By Dayo Johnson Akure
TODAY’S by- election to fill the vacant seat of the Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency  of Ondo state is going to be a battle of strength between  the ruling Labour Party ,LP, led by Governor Olusegun Mimiko and the opposition parties- Peoples Democratic Party ,PDP, and All Progressive Congress, APC.

Although INEC indicated that seven political parties: All Progressive Congress (APC); Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) and the ruling Labour Party (LP); Advance Congress of Democrats (ACD); People for Democratic Change (PDC); Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Progressive People’s Alliance (PPA)will field candidates in the election, only three are dominant.

Two of the parties LP and PDP are “desperate” to win this election to make a political statement ahead of the 2015 Presidential election. Despite the fact that  it is taking place in only two of the 18 council areas of the state, it is not going to be a tea party.

However, today’s election is going to be the fourth by-election that Governor Mimiko, popularly known as the Iroko of Ondo Politics, would use to  test his strength with the opposition parties in the state.

Iroko has always floored the opposition parties to show that he is fully in charge of the politics of the state.
But today’s by election which is sequel to the untimely death of Hon Rapheal Nomiye  may be tough for Iroko.

This is because two of the parties involved in the election LP and PDP are out to use the outcome of today’s poll to make a statement ahead of the 2015 general election.

While  the PDP led by the likes of Presidential Adviser on Amnesty Kingsley Kuku and former governorship candidate, Olusola Oke would want to impress President Goodluck Jonathan that the party is still alive and can still be relevant in the coming poll. But  Governor Mimiko  will want to again show his supremacy over the opposition parties, therefore endearing himself to the President as someone to be relied on in 2015.

Kuku sees today’ s election as a serious one hence he mobilised the likes of the Defence Minister of State, Musuliu Obanikoro and the War Lord, Asari Dokubo to the riverine area to give him moral support and to address the party’s final rally last Thursday.

But Iroko in his reaction believes that God is in charge and will see him through this battle.

Reports had it that Mimiko in his usual way of not taking things for granted has relocated to the oil rich communities where the election will hold to drum  up support for the candidate of the party and showcase the numerous projects done by his administration. All political appointees from the constituencies have returned to their roots for the poll.

It will be an understatement to say  that the election will be tough as both parties see the election as a must win for their parties.

Interestingly, the three candidates of the parties jostling for the seat  are of Ilaje origin. So, head or tail whichever party that wins, it is sure that the seats will remain in their kitty.

The ruling Labour Party is fielding  Kolade Akinjo who hails  from the Mahin/Etikan / Aheri axis of the Ilaje community; the All Progressive Congress candidate, Chief Adewale Omojuwa hails from Ugbo axis while the Peoples Democratic Party picked Adewale Kukute who also  hails from Mahin.

Akinjo was an aide to former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Omojuwa was  a former chairman of the Ondo state Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) while Kukute was also a Commissioner in the Commission and presently the coordinator of SURE-P in the Southern part of the state.

Of the three candidates, that of the APC, Chief Omojuwa may not show much strenght in  the poll following the internal wrangling occasioned by his emergence as the party’s candidate. It’s not clear if the leadership of the party has been able to reconcile him with other aspirants that contested for the primaries.

However, Omojuwa is the best of all the aspirants of the APC that contested for the primaries following his antecedents in OSOPADEC . But others feel otherwise.

Even the state executive members of the APC in the state are not whole heartedly in support of his course as the party failed to organise a rally but the candidate prefers a house to house campaign.

It is obvious that Omojuwa is not in this election from all indications.

The candidate of PDP, Chief Kukute who is a Mathematician would be riding on the backs of the leaders of the party such as Kuku and Olusola Oke to make an impact in the poll.

Kukute however was said to be the secondary school teacher of the LP candidate in the election Kolade Akinjo many years back.

He  was said to have been preferred  as a result of  the love the people of the area have for him with the expectation that this will turn out to be an advantage for the party, moreso his present position as the Coordinator of the SURE-P in the area of today’s election.

The LP candidate, Kolade Akinjo  was a Special Adviser to President Obasanjo on Youths’ Affairs. His choice was unanimous and his popularity cuts across the three political parties. Even the physically challenged persons have vowed to give their votes to the youthful candidate.

Akinjo  was strategically picked to boost the party’s  chances of winning as he is also  popular  among the youths in the constituency.

Speaking with Saturday Vanguard on his chances, Omojuwa said he was confident of winning the election, noting that his track record while leading the intervention agency would speak for him.

Omojuwa said the APC has mobilised through house to house campaign and that the result of the election will shock the ruling LP to its foundation.

The former OSOPADEC boss said the people of the areas cannot be deceived by the fire brigade incentives hurriedly brought by the state government.

He said the constituencies have been neglected by the ruling government since its inception.

On his part, Akinjo said the Labour Party had everything that is required to win election in the area and was confident that the people would vote for him.

Akinjo said the Labour Party had in the last few years contributed to the development of the two local government areas that constitute the federal constituency.

He listed the projects executed in the areas to include Mega Schools; Igbokoda international market; the asphalting of the Igbokoda-Ayetoro road and implementation of the Abiye Safe Motherhood programme.

The LP candidate added that winning the election would not be determined by  his being a member of the LP, adding that he had supporters base across the major political parties, student bodies and professional bodies in the area.

He however said he was ready to contribute to the development of the area using his wealth of experience and connection.

The PDP candidate, Kukute said his party would floor the other political parties going by the “ obvious fact that the constituency is the stronghold of the PDP.

” We are not losing any sleep. We will coast home to victory today.”

Also, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh at the Party’s  rally in Igbokoda threatened to punish any of its members that collaborate with the opposition party against the interest of the party’s candidate.

Metuh  declared that the election is about the control of the soul of the National Assembly and the nation. He said  any leader of the party that collects money from the opposition and works against the interest of the party would not live to enjoy the money.

He said he and other NWC members were in the state on the instruction of President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu .

Meanwhile the two leading parties, LP and PDP have bickered over the election.First to fire the salvo was the PDP which alleged that the LP plans to rig the election in collaboration with security operatives and militants.

The party’s state Chairman, Ebenezer Alabi listed the rigging devices to include delay in release of ballot materials to the strong units of the opposition parties, cancellation/invalidation of results of units with overwhelming votes for the opposition parties and creation of false alarm of insecurity to relocate collation centre to Akure.

The party also alleged general monetisation of the electoral process by the leaders and other strategic stakeholders.
But the Labour Party LP in a swift reaction  described the allegation by the opposition party as not only panicky but defeatist.

Governor Mimiko speaking at a rally fired back that the opposition political parties are planing  to cause crisis in some parts of Ilaje local government in order to cancel the results of the elections in the stronghold of the Labour Party(L.P.).

The governor  said the only strategy left for the opposition is for them to cause mayhem in the stronghold of the ruling Labour Party so as to give them advantage in their own strongholds.

He  said he had been to all nooks and crannies of Ilaje and Eseodo to campaign for the candidate of the party and the response has been overwhelming.

The governor  told the people to come out to vote for Akinjo, stand by their votes and prevent violence during the election.

Also, the  election umpire, the INEC has appealed to the politicians to play the game according to the rule, to shun violence and all acts that can violate the Electoral Laws in the election.

The State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr Akin Orebiyi, during an  interactive sessions with leaders of political parties and other stakeholders promised that the commission will do everything possible  within its capacity to ensure that the election is free and fair.

Also,  the Commissioner of Police, Isaac Chinonyerem Eke, stated that the Command was fully ready for the election, saying every necessary arrangement would be put in place in other to have violence-free election.
sat Ondo.