If the last Governorship Election conducted was shifted in Edo State because the former Governor, Adams Oshiomhole cited security reasons, why didn’t INEC do the same for Olusegun Mimiko, who as a sitting Governor has dully requested for a postponement of this election for obvious reasons? All said, in this election, definitely Olusegun Mimiko will use everything possible that has earned him the appellation of an ‘Iroko’ in the politics of the sunshine state to sway the voters today to look in the direction of Eyitayo Jegede. And who says the unprecedented political sentiments and sympathy that Eyitayo Jegede has recorded in the last few days will not turn the table of victory in his direction, despite some of the glaring short comings of his boss (Mimiko) in the last three years?
By Igbotako Nowinta
An unusual political wind blew its way absolutely for weeks in the electoral firmament of Ondo State, until the Court of Appeal in Abuja on Wednesday November 23, 2016 halted its menacing journey.
Only for the nation’s apex court to concur with the Appellate court on Thursday November 24 ,2016 by striking out the prayers of Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim along with his People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) factional Chairman and former Governor of Bornu State, Ali Modu Sherriff.
Who is Jimoh Ibrahim? He is a business mogul who until Wednesday November23, was the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) officially recognized PDP Governorship candidate for the Ondo State Governorship Election.
Immediately, Governor Olusegun Mimiko led his factional PDP members in Ondo State to organize and conduct well-attended party primaries that threw up a one-time Attorney-General and commissioner for Justice, Eyitayo Jegede as party candidate, Jimoh Ibrahim quickly ran to an Abuja High Court ,where he was branded the PDP candidate for today’s Governorship Election in Ondo ,courtesy an alleged ‘cash and carry’ Judge, named Okon Abang.
The terrible wind that blew riotously over Ondo State is likened to the fabled Bull in a Chinese supermarket.
Honestly, if not for the matured and extraordinary manner that Governor Olusegun Mimiko and his army of supporters employed while the terrible wind was blowing, the relative peace being enjoyed in the state, would have graduated into a gigantic inferno Who and what is to blame for the absolutely unfortunate political tension that virtually took over everything in Ondo state until the intervention of the Appellate Court that ruled in favor of Eyitayo Jegede, forcing INEC to yank off Jimoh Ibrahim’s name out of the list of official candidates gunning for Olusegun Mimiko’s job?
There is no disputing the fact that Dr. Olusegun Mimiko is the greatest election winner in the political history of Ondo State. Then, those who are afraid of his political mesmerism and wanted to derail his strategies so that his anointed political son, Eyitayo Jegede would not be able to succeed him, orchestrated the recent political crisis within the PDP.
The ugly role played remotely and directly by some of the senior members, within the Nigerian Judiciary while the shameful saga lasted, before the all-important Ondo State Governorship Election of today, would be discussed fully and uncompromisingly in another day on this platform.
Well, with few hours left to the much talked about Ondo State Governorship Election, Jimoh Ibrahm has succeeded beyond anyone else that he wanted to end the political dynasty of Governor Mimiko. But, with recent development in the state, his threats can no longer hold water.
Now, Rotimi Akeredolu, Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC),Olusola Oke, Governorship flagbearer of the Alliance for Democracy(AD) are now the greatest obstacles to the political machine of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko.
This fact cannot be contested. For instance, Rotimi Akeredolu is a tested candidate who slugged it out with Governor Mimiko during the last Governorship Election in the state in 2012, even to the Supreme Court in Nigeria.
Olusola Oke, on his part participated in the last Governorship Election too, under the PDP and lost. Oke waged his electoral war with Dr. Mimiko up to the highest court in the land before he rested!
This is saying with all seriousness that both Oke and Akeredolu have gone broke for this election, and the race to the Alagbaka Government House in Akure is being keenly contested between the duo and Mimiko’s political joker (Eyitayo Jegede).
Even, the way and manner the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has conducted its activities in the last two weeks on the Governorship Election in the State portends the fact that the electoral body is rigid, and taking sides somehow.
This argument is valid because given the fact that a chunk of the political parties fielding candidates for this election had publicly and privately written to INEC to shift the election date to give room for the judiciary to clear the mess it allowed to be generated by some of its influential operators.
Is today’s date sacrosanct, why wasn’t this Governorship Election moved forward by at least one week, to enable all candidates and political parties participating have a level playing field?
Eyitayo Jegede of the PDP should have been considered given what befell him in the last one week, as he has formally asked for a shift in the date of this election.
If the last Governorship Election conducted was shifted in Edo State because the former Governor, Adams Oshiomhole cited security reasons, why didn’t INEC do the same for Olusegun Mimiko, who as a sitting Governor has dully requested for a postponement of this election for obvious reasons?
All said, in this election, definitely Olusegun Mimiko will use everything possible that has earned him the appellation of an ‘Iroko’ in the politics of the sunshine state to sway the voters today to look in the direction of Eyitayo Jegede.
And who says the unprecedented political sentiments and sympathy that Eyitayo Jegede has recorded in the last few days will not turn the table of victory in his direction, despite some of the glaring short comings of his boss (Mimiko) in the last three years?
Who will succeed Mimiko? Will Mimiko have his way or Akeredolu, or Oke? Coincidentally, Jegede, Akeredolu and Oke are all legal practitioners. The ball is now in the court of Ondo State electorate!
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