By Baron Ike
Today, November 26 will determine who becomes the next governor of Ondo State (a.k.a.Sunshine State) as the indigenes mass out in their numbers to cast their ballot.
Three major contenders to the office currently being occupied by Olusegun Mimiko of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) include Olusola Oke (Alliance for Democracy), Rotimi Akeredolu (All Progressive Congress) and Eyitayo Jegede (PDP). Jegede was only cleared to run on Thursday, November 24 after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had earlier endorsed Jimoh Ibrahim as the PDP candidate.
Apart from Jegede who is not neck deep in politics or with enough political experience, Oke and Akeredolu have been around and are used to the murky waters of both the Ondo State and Nigeria. However, the PDP candidate enjoys the goodwill of Mimiko who is desperately working hard to have him succeed him in office. Jegede was once the Ondo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.
Preparations have reached their peak for today’s exercise with the police deploying thousands of their officers and men to all the nooks and crannies of the state, including the rough terrain of Ilaje.
Inspector- General of Police, Ibrahim Idris had during the week said trouble makers would have themselves to blame if they tried to subvert the electoral process. Also, INEC chairman, Yakubu Mamoud pledged that the Commission is for all the candidates and advised the parties to go into the contest without the notion of getting undo advantage from the electoral body as officials who try to do things wrongly would have themselves to blame at the end of the exdercise.
On Friday, November 25, the INEC was sure all sensitive and non sensitive electoral materials had come into the state, hoping that distribution would be completed early on Saturday, November 26 before accreditation and voting would commence.
Altogether, 28 political parties are gunning for the governorship crown, but the three dominant parties – PDP, APC and AD – hold the ace in the contest.
The APC and AD candidates had time to run their ward, local government and senatorial districts campaigns effectively having not been challenged in the court like the PDP.
Regardless, Jegede and the PDP intensified their campaigns no sooner was he named the authentic candidate for the race than the Supreme Court slam the door against Ibrahim.
Thunderous excitement greeted the camp of Jegede, as Justice Ibrahim Saulawa panel of the Court of Appeal in Abuja on Wednesday, November 23, set aside Justice Okon Abang`s earlier ruling which replaced Jegede with Ibrahim for the forthcoming election.
With Jegede cleared, hope rose for the PDP in the poll because of his popularity rating and the electorate’s sympathy for him over the manner he was supplanted by the Ali Modu-Sherriff-led PDP camp which threw up Ibrahim, a candidate that is hardly loved by his people.
Justice Saulawa ruled that former Ondo State Attorney -General, “Eyitayo Jegede should replace Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim as the PDP governorship candidate.”
The Court of Appeal’s pronouncement instantly brought to live activities in Akure, the capital of Ondo just as it looked like cold water was poured on the supporters of Ibrahim who has been going about telling the electorate that the court will not invalidate his choice.
The Court of Appeal had fixed the ruling for Wednesday, November 23 after receiving the order of the Supreme Court a day earlier directing it to go ahead with the determination of the rights of parties to the numerous appeals emanating from PDP disputes in Ondo.
Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Samuel Walter Onnoghen had on Tuesday, November 22 berated lawyers handling the cases filed by Ibrahim’s loyalists for blackmailing Appeal Court justices.
Based on Justice Abang’s earlier order, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) removed Jegede’s name and replaced it with Ibrahim’s.
The PDP among other parties had earlier called for the postponement of the poll, apparently because of the court cases militating against the chances of Jegede flying the party’s flag come November 26 election day.
Reactions have been trailing the Appeal Court pronouncement with the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu applauding the ruling. He said it is good tonic for ultimate victory.
Ekweremadu, who described the decision as “just, courageous, and expeditious”, commended the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal for their promptness in handling the matter, noting that democracy could only thrive where there is respect for the rule of law.
He added: “The freeness, fairness, and credibility of an election, go beyond what happens on an election day. The process, especially the right of the party faithful to choose a flag bearer of their own freewill unhindered by subterfuge, manipulation, intimidation, and abuse of any form, are equally as important and indeed foundational to the soundness of the election itself.
“I am, therefore, happy that the Court of Appeal has spoken loudly, and in a speedy and just manner that raises hope for the nation’s democracy. This judicial victory is good tonic that will unite the PDP family the more and spur us to a more resounding victory in the Ondo governorship race”.
He called on the people of Ondo State to vote massively for the PDP, according to a statement on Wednesday by his media adviser, Uche Anichukwu.
Regardless, there are those who think that clearing Jegede, the anointed candidate of Olusegun Mimiko, the Iroko of Ondo politics, to replace Ibrahim, may have done a deadly injury to the ambition of Araba.
“Now the ground is set for the rancorous election that will put the deep culture of Ondo people in grassroots politics to acidic test. This eleventh hour judgement may be all Olusola Oke needs to become the next governor of the cocoa, timber and oil rich state,” said Kola Bola on his Facebook wall.