3 Strong ONDO Guber Candidates To Watch

• Why They Can Tackle Gov. AIYEDATIWA

All is set for the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Ondo State slated for the 16th of November, 2024, as candidates from different political parties are prepared to slog it out with one another in a fiercely battle contest.

The 2024 Ondo State gubernatorial election has been described as a do-or-die for top political parties like the All Progressives Congress, Zenith Labour Party, Social Democratic Party, and the Peoples Democratic Party. The four (4) major political parties in Ondo State see the forthcoming election as a crucial one to influence national politics, especially in the 2027 general elections.

In these major parties, strong candidates have emerged, and each has been described as a force to be reckoned with. One person who may shock the incumbent governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, is Zenith Labour Party candidate Dr Abass Mimiko, who is the younger brother of former Ondo Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko.

The big news now is that Dr. Abass Mimiko, is a force to be reckoned with and he stands a good chance of dethroning the incumbent governor. A few days ago, City People Magazine, spoke with one of the top political leaders in the state who has been following the development of the state politics over the last 12 years, he revealed that, if all goes according to plan, Dr. Abass Mimiko of ZLP can pull a surprise. “Do you know that Ondo State indigenes believe Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, was the best governor ever produced by the state, and he’s highly respected.” He’s popularly called “Iroko”.  He ruled the state for 8 years under the platform of the Labour Party.

In terms of numbers and population, the Mimikos have it. They are from Ondo town. One of the biggest towns in Ondo State in terms of numbers. He would get a massive support from there. Another thing that will work for Dr Abass Mimiko of ZLP is the population of Odigbo Local Government Area. This local government controls Ore, Odigbo, Costain areas, Omifunfun etc. All these areas and towns are for the Mimikos.

Dr Abass Mimiko, younger brother of a former Governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, is contesting the November 16 governorship election in the state under the platform of the Zenith Labour Party. He speaks about the forthcoming poll and other political issues concerning the state and the country in this interview with PETER DADA.

What informed your coming back to Nigeria after being employed in the US?

Before I left Nigeria, I already told myself that I had a certain number of years that I would spend in the United States. I didn’t want to go and grow in another man’s land. By the time I was trained as a psychiatrist, there were probably no more than 100 active psychiatrists in Nigeria. So, I didn’t really want a scenario where you got trained and your people were in need, you are feeding a system that is already saturated. I was doing very well in the US but I believe that we all need to give something back to Nigeria. I went to medical school for virtually free. You can imagine in the US the least they would have in debt by the time they finish medical school would be about $200,000 or more. So, as a proud citizen of Nigeria, I wanted to give something back. That was the major incentive that brought me back. The other incentive was that my brother was running for governorship in Ondo State then. The calibre of person I know him to be, I wanted to come back and contribute my quota to his success as a governor.

Not much is known about him before he became the governorship candidate. In a chat with jornalists a few months back, he revealed so much about himself. According to him, “I’m from Ondo Kingdom, a medical doctor by profession, while by specialty I’m a psychiatrist. I’m also a farmer and businessman. I was born in Ondo State and went to my primary school at St. Paul’s RCM School in Ondo and my secondary education at St. Joseph’s College. My university education was at the University of Lagos College of Medicine. I did some general practice in Nigeria before I went to the United States to do my specialist training in general psychiatry. I did a specialty course in what we call psychosomatic medicine, consultation-liaison psychiatry. I’m certified in both. Apart from that, I have a lot of other certifications in the field of psychiatry. While in the US, I taught at Columbia University at Harlem Hospital as an assistant professor. Back in Nigeria, I do private practice psychiatry part-time. I’m a farmer and I also do some other businesses by the side”.

Another candidate that may shock Aiyedatiwa is the former Deputy Governor, Hon Agboola Ajayi of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the late Governor Akeredolu Aketi. Don’t forget that he fell out with his former boss late Akeredolu before he resigned as deputy and decamped to the Peoples Democratic Party a few years ago.

On 21 June 2020, Ajayi, resigned his membership from the ruling party All Progressives Congress (APC) and defected to the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), citing irreconcilable differences between him and his governor, Rotimi Akeredolu and that the APC party ‘has become a poisoned space’. He then joined Zenith Labour Party after losing the PDP gubernatorial primaries to Eyitayo Jegede. He was the 2020 gubernatorial candidate of Ondo State in the Zenith Labour Party led by former Governor, Olusegun Mimiko.

He is a Nigerian politician, lawyer, and businessman who served as Deputy Governor, of Ondo State from 2017 to 2021.

The Ilaje born is also a force to reckoned with in Ondo guber election. He believes his Ilaje Ese Odo people will not disappoint him. These regions have high population and they spread to Ore and other part.of the state. He’s one candidate to watch out for.

Apart from this factors, Ondo State has also become one of the states the PDP national want to have in their control against 2027 presidential election. It was rumored that, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, is very interested in the election and he has ensured that all goes well.

What about the governorship candidate of Social Democratic Party, SDP, Benson Akingboye? A few days ago, we heard that there have been cracks in the APC and some loyal party members set to dump Aiyedatiwa for Mr Benson of SDP.

It was said that signs of crack within the Ondo State All Progressives Congress, APC, surfaced a few weeks back, following the decision of groups within the party to support the governorship candidate of Social Democratic Party, SDP, Benson Akingboye, against Lucky Aiyedatiwa of APC ahead of the November 16 governorship election.

The groups which comprise Ondo Patriots, Ondo APC Solidarity Group, Jagaban Coalition and APC Youth League, among others, said the process that produced Aiyedatiwa, as the candidate of APC was faulty which informed their decision to pitch tent with Akingboye.

According to a statement issued on behalf of the groups by Dele Oyewo of Ondo Patriots, “it was a known fact that Aiyedatiwa, is an opportunist, turning ingrate on a daily basis to the ladders he used to rise”.

The support groups alleged that what Aiyedatiwa, displayed in May to emerge as the candidate of the APC was not only inimical but a fulfilment of the poverty and livelihood imbalance of Ondo State.

It said, “All these unfounded acts against the normal principle of nature by the present governor would hitherto bring untold hardship on the citizens.

‘It is natural except this is quickly corrected by the pefulfillmente state themselves through their ballot on November 16, that the state will be clouded by total darkness of hardship in the next few years. “To this end, as far as the forthcoming election is concerned, SDP and its candidate are a better choice and will surely dismantle castles of lies put together by the APC and the PDP.”

This erudite businessman, Benson Akingboye, was born and raised in Igodan-Lisa, Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State, Nigeria, his early experiences instilled in him a deep-seated determination to alleviate the suffering of the less fortunate in Nigeria and beyond. Armed with persistence and perseverance, he rose to become one of Nigeria’s most prominent and successful individuals.

He is an alumnus of St. John’s Anglican School, Araromi – Apapa, Lagos, and Trinity Secondary School, Araromi – Apapa, Otunba Akingboye’s educational journey laid the foundation for his illustrious career. Further studies at Lagos Business School, Pan-Atlantic University, and Herriot Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland, equipped him with the knowledge and skills to navigate the complexities of the business world.

With over 40 years of experience in the private sector, Otunba Akingboye’s entrepreneurial ventures have left an indelible mark on Nigeria’s economic landscape. As Chairman and CEO of Benshore Maritime Services.