governors of Ogun and Ekiti state, Segun Osoba and Niyi Adebayo respectively and some other APC leaders in attendance where they were all received by the present Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Akeredolu at Akure Airport.
The meeting was to make peace amongst the APC powerful members in Ondo State and the success of the Party in the coming elections.
At the meeting, Tinubu persuaded the aggrievated Party members in Ondo State to bury their hatchets so as for peace to reign and everyone could come together and aim towards one goal which is the success of the Party.
Among such aggrieved APC members, who attended the meeting, were a former Chairman of the Party, Isaac Kekemeke, Chief Olusola Oke and Senator Tayo Alasoadura to mention the few.
Notwithstanding, some Party members loyal to Adetimehin and Governor Akeredolu have started spreading the news that the National Leader of the Party, Bola Tinubu and other relevant personalities in the Party have adopted Akeredolu to fly the flag of the Party in the next year Governorship Election. And of course from all indications, there was nothing like that.
Hence, some aggrieved members of the Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress have insisted that the recent meeting in Akure between the National Leader of the Party, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, and APC leaders in the state to resolve the crisis in the state branch of the party did not address the real problems.
The meeting which the former Interim National Chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande; former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba; Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, and his Ekiti State counterpart, Kayode Fayemi, attended behind closed doors to proffer solutions to the crisis in the Party within the State.
However, one of the aggrieved members of the Party in the state told our correspondent on condition of anonymity that Tinubu and other leaders came to the state for personal reasons.
He said, “I don’t think Tinubu came to Ondo State to reconcile the warring factions, he came to reconcile with the leaders he has problems with. But obviously not to settle the Ondo crisis”.
Obviously, it was the outcome of the meeting that led to the rumor and false information going on social media.
In the same vein, Tolu Babaleye, a Prominent APC stalwart stated that “I wish to appeal to all APC members and leaders in Ondo State to stop speculating and spreading falsehood from the outcome of the meeting.” He further stated that “issues of second term was never discussed in that meeting. We only discussed what can move the Party forward as a united one family.” he said.
In view of this part and not beating about the bush, there is no evidence that stated that Akeredolu is going for a second term under the APC at least for now.
However, while speaking with Journalists, Tinubu said that “the meeting is to promote the interest of the party and settle the differences and long-time grievances among the leaders, especially against Akeredolu.”
On the other hand. Rumors that the position of the APC’s Chairman in Ondo State Engr Ade Adetimehin will be sacrificed by Akeredolu to achieve his re-election ambition, but a leader at the meeting who pleaded for anonymity, he said “we didn’t mention the removal of the state Chairman at the meeting, he is not the problem of the Party, Akeredolu is the problem. He has failed to run an inclusive government, that’s why we are rejecting him for a second term.”
However, with everything said and gathered, the fact that Akeredolu will be seeking a re election is incontrovertible but the platform may not be known for now.
This is because if the APC fails to feed him for the second term, he may not have any other choice than to try another Political Party of which the outcome may be precarious. This may not be the best for the Party and for the Aketi second term under another Political Party either.
As it is in the State without being immodest, it is obvious that APC may not be able to win the Governorship Election without Aketi. At the same time, Aketi in another platform may not be able to get it right without the support of the APC and its members.
Hence, if the APC wants to win the next Election in the State, everybody must be united and agreeable to the candidate that the Party is presenting whether it would be Aketi or any other vibrant Aspirant.
COMMENTS