REVEALED – How Ondo Governor camp may scatter ahead Of 2024 Gubar Poll
By Dr. Akeredolu
If the political rumour that is flying around Ondo State is confirmed to be true, Mr Wale Akinterinwa may emerge as the anointed governorship aspirant with Aketi’s blessing from all indications.
However, the Ile-Oluji-born financial expert who is the current Commissioner for Finance may find it hard to have the ticket as the state APC Chairman, Mr Ade Adetimehin was said to be nursing a Deputy Governorship ambition to H.E. lucky Aiyedatiwa, the present number two citizen of Ondo State. An unconfirmed report said that there is a cold war between this Idanre-born politician who is a political chameleon and Mr governor over the latter’s governorship choice. From the body language of the first lady, Mrs Betty Anyanwu Akeredolu, she may support Chief Olusola Oke SAN as compensation for his role over her ill-fated senatorial ambition of the last Imo East District APC Primary where Chief Oke gave his best for the Ondo State’s first lady as a personal lawyer to the Governor of Imo State, Mr Hope Uzodima, who negatively decided Arabirin’s fate.
Moreso, this Ilaje-born political guru married a sister of Arabirin (not blood-related but from the same Imo State). In another dimension, the Secretary to the Ondo State Government, Princess Oladunni Odu is contesting to give the women’s fold a voice, though, she may end up as a lone ranger as far as Ondo State 2024 politics is concerned without any major supporter.
The current political tempo in Ondo State is very charged because of the way Aketi maltreated the party MEMBERS. Permutations are ongoing among the political players to ameliorate the damages caused by the present administration of Arakunrin, at the same time preventing the state from having a bad governor like him again.
The Governor of Ondo State, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN is winding down as it’s less than 20 months for his tiring dispensation to expire, nothing much is expected from him from the moment henceforth. Many professional politicians are now calculating how not to misfire this time in terms of their choices. Some people have resulted to diviners and soothsayers, just to know the next landlord of the Alagbaka Governor’s House, Akure.
The last six years of Aketi is full of pain, distress and agony for civil servants, pensioners, politicians and entire indigenes of our dear state. For instance, there was a video of a young nurse that went viral recently, who is doing her mandatory one-year internship programme with State Specialist Hospital Akure. She cried out of frustration and depression to the entire world over unpaid 8- month salaries. The poor lady said she had to result to social media’s help because she couldn’t be involved in prostitution, considering the health implications of such an act and she was seriously broke financially. The reply of the state government was horrible, putting in view the defence from the press release of people in charge of that program, many heads were supposed to have rolled if it was a serious government. This is the general occurrence and experience in nearly all aspects of governance under Aketi.
Aketi’s camp started after Ondo State 2012, when Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, the President-Elect of Nigeria, single-handedly sponsored Arakunrin for the governorship against his age-long friend, Dr Olusegun Mimiko who contested under the Labour Party for re-election. Following the abysmal performance of Aketi at the poll, as usual, Jagaban of Borgu had to go back to the drawing board and appraised the entire scenario, he noticed Aketi’s shortcomings which weren’t redeemable and decided not to support him in the 2016 governorship election. Though there was a crack between Asiwaju’s loyalists and Aso-rock cabals after President Mohammed Buhari was sworn in 2015 as the Fulani emperors wanted to tame the former governor of Lagos state politically. Aketi received the blessings of the presidency in the tension-filled governorship primary election, to spike the lion of bourdilion, Arakunrin was the beneficiary of the entire political shenanigans . Politicians like H.E Agboola Ajayi, Hon. Ifedayo Abegunde, Prince Solagbade Amodeni, Mr Ade Adetimehin became significant by working tirelessly for Arakunrin and they were termed Aketi team. Most of the above-mentioned individuals have been relegated by Aketi through political frustration when he finally won.
The two-term House of Rep member who represented Akure South and North federal constituency, Hon. Ifedayo Abegunde, popularly called Abena was tactically booted out of the cabinet of Arakunrin towards the tail end of the first term as the secretary to Ondo State Government and he finally resigned his appointment when he could no longer endure him. In the same vein, H.E. Agboola Ajayi, the former Deputy Governor, vowed not to have anything in common with Aketi again.
He tried hard to contest against his erstwhile boss, just to challenge in draconian nature of Aketi’s style of governance despite the obvious signs that he wouldn’t win. Also, Prince Solagbade Amodeni, who served as the returning officer of Aketi during the primary election of APC governorship in 2016, resigned his appointment as a commissioner with the current governor of the sunshine state, citing overbearing influence and undemocratic tendencies of Owo-born legal luminary as his reason for quitting his service to Ondo state. Though the incumbent APC Chairman of Ondo State, Mr Ade Adetimehin, had earlier wanted to be the Chief of Staff, he was elevated from Deputy Chairman after his boss (Kekemeke) was fired by Arakunrin. He has been the golden son of the Governor, carrying out the ugly intentions of his boss to letter and has endeared himself to his paymaster as a loyal lieutenant to the core.
Following the political elimination of some prominent individuals, the ever-bubbling Aketi team had been depleted until it was finally put to rest after all the other interested aspirants like Chief Olusola Oke, Ife Oyedele, and Bar. Isaac Kekemeke and others stepped down for Arakunrin’s second term in 2020.
The governorship primary of 2020 in the sunshine state was just a mere formality for ratification of a concluded agenda for Aketi who the national leadership wanted to continue. Since the inception of his second term, nearly all the political leaders were demoted by Arakunrin who possessed the entirety of the state chapter of the ruling party and maltreated the faithful party members. Worst still, there has been the privatisation of governance in the sunshine state to that of father i.e Aketi, son i.e Babajide Akeredolu and mother i.e Mrs Betty Anyanwu Akeredolu. This has been termed trinity government by the opposition party, PDP.
The first episode of the division of Aketi’s camp manifested during last year’s primary election to replace the popular House of Rep member for Akure South and North federal constituency , the late Hon. Ifedayo Omolafe a.k.a Expensive, who died in active service for the nation. The first lady of Ondo state was said to have supported Mrs Wunmi Edet while Hon. Lawson Alade, LAF was said to have Mr Babajide Akeredolu’s nod and Mr Governor claimed to be indifferent. At the end of the day, LAF who had additional backing from Sen Tayo Alasoadura won the contest by a wide margin and replaced the Akure grassroots politician in the green chamber. Currently, the key politicians who can be said to be in the camp of Aketi asides from his family members include Mr Ade Adetimehin, H.E. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Princess Oladunni Odu, Wale Akinterinwa, hon Bamidele Oleyelogun, Rt. Hon. Victor Olabimtan and some political appointees.
If the political rumour that is flying around Ondo state is confirmed to be true, Mr Wale Akinterinwa may emerge as the anointed governorship aspirant with Aketi’s blessing from all indications. However, the Ile-Oluji born financial expert who is the current commissioner for finance may find it hard to have the ticket as the state APC Chairman, Mr Ade Adetimehin was said to be nursing a Deputy Governorship ambition to H.E. lucky Aiyedatiwa, the present number two citizen of Ondo state. An unconfirmed report said that there is an existing cold war between this Idanre-born politician who is a political chameleon and Mr Governor over the latter’s governorship choice. From the body language of the first lady, Mrs Betty Anyanwu Akeredolu, she may support Chief Olusola Oke SAN as compensation for his role over her ill-fated senatorial ambition of the last Imo East District primary election of the APC where Chief Oke gave his best for Ondo state’s first lady as a personal lawyer to the Governor of Imo State, Chief Hope Uzodima who negatively decided her fate. Moreso, this Ilaje-born political guru married a sister of Arabirin (not blood-related but from the same Imo state).
In addition, the Secretary to the Ondo State Government, Princess Oladunni Odu is contesting to give the women’s fold a voice, though, she may end up as a lone ranger as far as Ondo State 2024 is concerned without any major supporter. The political camp of Aketi will scatter because of the political and administrative ineptitude of Arakunrin and his aspirant may not have the support of major leaders like Prof. Boroffice, H.E. Ali Olanusi, Sen Tayo Alasoadura, Bar. Isaac Kekemeke, Bar Sola Iji, Eng. Pius Akinyelure, Dr Segun Abraham whose Aketi has alienated from the political scheme in the sunshine state, time will tell which part of the divide Mr Babajide Akeredolu and Rt Hon. Victor Olabimtan will be.
