The popular saying that success has many friends was again reaffirmed recently in Ondo State when Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a former Lagos State governor and national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), attended the inauguration ceremony of Rotimi Akeredolu as Ondo State governor. A bitter disagreement between the duo before and after the party primary election in the state had threatened to scatter the broom in different directions.
Olusegun Mimiko, the immediate past governor, handed over power to Akeredolu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), at exactly 11:34am two Fridays ago, after serving two terms. Akeredolu thus becomes the sixth executive governor of Ondo State. Earlier, Alfred Ajayi, also a legal practitioner, was sworn in as deputy governor.
In the November 2016 governorship election in the state, Akeredolu, a candidate of APC, defeated Eyitayo Jegede of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to emerge the governor-elect. He polled 244,842 votes as against Jegede’s 150,380 votes.
In his inaugural speech, Governor Akeredolu acknowledged Tinubu’s presence. He thanked Tinubu for finding the time to attend the inauguration despite the path he had travelled before then and their differences in political opinions, a eulogy that drew a loud applause from the crowd.
In the November 2016 governorship election in the state, Akeredolu, a candidate of APC, defeated Eyitayo Jegede of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to emerge the governor-elect. He polled 244,842 votes as against Jegede’s 150,380 votes.
In his inaugural speech, Governor Akeredolu acknowledged Tinubu’s presence. He thanked Tinubu for finding the time to attend the inauguration despite the path he had travelled before then and their differences in political opinions, a eulogy that drew a loud applause from the crowd.
The new governor had earlier acknowledged Senate President Bukola Saraki, Governors Godwin Obaseki of Edo State and Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed, and former governor of Osun State, Bisi Akande, who were among the dignitaries at the event.
Akeredolu then reserved a special reverence for John Odigie Oyegun, the “indefatigable party chairman”, whose strict adherence to lofty principles and doggedness, he said, laid the foundation for the party’s resounding victory at the polls.
“This exemplary leader behaved like a true elder, whose sagely presence in the village square not only professed rectitude but acted it, resolutely, affirming nobility of the human spirit. Our party benefitted, tremendously, from his vast experience in public service. We are eternally grateful,” he said.
But it was a different ball game prior to the primary, where Tinubu had ‘anointed’ an aspirant, Olusegun Abraham, as the party’s flag bearer, but lashed at Oyegun’s leadership for alleged ‘manipulation’ after Akeredolu’s emergence.
Akeredolu, who was a leading aspirant at the time, also fired back verbal attack on Tinubu for endorsing an aspirant ahead of the primaries, saying that his action was an indication that he (Tinubu) had lost his place as a national leader of the party.
“For the national leader to have endorsed any candidate in our party, he has lost the place of national leader of the party. Tinubu has never kept his words,” he said, while denying that he too was imposed on other aspirants during the 2012 governorship primaries in the state.
Still enraged over the primary election outcome, Tinubu then asked John Oyegun, national chairman of the party, to render his resignation for “sabotaging the will of democracy in Ondo State by sending the name of Rotimi Akeredolu to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against the decision of the appeal panel that demanded for a fresh governorship primary election in the party”.
Tinubu also alleged that investigations showed that the delegates’ list used for the exercise was tampered with.
But in what appeared a protestation, Tinubu and his close allies in the party boycotted the Ondo State governorship campaign rallies and President Muhammadu Buhari, who was not deterred by the absentees, boasted that the party’s standard bearer would win the election, a ‘prophecy’ that came to pass.
Governors Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State, Abiola Ajumobi of Oyo State, and Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, as well as Bisi Akande, a former party chairman, were some of Tinubu’s allies who were absent as President Buhari led other party bigwigs to the main rally.
There were also allegations that as a retaliation, the APC political strategist worked in favour of Olusola Oke, the governorship candidate of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in the Ondo election. Party insiders said APC leaders were aware of this but chose to ignore it because the APC would still count on his influence come 2019.
However, few hours after INEC declared Akeredolu as winner on November 27, 2016, Tinubu was among the first Nigerians to send congratulatory message to him, asking party members to close ranks “for the good of our party and its progressive ideals”.
“Following the announcement by the INEC with regard to the governorship elections in Ondo State, I extend congratulations to Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, on the outcome of the election and for his perseverance and persistence in seeking that office.
“I congratulate all party members in the state, particularly the party leadership. Finally, I must express profound congratulations to President Muhammadu Buhari, the national leader of the party, whose stature and dignity helped guide the APC to another victory that should advance the progressive aims of the party and the people.
“To all the people and parties in Ondo, your election has been had and held. Now is the time that all must work for the continued development, prosperity and peace of your state and our beloved country,” Tinubu had said in a statement.
But Adeleke Adedipe, a Lagos-based political analyst, said information available to him shows that Tinubu did not enter into political agreements that would protect his personal interest before deciding to attend the inauguration, saying that his decision to do so was purely based on leadership responsibility.
“What happened before, after and during the primary is now history because at the end of the day, the APC is now in charge of Ondo State. That is victory for the party and Tinubu would have failed on his leadership responsibility had he not attended the inauguration. Mind you, he is still the national leader of the APC. So, what he did was just leadership responsibility,” he told BDSUNDAY.
Adedipe, a citizen of Ondo State, said the people of the state, who are just giving the new governor benefit of the doubt since his emergence, were, however, disappointed with him for showing up late for his inauguration.
“We are disappointed with him for coming to an event slated for 9:00 am at 11:00 am; that was a disgrace to the people of Ondo State. Whatever delayed him cannot be greater than his inauguration as governor. This is irresponsibility and the governor must tender an apology to the people of Ondo State,” he said.
A source close to Bola Tinubu, however, told BDSUNDAY that the former governor is in calculated moves to strengthen his political empire and influence ahead of 2019 presidential election, saying that Tinubu has not given up his ambition to be either vice-president or president of Nigeria.
According to the source, party leaders like Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president, and Nasir El-Rufai, incumbent governor of Kaduna State, are currently at various levels of consultation in a bid to get the APC presidential ticket since it appears that President Buhari may not seek second term in office with his reoccurring health challenges.
“If the President’s health continues to fail him, he may not contest next election and the party leadership may decide to nominate the most popular name among those with ambition. President Buhari still remains the most influential character in the party. So, with this in view, it is expedient for Tinubu to first and foremost make peace with those of his own household of South-west,” he said.
Nelson Ekujumi, national secretary, Committee for the Protection of Peoples’ Mandate (CPPM), also opined that notwithstanding that Tinubu attended Akeredolu’s inauguration and acknowledged him, serious suspicion may still be going on between both men.
“We have a saying in Nigerian politics that ‘there is permanent interest, not permanent enemies’. You can’t rule out the fact that Tinubu would have struck a deal with Akeredolu; that is Nigerian politics for you. But we have no evidence of a deal, it is just speculations. It is a good thing that he attended the inauguration. You know as a leader of the party, it will not speak well of him if he fails to attend after he boycotted the campaign rallies. The beauty of it is that his party is the one now ruling in Ondo State; so, as a leader of the party, it will be irresponsible for him not to attend.
“But that is not what we are concerned about right now. Our main concern is the delivery of dividends of democracy to the people of Ondo State. Akeredolu must work to fulfil all his electoral promises so as to alleviate the plight of his people; and every sincere Nigerian should be more concerned about this. Akeredolu must face the business of governance now,” he told BDSUNDAY.
In his address, Governor Akeredolu said his administration would break down the barriers to honest leadership, to comprehensive development, to physical growth and social security. These he intends to do through the promotion of transparent leadership, rule of law, extensive consultation, quality and accessible public utilities and social security.
“We acknowledge the enormous challenges faced by the state and the severely limited resources available to meet these ever-increasing and compelling demands. In readiness for this enormous task ahead, I have two months ago inaugurated a Strategic Development and Policy Implementation Committee comprising of eminent and very knowledgeable Nigerians to produce and articulate a compressive change policy and programme blueprint. They have since submitted their preliminary report,” he said.
“This blueprint is anchored on five cardinal programmes, which are popularly known as our Platforms for Change (JMPPR),” he added.
Akeredolu went on to list these core areas to include job creation through agriculture, entrepreneurship and industrialization; massive infrastructural development and maintenance; provision of functional education and technological growth; provision of accessible and qualitative health care and social service delivery; and rural development and community extension services.
“This platform for Change is erected on strong pillars, which consist of the core sectors of government activities that our blueprint lays emphasis on. These are Finance and Management of state resources, Health and Social Services, Infrastructure and Public utilities,” he said.
According to him, the unemployment crisis in the state, apart from being a global socio-economic phenomenon, is self-inflicted, arguing that if education is the nurturing, training and mobilisation of those who live in a society to confront the challenges of development, faced, primarily, by the people in that environment, the current situation confirms that the state has since departed from that well-trodden path for a very long time.
“It is a big shame that a state, which was a clear leader in education in the country, now lags behind. It appears that our curricula at all levels of training have failed to produce experts whose contributions to the growth of the economy are needed. Our administration will strive to reverse this unfortunate trend by promoting functional education aimed at real development.
“We shall also revisit the issue of vocational training with a view to improving the skills of our artisans. We recognize that the issue of unemployment is endemic. We equally understand that the greatest employer of labour, at a time such as this challenging period, is the private sector.
“There is a lot we can gain if we harmonise efforts and resources to build enduring assets that can cater for the needs of every one of us. Security of lives and property shall be guaranteed. Our administration will protect all and sundry. We will act in the interest of everyone,” he said.
