EMERGING LEADERS: THE JOSTLE FOR ONDO APC’S SOUL INTENSIFIES
As Ondo State’s political firmament readjusts to the winds of change, the All Progressives Congress (APC) finds itself at the threshold of a defining moment. The jostle for the party’s soul is intensifying, as seasoned stalwarts and rising tacticians begin to unveil their ambitions, each wielding a unique blend of experience, loyalty, and calculated vision. The atmosphere is thick with anticipation, and the chessboard is slowly setting as the gladiators prepare to test their mettle for the mantle of leadership.
At the heart of the unfolding narrative is Hon. Victor Olabimtan, a political veteran whose career reads like a chronicle of Ondo’s democratic evolution. Once the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly during the epoch of the late Governor Olusegun Agagu, Olabimtan’s political compass later realigned with the progressive camp in 2016. His appointment as Special Adviser on Community Development by the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu solidified his statesman credentials, and his vast political network—woven like a spider’s web—places him squarely in the conversation for APC’s future.
But in this theater of ambition, one name reverberates with quiet dignity — Dr. Olajide Owoka. A man whose political journey is stitched into the fabric of the progressive movement, Owoka’s odyssey began from the cradle of AD, through the metamorphoses of AC, ACN, and now APC. Like an unyielding oak in the face of countless storms, he has weathered the bruising rigors of internal contests, contesting for party positions no fewer than four times, and despite repeated defeats, never defected, never wavered, and never allowed personal disappointment to corrode his ideological fidelity.
Beyond his stoic loyalty, Owoka’s contributions transcend partisan politicking. Between 2017 and 2021, he served as a member of a federal board, Governing Board National Veterinary Research Institute.Further cementing his credentials as a seasoned technocrat and a man of uncommon administrative prudence. His name also rings a note of historical resonance, having shared both camaraderie and struggle with the likes of Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi and Senator Nicholas Tofowomo during the dark, exilic days of NADECO activism in London. Together, these men stood as sentinels of democracy when the price for freedom was paid in exile, not applause.
An academic by training, a businessman by distinction, and a progressive by blood, Dr. Owoka stands as one of the last of a rare breed whose politics is moored not to transient opportunities but to enduring principles. His steady commitment, undiluted by the lure of greener pastures, has earned him both silent reverence and the admiration of party faithful. As the APC’s ship prepares for its next voyage, Owoka’s candidacy offers the promise of seasoned wisdom and unshakable loyalty—traits that could well prove indispensable in navigating the turbulent waters ahead
No less intriguing is the emergence of Lasis Oluboyo, a political craftsman whose recent defection to the APC has sent tremors cascading through the state’s political corridors. Once Deputy Governor under Dr. Olusegun Mimiko and a seasoned Commissioner, Oluboyo’s reputation for administrative depth makes him an alluring proposition for a party eager to blend streetwise pragmatism with bureaucratic finesse. His calculated crossover speaks volumes of a man attuned to the changing tides of power.
Kolawole Babatunde, fondly christened “Amechi,” adds yet another color to this political mosaic. A former federal lawmaker representing Akoko South/Akoko South-East, Amechi’s journey has been an intricate dance of loyalty and personal conviction. Though momentarily swayed by political turbulence that saw him part ways with his mentor and flirt with the PDP, it was the late Governor Akeredolu’s sagacious intervention that brought him back into the progressive fold. His grassroots appeal and political resilience make him a force that cannot be ignored in this unfolding drama.
Anchoring the list is Hon. Akingbade Amodeni, a political purist whose roots in the progressive family stretch back to the Action for Democracy (AD) era. His rise from Chairman of Akoko South-East to Commissioner under Governor Akeredolu stands as a testament to loyalty carved in stone. However, whispers within the party suggest that Amodeni’s fiery temperament, like untempered steel, could pose challenges to the delicate art of fostering unity, a skill vital for any prospective helmsman.
As the contest for the party’s soul gathers steam, Ondo APC faces a crucible moment. Between political veterans, grassroots tacticians, and ideological purists, the choice before the party is not merely about selecting a leader, but about choosing the direction of its moral compass. Whether the future belongs to the battle-hardened strategists or to the core progressive, steadfast loyalists. Let wait and see.
