Ogun APC: Consensus versus direct primary

Who gets Ogun State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket? Correspondent Ernest Nwokolo examines the preparations for the shadow poll by the chapter.

There are discordant tunes and confusion as the Ogun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) prepares for the governorship primary.

It is not yet certain to some of the critical stakeholders, what form the governorship primary would take, barely few days to it.

The seed of the confusion was allegedly sown by Governor Ibikunle Amosun on September 8 when he  declared that the chapter will adopt consensus. He said governorship candidate, Hon. Abdulkabir Adekunle Akinlade, and his running mate, Mrs Peju Adebajo, have emerged through consensus.

It is discernible why Amosun is allegedly teleguiding the party into toeing the path of consensus or indirect primary from behind the scene. It is about the only safe option that could guarantee the emergence of his anointed candidate, Abdulkabir Adekunle Akinlade, from Ogun West as the flagbearer.

Again, it will enable him fulfil the party’s 2019 zoning to the area and thus install a successor who could be trusted to watch his back and consolidate on his achievements.

Prior to the adoption of consensus, there were over a dozen of aspirants on the platform of the party. They include Speaker Suraj Adekunbi (Ogun West), Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s Chief of staff, Tolu Odebiyi(Ogun West), the  Commissioner for Forestry, Kola Lawal (Ogun West), Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Bashorun Miyiwa Oladipo  (Ogun East), Chairman, Local Government Service Commission, Rotimi Rahmon (Ogun West),  former Deputy Governor, Senator Gbenga Kaka (Ogun East), Commissioner for Commerce Industry, Otunba Bimbo Ashiru (Ogun East), Jimi Lawal(Ogun East), Hon. Abiodun Isiaq Akinlade(Ogun West), Hon. Adulabir Adekunle Akinlade(Ogun West) and Abayomi Hunye(Ogun West) were all  jostling for the APC governorship ticket.

But, other aspirants, especially former Deputy Governor, Senator Gbenga Kaka, Otunba Bimbo Ashiru, Jimi Lawal, Prince Dapo Abiodun and Abayomi Hunye (Ogun West) opposed consensus option that threw up Akinlade and went to the national headquarters of the party to obtain expression of interest form.

They argued that they were not part of the decision on consensus and that the option unfairly shut them out  from exercising their rights to aspire for same elective offices.

More worrisome is that while the state chapter remained resolute with his consensus approach and indirect primary if that fails, the National body of the party kept sounding that all primaries should be by Direct approach, thus creating uncertainty in the minds of many.

The chapter is rooting for indirect primary. But, it is yet to notify delegates about the designated venue for it.

But, who will win the ticket of the APC among Akinlade, Senator Gbenga Kaka, Jimi Lawal, Bimbo Ashiru, Prince Dapo Abiodun and Abayomi Hunye.

Akinlade, a member of the House of Representatives from  Egbado South and Ipokia Federal Constituency, is believed to be Amosun’s whizkid and Muslim whom the Governor had earlier hinted he would accompany to the 2019 Eid prayer is 49.

He was adopted as the consensus candidate of the APC by the Ogun West Elders  and announced later by the party as its Consensus candidate

Kaka is a former deputy governor and commissioner at different times in the state. He is a true and tested democrat, welfarist and believes in equal participation. He is not for politics of selfishness.

Prince Abiodun and established entrepreneur, real estate player and oil magnate. He is a major aspirant and  remains the rallying point for all the party members that can restore unity into the APC.

Abiodun  has the charisma and capacity to return the party to the members via massive empowerment and involvement in governance.

Bimbo Ashiru, a technocrats joined Amosun’s government since 2011. He is the consensus candidate of the Ijebu – Remo Agenda group and believed to the choice of prominent royal fathers in Ijebuland.

The commissioner until his resignation to pursue  the governorship ambition, had attracted large investors to the state.

Jimi Lawal hails from Ijebu – Ode. The former chairman, Alpha Merchant Bank Limited, is also currently a Special Adviser to Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State and deemed himself more qualified and accepted in Ijebu than any other aspirant from the area. He has been pursuing his ambition with boldness, intelligence,  idea and appeal to the two old divisions of the state which justifies the clamour for Ijebu’s quest for Governor in 2019. It is believe that with his connection with the Presidency through the Kaduna State governor, he could spring surprises with the  party’s ticket in the state.