ONDO ELECTION 2020: ZONING OR MERIT? – – The heat is on as gladiators of the dominant political parties in Ondo State, the APC and the PDP jostle for the Alagbaka Government House that will become vacant in February 2021.
Zoning of the Governorship ticket has always been a contentious issue since the advent of Democracy of 1999 in Ondo State.
Though zoning of political Offices is a good antidote to political domination by one zone against another, but merit and competence must override zoning.
Nigeria is today at this low level of development because of the constitutional federal character that favours incompetence against competence, inability against ability.
There are lots of University Graduates paraded by the Northern Nigeria that cannot boast of the required 5 credits for eligibility for University education but got their admission through quota system.
In Ondo State, zoning was discarded in the PDP when Dr Olusegun Agagu from the Southern zone as Governor of the State was given a second term ticket in 2007 and he almost finished his second term in Office until the Benin Appeal Court sacked his Governorship victory in favour of Dr Segun Mimiko in 2009.
The PDP in Ondo State did not stop there, in the 2012 Governorship race, the Southern senatorial zone, the same zone of Olusegun Kokumo Agagu was again awarded the Governorship ticket in favour of Chief Olusola Oke who lost the election to the second term ambition of Governor Segun Mimiko.
As Ondo State gets on the mark to elect another Governor in October 2020, it is almost becoming clear that incumbent Governor Olurotimi Akeredolu will secure the ticket of his party APC, thanks to the disunity of the opposition Unity forum of Ondo APC.
The PDP in Ondo State seems to be at crossroad to select their Governorship candidate with some weak aspirants clamouring for zoning to cover their lack of popularity in Ondo State.
The Governorship position is not a Councillorship position nor local Government Chairmanship position and deserve the best, articulate, serious and most popular aspirant in PDP and Eyitayo Jegede is perhaps the most credible and popular PDP aspirant in Ondo State till date.
As it is today in Ondo State politics, it seems the opposition either within APC or the PDP are unwittingly working for an easy ride for a second term ambition of incumbent Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.
Abi, Aketi dey use ‘juju’ to destabilize his opponents or the man Aketi is sending political drones to confuse PDP in Ondo State”.
Olurotimi Akeredolu may be reelected easily especially if a feeble PDP contender is fielded against him in October 2020.
GOD bless Ondo State.
Foluso Adebisi
Lagos, Nigeria
ONDO ELECTION 2020: ZONING OR MERIT?
