Political gladiators are squaring up to participate in the governorship primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State.
The Ondo guber race is drawing attention due to the large number of aspirants.
The governorship election comes up on November 16.
According to the APC, the sale of nominations, expression of interest and delegate forms for contestants will begin on April 3 and end on April 10, 2024, while the primary election is slated for April 25, 2024.
One of the talking points among the gladiators is the mode of primaries the various political parties intend to adopt to pick their respective party candidates.
Political watchers and key players believe the outcome of the primaries will go a long way in determining the dimension
Like its governorship primary in Edo State which produced Monday Okpebholo as the flag bearer, the APC pegged the price for the Expression of Interest and Nomination forms at N10m and N40m respectively for Ondo.
It is not new that incumbent governors and political parties often tilt towards their incumbents. However, for Aiyedatiwa, the governor is faced with hurdles.
Aiyedatiwa assumed the governorship of the state in December 2023 following the passing of the former governor – Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), who had died after a prolonged illness in Germany.
Political watchers believe that the ruling APC has an edge over the opposition and as a result stands a better chance of winning the poll.
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), party primaries in the Ondo State governorship election will start in the next two weeks on 6 April and end on 27 April.
The commission also confirmed that 16 of 19 registered political parties have indicated interest in contesting the 16 November governorship election in the state.
The political parties are expected to field a candidate each but the polls, like previous ones, will turn out as two-horse races or at best three-horse races.
The aspirants in no particular order are as follows:
1. Mayowa Akinfolarin – Former member of the House of Representatives
2. Oladunni Odu – Former Secretary to the State Government (SSG)
3. Lucky Aiyedatiwa – Incumbent Ondo governor
4. Gbenga Edema – Former Chairman of the Ondo State Oil-producing Areas Development Commission and former member who represented the State on the Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)
5. Brig. Gen. Olamide Ohunyeye (retd) – Retired Director of Finance at the Nigerian Defence Academy
6. Jimoh Ibrahim – Business mogul and incumbent Senator representing Ondo South Senatorial District
7. Wale Akinterinwa – Former Ondo Commissioner for Finance
8. Isaac Kekemeke – APC National Vice Chairman (South-West)
9. Prof. Francis Faduyile – Former Special Adviser to the late Governor Akeredolu on Health
10. Chief Olusola Oke – Two-time governorship candidate in the state (2012 and 2016)
11. Dr Paul Akintelure
12. Sola Ebisemi – Former Commissioner for the Environment in the state
13. Ifeoluwa Oyedele – Executive Director (Engineering and Technical Services) at Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited
14. Adedayo Faduyile – Former President of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA)
15. Olusola Iji
16. Jimi Odimayo
17. Matthew Oyerinmade
18. Funmilayo Adekojo
