Who is the leading candidate in the ongoing governorship race in Ogun State right now?
City People recently gathered that everything points in the direction of the incumbent governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun. He seems to be the candidate to beat. Until a few weeks back, his chances in the governorship race looked a little gloomy. He had a myriad of issues to contend with, both within and outside the party.
But over the last few weeks, his chances have become brightened as a recent of his deft manouvres and his underground politicking, across the various strata, across the state. In the last few weeks, his fortunes have changed and he has emerged the one with the brightest chance in the ongoing contest, for so many reasons.
Apart from the opposition coming from Senator Ibikunle Amosun, his predecessor, there seems to be no other visible opposition to his ambition. What came as a big support for him was when a few days back, 52 Ogun traditional rulers came out to openly endorse him for a 2nd term.
The 52 Ijebu royal fathers who are members of the Ijebu tradtitional rulers converged at the Awujale’s palace in Ijebu-Ode and they unanimously threw their weight behind the governor’s re-election bid, citing his sterling performance, since he assumed office in 2019.
The traditional rulers convered their endorsement in a communique read by Oba Rosiji Ogunbanjo, the Secretary of the Council, the Obiri of Ayepe-Ijebu, at the end of their monthly meeting, presided over by the President of the Council, the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikirulai Kayode Adetona.
The Awujale said he was proud of the governor’s Giant strides and advised those eyeing the office of Governor to wait till 2027.
“Dapo Abiodun in simply the best for now. We do not intend to change him” the Awujale said as he prayed for Abiodun.
The traditional rulers who noted that the governor has demonstrated inclusive governance that has brought down drastically, the political heat in the state, also landed him for carrying out projects equitably in the various divisions of the state.
They listed projects such as the Ijebu-Ode-Epe dual carriage way, the Agro-Cargo Airport located in Iperu-Remo, the reconstruction of Sagamu-Abeokuta Expressway, Kobape Housing Estate, the Ray Power Road, Ilaro-Owode Road, Imasayi-Ayetoro Road, among infrastructural projects carried by Abiodun led administration.
The Ijebu Traditional Council noted the governors pledge on the development of the deep seaport in Ogun Waterside Local Government and we encourage him to see the actualisation of the project.
According to them, the governor has attracted an unprecedented inflow of direct foreign investments to the state and making the state the prepared investment destination.
They added that the governor has increased the Internally Generated Revenue for the state to a record level that has made the state No 3 in Nigeria, according to BudgIT Report 2021.
They also acknowledged that the governor and his officials continue to accord regard and revenue to traditional rulers and institutions in Ogun State.
The monarchs specifically commended the governor for signing into Law, the Obas & Chiefs Laws of Ogun State 2021, which according to them has positively reformed installation and burial rights of traditional rulers in Ogun State.
Already, Gov. Dapo Abiodun has flagged off his campaign. Last week, Tuesday 8th November, thousands of members of the APC in Ogun State staged a mega walk to express their support for the party’s presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu & Gov. Dapo Abiodun at a mega rally held in Abeokuta.
Addressing members of the party, at the NNPC junction, after a walk through major streets and roads in the Abeokuta metropolis, Gov. Abiodun thanked all of them for coming out in large numbers to show support for his party’s presidential flag bearer, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and himself. “Please make sure you vote for all our candidates, beginning from Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for President, Me Dapo Abiodun for governor and senatorial candidates, candidates for the House of Representatives and House of Assembly”, he said Gov. Abiodun noted that the large turnout was a testimony that the party enjoys wide acceptability across the state.
He assured that his administration would continue to formulate and implement people-oriented policies that would engender development, in appreciation of the mandate entrusted in him, urging the people to support his 2nd-term in office, in order to continue the good work he has started.
The Nation On Sunday newspaper in a recent analysis also concluded that Gov. Abiodun seems to be the man to beat, as things stand today.
The Nation revealed that as at today in Ogun State, going by the final list of candidates released by INEC, the ruling part, APC may end up having just itself to contend with, as the opposition PDP, as well as the Labour Party, earlier tipped by political analysts to pose some threats to the ruling party, do not have candidates in the 2023 gubernatorial election in the state. The commission cited “court order” as a reason for the omission of PDP candidates on the final list, while explaining that Labour Party did not submit its list of candidates before the deadline.
“A Federal High Court in Abeokuta had nullified the PDP guber primaries in the state and ordered a fresh one few days before the INEC list was released. The court also barred INEC from recognising Ladi Adebutu, who appeared on INEC’s initial list, as the governorship candidate of the party in the state. The plaintiffs had sued the party, Adebutu, and INEC, challenging the authenticity of the delegates’ lists used for the conduct of the primaries. The PDP is battling a renewed internal crisis since after its primary elections last May.
“The Spokesperson of PDP, Akinloye Bankole, revealed that they have appealed the judgement and it is awaiting the decision of the appeal court on the issue.” Like Adebutu and many other leaders of the troubled party, Bankole is very optimistic that the PDP will field candidates in the March 11, 2023 governorship election.”
“But a gale of suspensions and expulsions of party chieftains during the week put a serious doubt on the readiness of the party to contest and win the next governorship election in Ogun State.”
“The PDP in Ogun had two weeks ago expelled Jimi Lawal, a governorship hopeful in the state, from its fold. Lawal emerged a factional candidate of the party, following a court-ordered fresh primary election held by his faction. He was expelled following the recommendation of the party’s Disciplinary Committee. Announcing his expulsion recently, Tola Odulaja, Chairman of the committee, said Lawal had been “working behind the scene to wreck” the party.
“Interestingly, another faction of the party recently, announced the expulsion Adebutu and 4 others from the party for alleged involvement in the manipulation of the delegates’ list. The faction said the affected members used manipulated delegates’ list to conduct the May 25, 2022 governorship primary election of the party and engaged in flagrant disobedience to court order.”
“The Chairman of the disciplinary committee, Akintunde Mufutau said that the affected members were found guilty of the offences leveled against them after the relevant Working Committee of the party reviewed the report of a five-man disciplinary panel set up to look into the allegations of anti-party, indiscipline, division and acts capable of bringing the party into disrepute.
Lawal’s campaign council kicked against his expulsion. Austin Oniyokor, Project Director of the campaign organisation, told The Nation that Lawal’s expulsion is a “comical act taken too far”. “This is a joke taken too far. Indeed, it is illegality upon illegality, all amounting to illegalities,” he said in a statement. Similarly, the leadership of the party is insisting that the alleged expulsion of Adebutu is a joke. According to the party, while Lawal was expelled through a due process, some enemies of the party are behind the move against Adebutu.
“Putting a lie to the reported expulsion of Adebutu by the party, Akinloye said “it is laughable that any individual or/and group of persons can sit somewhere and arrogate the full constitutional powers of the state executive to themselves. Again, the purported expulsion of Hon. Adebutu and others mentioned is an irrational joke laced with unrepentant penchant for indiscipline by the identified paid mercenaries who were commissioned to hold the party down and diminish its electoral value.
“For us as a disciplined and law abiding political organization, Ogun PDP remains focused on its resolve to reposition the party for electoral success. We expect to hear from the appeal court which has fixed Nov 14th, 2022 to hear our grounds of appeal. While trusting the appeal court on expedited process, we urge all members, leaders and teeming supporters of party to remain calm, even in the face of needless provocations. All agents provocateur shall be exposed in due cause.”
Wrote The Nation, with the PDP is currently threatened by internal crisis ahead of the 2023 governorship election, the ruling APC, which has managed to put its house in order in spite of some skirmishes before and after the primary elections, appears to be on a roller coaster to victory.
Some of the candidates listed by INEC include Governor Dapo Abiodun of the APC; Biyi Otegbeye of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Oguntoyinbo Femi Ajadi for the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), among others. But pundits say neither Otegbeye nor Oguntoyinbo can put up much resistance to the victory of the incumbent governor come 2023.
What has helped Gov. Abiodun regain his balance were the quick changes he made to his style of administration. He reached out to all the aggrieved parties across the state and interfaced with party leaders at all the various levels. He also intensified his road construction efforts across the 3 senatorial districts of the states. Over the last 9 months, his impact has been felt across the state. He has tarred many roads in Ogun East and also Ogun Central. He has completed many of the major road construction efforts initiated by his predecessor in Abeokuta Metropolis and has done even more. He has also done a lot in Ogun West to assuage the complaints coming from that senatorial zone, where one of his opponents comes from.
He has also done a lot in the area of Infrastructure across the state.
And he is now visible more on TV and radio showcasing his efforts.
