Just one week remains until the All Progressives Congress, APC, holds its primary election for governor of Ondo State. Fifteen candidates have already announced their intention to replace incumbent Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who is also running for the position.
The candidates have alerted Aiyedatiwa to the possibility that, despite his advantage in being the incumbent, he may lose the primary, which is scheduled for this Saturday by the party's National Secretariat.
Spectators can expect a heated election because the state's political heavyweights have pledged not to stand down for one another. To add to the excitement, 15 of the candidates vying to represent the APC in the next gubernatorial election are from Ondo's Southern senatorial district, while one of the two female hopefuls is from the Northern senatorial district.
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Chief Olusola Oke, Mayowa Akinfolarin, Isaac Kekemeke, Wale Akinterinwa, Olugbenga Edema, Jimoh Ibrahim, Jimi Odimayo, Diran Iyantan, Soji Ehinlanwo, Morayo Lebi, Dr. Olamide Ohunyeye, and Engineer Ifeoluwa Oyedele are among those who bought the N50 million governorship tickets and are prepared for the April 20 election after completing APC mandatory screening. The two female candidates, Mrs. Funmi Waheed-Adekojo and Engineer Funke Judith, were asked to pay N10 million each to show their interest instead of paying for the nomination form. As a result, the APC made almost N800 million from the sale of nomination forms.
According to information obtained by Sunday Vanguard, all of the candidates have moved to Abuja in order to solicit support from President Bola Tinubu's close friends and family. Concerned by Tinubu's lack of communication over his preferred candidate, the contenders hope to see him designate a single individual to represent the party in the next November governorship race.
People in the state generally believe that Tinubu has a stake in the party's nominee, after the unexpected death of former governor Rotimi Akeredolu. While some candidates now go back and forth between Akure and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, others would rather tour the state in an effort to win over party members before the party's National Secretariat adopts an indirect primary system.
Spectators speculate that Aiyedatiwa delayed starting his campaign until after receiving the Villa's assent. The governor visited Pa Reuben Fasoranti, the national head of the Pan Yoruba Socio-Political Group, Afenifere, in private last month in Akure; it is unknown if he was able to meet with the president to discuss his aspiration. Vanguard learned that the president refused to visit any of the candidates because he didn't want to be perceived as taking a side.