By Yemi Akintomide
Amidst lingering crisis and very deep stormy controversy that have been confronting the Ondo State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) since the October 2016 Governorship Election, one golden fish, hitherto hidden at the deepest part of the sea, had pumped up to the coast in the admiration of everyone consciousness.
The golden fish, Barrister Sylvester Olumuyiwa Adu, was practically unknown in the political Terrance of Ondo State before the just concluded Akure North/South Federal Constituency Bye Election on February 26, 2022; but his activities and social conduct before the PDP primary, his emergence as the party flag bearer, electioneering and narrowly lost the seat to the candidate of rivalry All Progressives Congress (APC), Mayokun Lawson Alade, are legendary and straight from the Saints’ World.
This is to support the arguments of most loyal and committed members of PDP in the State, including the active and youthful electorate that the unfortunate lost of Akure to the opposing party, APC, despite recording maximum victory within the same constituency just over a year ago; was more of party internal betrayal, selfishness, and reprisal on past defeats, and not of Adu’s actions or inactions as candidate in the Bye Election.
Adu came into the election as the candidate to beat, with every allure of an “Omoluabi”, well cultured, matured, humane, generous, thoughtful and kindhearted. He was the best among the flagbearers of the seven political parties that presented candidates for the Akure North/South Federal Constituency Bye Election to fill the then vacant seat left behind by one of the finest politicans that ever came out of Akure Division, late Adedayo Omolafe (Expensive).
However, Olumuyiwa Adu candidacy came amidst a stormy and unreconcilable leadership crisis that has bedeviled the State chapter of PDP since the 2016 controversial primary of Governorship Election that threw up the former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Eyitayo Jegede SAN as the candidate and thereafter, as leader of the party when he lost to the incumbent, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN.
Jegede lost the election to Akeredolu, and as if that was not enough, he equally went into head-on collision with his former boss, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko over who then lead the fractionlised PDP (Konigba and Gbasibe). Both Mimiko and Jegede were losers; Jegede lost the Governorship Election, while Mimiko later lost the Central Senatorial District seat, so, the party leadership was the only consolation prize available for grab by either of them. This was the beginning of PDP crisis in Ondo State, which later broke into pieces with a fraction went with Mimiko to an unpopular Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), a fraction stay with the Clement Faborode led State Exco and others joined the ruling APC of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN.
After Mimiko and his cohorts had left for ZLP, Eyitayo Jegede, SAN with an overwhelming support base in Akure, the state capital city, took over the mantle of leadership of the party in preparation for the 2020 Governorship Election, with a strong zeal to put forward a formidable opposition party ready to win back the Governorship seat; things however fall apart after he emerged as candidate over the former deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi who treaciuosly dumped his party, APC, fell out with his boss, Akeredolu and seek to contest the Governorship seat on the platform of PDP. Ajayi lost the PDP ticket to Jegede, joined Mimiko’s ZLP and went ahead to contest the election. His action further depilated the chances of Jegede and PDP in the election.
When the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) fixed February 26, 2022 for the Akure North/South Federal Constituency Bye Election, many political observers in the state had ticked PDP to retain the seat since both the council areas involved are predominantly PDP apologists; but the trend shockingly changed after Mimiko attached his dead ZLP wagon to the fast moving train of PDP and got it hooked. This was after the likes of Olumuyiwa Adu has entered the House of Representatives race with good intentions and all purposes to serve his people in Akure and it environs.
That was when the urgly octopus with several heads of problems and misfortunes appeared again and plunged the party into a big shit. The era of dirty rivalry between Jegede and Mimiko was revisited during the campaigns which eventually took it toil on the credibility of Olumuyiwa Adu personality as candidate for the Bye Election. Adu largely lost the poll because of the two elephants fighting for leadership and control.
My conclusion here is that Adu was the one that bear the brunt of a leadership that gone sore, as it beliefs that the two leaders with ripples and multiplier effects on leadership of the State executive committee members, elders, local, wards and units,’ leaders divided along these two overheads, did next to nothing to bring about genuine reconciliation to position the party to a new winning way, in all elections.
If you disagree with me on this, you then need to read the communique issued by a group within the state PDP, the Council of Young Leaders in PDP at a meeting held on Saturday March 5, 2022 to review the performance of the party at the last Bye Election. The group positioned that; “In every election, these leaders who have positioned themselves to ‘milk’ aspirants and leave them out cold on election day.
“It has even gotten to the extent that known leaders in the Party keep funds meant to prosecute elections in the hope of victory for the party to spite themselves, while youths do all the work required to ensure we emerge victorious against all odds. This act of sabotage has gotten to the extreme and must be eschewed if the Party is to seriously challenge the incumbent in 2023.”
The group went further; “We make bold to say that their are almost no leaders who have not soiled their hands in their pursuit of bias within a system that is expected to be for everyone. These camps serves the interest of a minute percentage of leaders and not the overall interest of the Party and its members. The selfishness of these leaders has plunged the Party into a ditch that it will take gut and strong will to rescue us from. Camps within the PDP sabotage efforts of the whole just to spite the others.
“The overall lack of transparency and lustful zeal for control has destabilized the Party. It is worthy of note that since the end of the 2020 election, the Party has yet to give an account of its financial dealings before, during and after the election. This has not only turned leaders against themselves but has made trustworthiness hard to come by amongst them. The absolute lack of reconciliatory moves either by the State or Zone or National Party organs is a pointer to the fact that the Party is not serious and ready to position itself to take over from these strange bedfellows in power. It was argued that the State SWC, being the greatest beneficiary of the division in the Party, seem content with the status quo even as it plays a fiddle in the hands of a few.”
These young leaders read my mind and actually hit the nail by it head, when directly pointing accusing finger to many party known leaders for acts of anti-party as openly displayed at the just concluded Akure Federal Constituency Bye Election, noting that “it’s a fact that the PDP financially mobilized its members more than the opposition Party, yet the Party lost. It was clear acts of sabotage. In Akure North, PDP leaders in the LG seem to have given up days before the election. Party leaders shared funds meant to prosecute elections amongst themselves and sent a paltry sum to the Units. The Party’s Returning Officer was nowhere to be found at the Collation Centre. This is further evidenced by the boldness of a PDP member from Akoko NE/NW Federal Constituency, Hon. Obanla openly endorsing the candidacy of a sitting representative in the APC. These are the leaders of the PDP upon which further electoral victory is expected to be built.”
By and large, the election has come and gone, my candid advise will go to Barrister Olumuyiwa Adu to forge ahead despite the betrayals and shortcomings, because his political future is bright, even more brighter after the results of a Bye Election he lost with plantry 1,812 votes, heavily induced with votes buying, ballots snatching and voters’ apathy.
Today, you have gained a supporter in me.
Today, you have gained the love of your people, the more.
Today, you have became our hero.
ADU CUBANA IS COMING BACK IN 2023.
YEMI AKINTOMIDE, a journalist, media consultant and public affairs analyst wrote from Ireakari Estate 2, Orita-Obele, Akure.
8th of March, 2022
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