In the beginning
During the party primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), towards the 2007 election, Abdur-Rahman Olusegun Mimiko entered the race along with his former party man, ex-governor Olusegun Agagu.
However, because of the unwritten party constitution that favoured the incumbent, Agagu became the party’s anointed candidate. Assured of his popularity among his people, Mimiko moved out of the PDP to revive the unknown Labour Party. Not a few political observers had a hearty laugh, thinking that the medical doctor-turned politician was trying to commit political suicide.
The rest is now history. He contested on the platform of the party he brought from nowhere and won. But when he was not declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mimiko shouted blue murder, saying he was robbed of victory. Expectedly, the battle shifted to the Election Petition Tribunal where he reclaimed his mandate over a year after.
Assumption of office
When Mimiko assumed office in February 2010 and put together his team, he settled down to work knowing fully well that he dare not disappoint the people that reposed confidence in him by voting him into office.
And with his performance in the last three and a half years, political analysts had even given Mimiko the Certificate of Return six clear months to the election.
According to the pundits, Mimiko has touched the lives of his people positively in all spheres of human endeavours. And going by the level of intelligence and enlightenment of the people of the state, it would be difficult to convince them that Mimiko is a failure.
No wonder Governor Mimiko exuded confidence recently while rendering accounts of his stewardship for the last three years at a Stakeholders Forum in Akure, the state capital.
Mimiko, who said he could not afford to let the state down disclosed that one thing that has been propelling his administration was the way the people of the state received him at his inauguration on February 24, 2009, stressing that he has fulfilled his campaign promises to the people.
He told the gathering of foremorest politicians, administrators, traditional and religious leaders, students’ body and youths that he has bridged the gap between the people and government by pursuing masses-oriented programmes in all the sectors.
His words: “When we assumed office, I said that I would work for the people. Then, there was a disconnect between government and people. I can say confidently now that, not only are people participating in governance, they feel that they are also part of government”.
He maintained that he was bold to tell the people that his administration made its presence felt in virtually all towns and villages in the state and in all spheres of human life, stressing that the people of the state could testify to this achievement.
This, coupled with the power and factor of incumbency, no doubt worked well for Mimiko last Saturday as the people overwhelmingly gave him their mandate to continue for another for years.
Party primary
In accordance with the disposition of almost all the political parties that if the incumbent has signified his intention to go for a constitutionally allowed second term that he should be allowed, the Labour Party in Ondo State endorsed Governor Olusegun Mimiko to have another shot at the gubernatorial crown.
Other parties
Initially, it was believed that it would be a walk over in favour of the man his people admiringly call ‘Iroko.’ But when even the PDP that has been in comatose for sometime found its voice and started making attempts at roaring, Mimiko and his party men realized that, the election would not be a tea party.
The need to double his efforts became more imperative when the Action Congress of Nigeria (AC N), rolled out its campaign armour tank for operation take over Ondo State with Regional Integration as its mantra.
The campaigns were fierce from the three major political parties in contention namely, ACN, PDP and LP.
Election proper
After the fierce campaign, all the contenders and their people relocated to their base 48 hours to the D-Day. While Olusola Oke was expected to move to his riverine abode, Mimiko moved to his ancient city of Ondo, and the ACN candidate, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), moved down to his Owo country home to get ready for the battle ahead.
Last Friday, 24 hours to the Saturday election, security agents had taken over the state, restricting movement with a view to curtailing possible outbreak of violent crisis.
The Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), in charge of operation, Phileman Leha described the security arrangement in Ondo State election as an improvement on the recent Edo’s election. Speaking with journalists in Owo, he disclosed that “apart from the efforts of other security agents in the country, the police posted two policemen to every polling booths,” saying “with this arrangement, anybody who plans to misbehave would just be making fool of himself. “He however expressed delight that “politicians themselves have learnt that any attempt to behave funny would be an exercise in futility.”
Results
The signal that Mimiko would carry the day manifested directly at the polling booth where the ACN candidate, Rotimi Akeredolu, and his wife, Betty, voted. Mimiko overran him at home. Akeredolu lost his polling booth to Mimiko of the Labour Party. Mimiko polled 144 votes against Akeredolu’s 139 votes while Oke of the PDP polled 35 votes. 20 votes were voided.
Akeredolu along with his wife, Betty, voted at Ijebu 2, Ward 5 of Unit 6 in his Owo home town at about 12.55pm having been accredited earlier at about 10.08am. The total number of voters on the register was 958, while only 378 turned up for accreditation. The voting that started around 12 noon ended by 3.20 and sorting and counting followed immediately in the presence of the party agents, security agents, journalists and a handful of the residents that cared to stay back. The parties agents present were Segun Ogunbadeniyi (LP), Joseph Enemona (ACN), and Felix Ikeolu (PDP).
No comments:
Post a Comment