THE leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria party, ACN, Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu has begun consultations aimed at pacifying guber gladiators of his party in Ondo State who were shut out through the party’s non-transparent candidate selection process in the state.
Sources present at one of the meetings held at the instance of Mr. Tinubu, founder of ACN, told sharpedgenews.com that several of the leading guber hopefuls, which include Mr. Tayo Alasoadura, Dr. Ola Agunloye, Senator Boroface, Mr. Ekungba among others were told to unite behind the anointed flagbearer, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, to face the incumbent governor of the state, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, who is currently seeking his second term in office.
Some of the politicians who were displeased by Tinubu’s imposition of a candidate said to be unknown to the people of the state and whom many citizens of Ondo State feel had been chosen in order to act as a conduit for stealing available resources in the state, said that Mr. Tinubu spent about four hours appealing for the return of peace and unity within the ACN in the state.
Tinubu, who was a senator of the federal republic and later governor of Lagos State for eight years, reportedly said at the meeting that he had never stood before anyone in the pursuit of reconciliation and unity the way he was compelled to do by the aggrieved Ondo State aspirants.
“He stood and begged us for four hours,” one of those present at the forum confirmed to sharpedgenews.com.
At the meeting, it was said that the zoning arrangements for the different offices were perfected and documented. But going by the process that led to the peace consultations, it is hardly conceivable that the terms of such agreement would be respected if ACN indeed captures power.
According to the details made available to sharpedgenews.com, for example, Mr. Tayo Alasoadura, who was a very strong aspirant before decamping from the Peoples Democratic Party, was penciled down for the position of the Secretary to the State Government. He comes from Iju, in Akure North Local Government Area of the state, which falls within Ondo Central Senatorial District where the incumbent Governor Mimiko of the Labor Party is from. Mr. Alasoadura was also promised the right to nominated at least four commissioners in the imagined state executive cabinet.
Mr. Alasoadura was the commissioner for Finance in the administration of Dr. Olusegun Agagu, who was electorally defeated and judicially sacked. Alasoadura operated in the fashion of a power-drunk and violent politician.
“Extremely corrupt and ambitious,” said one of his former close aides who asked not to be named.
Apart from the formidable presence of Mimiko, a depply-rooted politician, a true “Iroko” as he is popularly known, Alasoadura cannot swing any surprise among his Akure clansmen with the support of experienced strategists like Mr. Deji Falae, the current commissioner for culture and tourism in the state, who with an army of grassroot supporters, back Governor Mimiko.
“ACN, their master-rigger and mandate supplanter, Tinubu can daydream; they have the right to allot seats in a car for which there is no down payment. But from what is on ground, the election would be a walkover for Mimiko,” said the same politician who divulged the events of Tinubu’s consultations.
And in accordance with the directive that Tinubu gave, some of the injured aspirants are biting the humble pie and returning in shame to their supporters, begging that ACN desperately needs everyone’s support in order to successfully challenge Mimiko.
The unfolding ward meetings aimed at securing peace and unity is not working according to plans. The people at the grassroots are still said to be solidly for Mimiko. Even Ondo State indigenes abroad are sending money and goodwill messages home, warning that they do not want to go into captivity under Tinubu. The obvious transformational infrastructural development and solid institutional initiatives are the achievements that Mimiko uses to secure the endorsement of the citizens.
With a badly fractured clay feet, very weak party structure and disaffected faithfuls, it is doubtful if Tinubu’s extension of the proverbial olive branch would not return as dud check.