The Ondo State governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has come and gone, with former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), emerging as the party’s candidate.
Akeredolu secured 669 votes out of the 2,774 votes cast, defeating 23 other aspirants in the keenly contested primary.
He narrowly edged out Dr. Segun Abraham, widely regarded at the time as the preferred candidate of APC national leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Abraham polled 635 votes to finish second.
While Akeredolu’s emergence has settled the question of who will fly the APC flag in the November 2016 governorship election, events surrounding the primary suggest that the party still has some internal issues to resolve.
Several developments before and after the primary have exposed the depth of the disagreements among the various camps within the party.
One of the controversies involved a statement reportedly attributed to Akeredolu, in which he was quoted as saying that “Tinubu will be shocked by Ondo primary result.” Akeredolu, however, subsequently denied making the statement.
Another aspirant, Ekungba, also expressed disappointment over the outcome of the primary. He reportedly accused delegates of turning their backs on him despite his efforts to support them during the campaign.
Ekungba was quoted as saying that he was “highly disappointed in Ondo people,” alleging that he had spent more than N300 million on the delegates.
Chief Oluwole Oke, another contestant, also rejected the outcome, arguing that the result did not accurately reflect the wishes of delegates who participated in the primary.
Abraham Congratulates Akeredolu
Despite losing the primary, Abraham moved quickly to congratulate Akeredolu and called on APC members to put the contest behind them and prepare for the governorship election.
He pledged to remain available to support the party and contribute to the development of Ondo State whenever his services were required.
Tinubu also weighed in on the post-primary situation, urging APC members in Ondo State to close ranks and support Akeredolu as the party’s standard-bearer.
In a statement attributed to him, Tinubu said: “In Ondo we must close ranks to achieve victory. The future of the state and of the party in the state should never be held ransom to insignificant personal animosities and perceived slights.”
Akeredolu’s Biggest Test May Be Within APC
With the primary concluded, attention has now shifted to whether Akeredolu can successfully unite the different tendencies within the APC before facing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), at the governorship election.
For some political observers, Akeredolu’s victory represents more than an individual triumph. They see it as evidence that the influence of political godfathers may be gradually changing, particularly when a candidate perceived to be outside the preferred camp can defeat a heavily backed contender.
Others, however, believe the real challenge has only begun.
They point to the experience of Nuhu Ribadu in the 2011 presidential election as a warning. Ribadu emerged as the presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), but questions were subsequently raised in some quarters about the level of commitment to his candidacy within the party.
Aregbesola’s role in Osun remained a notable exception in the political narrative surrounding that election, with his supporters arguing that he remained firmly behind Ribadu’s campaign.
For this reason, some observers believe Akeredolu must move quickly to reconcile with Tinubu, the other aspirants and the various interest groups within the APC.
Beyond securing the party’s ticket, they argue, the candidate needs a united political structure capable of confronting the PDP at the main election.
The Battle Ahead
Akeredolu is not entirely new to the governorship race. His previous experience as a governorship aspirant under the Action Congress of Nigeria means he has already encountered some of the complexities associated with seeking the highest political office in the state.
His supporters believe that experience, combined with his legal and political background, could help him navigate the challenges ahead.
But the central question remains whether he can transform his primary-election victory into a broader political coalition before the November contest.
With Jegede, also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, waiting on the PDP platform, the Ondo governorship election promises to be a closely watched contest.
Akeredolu has won the first battle within his party. Whether he can win the bigger war at the ballot box will depend largely on how quickly he can heal the wounds of the primary, unite the APC and convince Ondo voters that he is the candidate they want to lead the state.
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