It is no longer news that Chief Rotimi Akeredolu is the newly-elected governor of Ondo state after defeating his other counterparts in the election as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He was earlier today, announced as winner of the election after winning in most local governments and garnering the most number of votes by the electorates.
His fiercest rival was Eyitayo Jegede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while the Alliance for Democracy (AD) candidate, Olusola Oke, proved that he was no pushover in determining who the next governor of the state would be in the course of the polls.
WuzupNaija, in this piece, analyses seven major reasons the man fondly referred to as Aketi made mincemeat of the ruling party in the state.
1. President Buhari’s support
Whether people believe this or not, President Muhammadu Buhari’s presence at the final major rally of the APC convinced the people that they had federal might behind them should they vote out the present party from the state.
Akeredolu had fallen out of favour with Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, the national leader of the party, and had to stand by himself to ensure maximum victory in the build up to the November 26 polls.
But the Nigerian president, regardless of what could have transpired between the pair (Tinubu and Aketi), left Abuja, the federal capital territory, and alongside some other top members of the party, stormed Akure for a grand rally in support of Aketi.
This was the icing of the cake and ensured the death of PDP in Ondo. There was no way PDP would have won with the way Buhari supported the APC candidate.
2. Call for Change in Ondo
For about eight solid years, the people of Ondo state had been under the rule of a particular leadership which they were already murmuring and groaning about.
Olusegun Mimiko, the outgoing governor of the state, was said to be owing government workers a backlog of salaries and had refused to effect their payments, even during the countdown to the election.
On two occasions had he run to meet with President Buhari in Abuja to help rescue his party from failing in the polls, but it was too little, too late, as the damage by his administration could not be rectified at the last minute.
The people, apart from not wanting Mimiko again, were determined to allow another political party take the reins of affairs in the state, hence the massive vote for Aketi in the polls.
3. PDP’s last minute change
Unlike the APC, PDP’s house was not in order and they did not have enough time to put their acts right prior to the election.
First, Jimoh Ibrahim emerged as the factional representative of the party and was duly acknowledged by INEC, but within a few days of the polls, Eyitayo Jegede was pronounced the official candidate of the PDP as ordered by the Supreme Court.
Feelers from Ondo state had it that Jegede had to quickly commence a last minute campaign all over the major cities in the state, but the party’s supporters had been poisoned and they had a huge influence on who eventually emerged winner on the day.
4. Jimoh Ibrahim’s influence
It was shocking how Jimoh Ibrahim suddenly switched alliance after being ousted as the candidate of the PDP ahead of the polls.
He boldly asked his followers and supporters not to vote for his party, asking them instead, to vote for the opposition since he had been disqualified.
Even before the eventual winner was announced on Sunday morning, Mr Ibrahim had declared the winner of the election and had written a congratulatory message to him, while also encouraging him to avoid Mimiko, the outgoing governor of the state.
The businessman turned politician played a vital role in ensuring that his party lost the people’s mandate since he was not allowed to lead them.
5. AD’s sudden resurgence
The stronghold AD had in the polls was evident in the party’s landslide victory over the other major campaigners in a local government area of the state.
AD played the spoiler in the polls because they probably knew they were not going to win, but were ready to show their relevance in the politics of the state.
Olusola Oke, the party’s candidate, won in Ilaje local government area with 22789. The closest to him among other major contenders was APC whose candidate polled a meagre 7030. This was a clear sign that the party is one to watch out for even though they could not spread their victories to other parts of the state.
6. Aketi learnt from his 2012 experience
Experience, they say, is best teacher and the candidate of the APC rightly met with the right tutor in order to right the wrongs of his past.
His inability to get the people’s mandate in 2012 must have continued to haunt him ever since and he had continued to strategise, consult and showed unrivaled pragmatism in ensuring that he gets it right this time around.
Although he could not win the trust of the party’s national leader, Asiwaju Tinubu, Aketi hit PDP below the belt by capitalising on some of the mistakes of the present administration to take on the people. And the CHANGE they so badly wanted was what he promised them.
Today, he is the governor-elect of Ondo state, partially due to the way he handled his mistakes in 2012 and how he ensured total annihilation of the opposition.
7. PDP’s house in total disarray for most part of the campaign
For members of the Peoples Democratic Party, this had not been the best campaign they could possibly have had.
They had issues from their national body to the state level, which resulted in them breaking into different factions across the country.
The factional issues led Jimoh Ibrahim to ‘stealing’ the party’s mandate contrary to the leadership’s wish and interest, and the return of that mandate to Eyitayo Jegede was another mess the party made of itself at a crucial period of the campaign.
Till date, the PDP is still in disarray and their members seem to be moving gradually to the oppositions; either APC or Olusola Oke’s AD.
