As the date for the final substitution of governorship and House of Assembly candidates enters its final week, it is decision time for political parties in Kwara state especially the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) on where the pendulum for their Deputy Governorship candidates will swing. HEAD POLITICS, MUMINI ABDULKAREEM writes on the issue.
Although the last few weeks had witnessed increased tempo of political activities for the Kwara State chapter of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Saturday December 1st, 2018 will climax the peak of which candidate from among the thirty-two active political parties in the state will make the final list of names for Governor, Deputy Governors and House of Assembly candidates that will take part in the forthcoming 2019 election.
According to INEC timetable which relied on Section 35 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), the last of withdrawal by candidates and their replacement by political parties must not exceed December 1. This is because the Act provides that such activities must take place not later than 45 days before the election.
However since the political parties in the state race to beat the October 18th and November 2nd, 2018 for the final submission date for Presidential/National Assembly and Governorship/House of Assemblies candidates, there have been a lot of politicking and calculations on who gets the final nod at the end of the day to contest the 2019 election.
Aside the fringe parties active in Kwara state that appeared to have concluded on the list of its candidate for the poll, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) have dragged the issue of who emerge, especially on the issue of their deputy governorship candidate to the last wire. In some cases, some of the interested contenders reportedly engaged in high wire politics and rancorous lobby activities in a bid to pick their party’s ticket.
For instance, within the fold of the state chapter of the PDP, the slot was zoned to Kwara South and specifically Irepodun local government after the party picked its gubernatorial candidate, Hon Razak Atunwa from Kwara Central senatorial district. But since the decision, there had been serious and intense lobbying from the contestants some of whom enlisted the support of influential traditional rulers in their domain to help in their cause.
Since the issue first was first reported by National Pilot, more than five indigenes of the local government have thrown themselves into the arena to contest for the ticket. Some of the contestants which included two females also allegedly enlisted the support of top religious leaders like the General Overseer of Living Faith, Dr. David Oyedepo and the Chairman of State Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria.
Among them were former member of the state House of Assembly in the seventh legislature, Elder David Bamidele, a two-time Special Adviser to Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed on Labour Matters and Students Affairs, Comrade Bisi Fakayode, Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture and Rural Water Support Service, Anu Ibiwoye, former Commissioner III in the Local Government Service Commission, immediate past secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state before the defection of the Senate President, Chief Bode Adekanye and a Professor of Educational Psychology and Director, Centre for International Education of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Olabisi Olasehinde-Williams, among others.
Although the race in the PDP, according to a source last night, was said to be “closing-in” on a male candidate and “somebody you would all like”, it was further gathered that nothing can be said to be certain yet.
“You know this is politics and 24 hours is like a year in this game. So for now, permutations and consultations are still going on and anything can happen. The race has been a long walk for the candidates who have reportedly given much of their time and resources to win the slot.
But as the PDP set to name its final choice of candidate for the slot in the election, many of them will be having lesser hours of sleep as the ‘D’ Day beckons.
In the APC, the tussle for the deputy governorship slot has reportedly assumed another dimension as the family of the party’s gubernatorial candidate for the 2019 general elections, Abdulrasaq Abdulrahman reportedly disagreed with the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed over the choice of running mate.
Although, the minister reportedly insisted on ceding the slot to one among the choice of former PDP governorship candidate, Sen. Simon Ajibola, Sen. Makanjuola Ajadi or former PDP factional chairman, Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo, the family of Abdulrasaq have reportedly rejected the move.
A source who confirmed this development to this medium on condition of anonymity maintained that the family preferred one Kayode Alabi for the position in the forthcoming poll.
According to him, Alabi, who is a Kwara South Senatorial aspirant from Ifelodun, has always been the choice of the APC flag bearer.
Although, party officials have claimed ignorance of the situation, some of them have gone ahead to accuse Alabi of acting as mole for some politicians in the PDP.
Oyedepo stated that he was not aware of the development and that the party is yet to decide on who becomes the running mate of Abdulrasaq.
Similarly, the former APC publicity secretary, Chief Rex Olawoye added that the Minister’s choice of running mate will alter the party’s arrangement.
He also kicked against the choice of Alabi who is said to be the preferred candidate of the family of Abdulrasaq.
He said, “Alabi is a mole in our party… It is the prerogative responsibility of Abdulrasaq to choose who he wants and whoever he feels he can work with. The party has little influence in this regard
As things stand now, political analysts in the state have opined the much hyped preference to break the jinx by going for a female deputy governor may have to wait a bit longer. Many of them also argued that this might be the year of the youth in the quest to get a Deputy Governorship candidate in the state. But for now, it seems the lobby will continue till Saturday when the issue is expected to be laid to rest.
