The outcome of the Ondo State governorship primary election might have displeased some people. It was actually going to be a tad difficult defeating Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa. It wasn’t going to be a walkover for him either. He didn’t get to where he is today, only to watch someone or some conspiracy crash his dream.
Although the governorship election proper is a different kettle of fish, the primary election phase is settled, sadly with the political family heavily divided and aggrieved. This is why the winner has to start appeasing the aggrieved parties immediately and also close ranks with as many people as possible.
Generally, the Ondo governorship election has always been a tough one. Politically, they don’t worship a foreign god. Therefore, Aiyedatiwa cannot afford to take chances. If he has to go and prostrate from house to house, he had better done that already.
But that is not the reason for this intervention. The thrust of this is to question the rationale behind the choice of a sitting governor conducting the primary election of his colleague, and you expect fairplay? Other aspirants should have protested this from the get-go.
Are the political parties dumb or mischievous? They are simply creating avenues for political debts and repayment. The camaraderie amongst the governors would not even let the results go the other way. They will always help each other, no matter what, and the cycle continues.
It is arguable that the primary election of any party is rigged and the outcome already known the day a governor is picked to chair the committee assigned to conduct the exercise. He will never watch his colleague lose, either as outgoing, returning, or incoming. Isn’t that common sense?
But, again, what would you have him do? It would be his turn, too, another time. What then happens to other neutral persons in the party with a degree of credibility and integrity? Can’t the party choose, for example, from its board of trustees to handle the assignment?
If the problem is funding, that has already been addressed. After all, what does the party do with money raised from sales of forms, dues, and the rest? Political parties can’t continue to do this and expect to be taken seriously. The outcome is predictable… Esprit De Corps!
It doesn’t mean the supposedly neutral members can’t sell out or assist their choice aspirants to win. But you would have eliminated the inherent doubt masked by an obviously interested party. Political parties can actually do better.
Now, unto the next…
