The All Progressives Congress (APC) and its gubernatorial candidates for the Ondo State November 14 governorship election and the Edo State September 21, 2024 governorship election have launched into a difficult journey fraught with obstacles, triggered by the controversial April twentieth, 2024, Ondo APC Gubernatorial Main Election and February 17 and 22, 2024 Edo gubernatorial major elections. The gubernatorial major elections had been marred by irregularities, controversies, and authorized tussles. All of the aspirants, aside from the declared winners, claimed that no election was held or they’re the lawful winners, whereas observers assert that the APC didn’t handle the 2 gubernatorial major elections very properly.
The trail to the September 21, 2024, and November 14, 2024, gubernatorial elections poses important challenges for the APC and its gubernatorial candidates because of the affect held by a few of the aggrieved aspirants inside the celebration’s assist base in each Edo and Ondo States. With out profitable reconciliation, the APC would require one thing akin to miracles to safe victory within the two gubernatorial elections.
The prevailing sentiment within the political sphere is that if the APC had been to conduct free and honest primaries in each Edo and Ondo States, the gubernatorial candidates who safe the celebration’s tickets would seemingly win the November 14 and September 21 gubernatorial elections, buoyed by the affect of President Tinubu and the APC’s standing because the ruling celebration on the middle. Nevertheless, with the controversies and lawsuits surrounding the first elections, the APC should strategize to beat these obstacles. First, reconciliation efforts are paramount: earnestly search reconciliation with the aggrieved aspirants. Second, combine them into the marketing campaign construction and rally their supporters. Third, take into account reimbursing their incurred bills. Fourth, Governor Fortunate Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State, the Edo APC vital stakeholders, and the governorship candidate ought to have interaction every of the aggrieved aspirants, leveraging their pedigree and political acumen to foster unity and collaboration for a profitable outing throughout the off-cycle gubernatorial elections.
The APC should acknowledge grievances and actively promote mutual understanding and forgiveness amongst all aspirants in each states, a job that might be facilitated by presidential intervention. In the meantime, Governor Aiyedatiwa and Senator Monday Okpebholo face a frightening problem: Governor Aiyedatiwa is a candidate and a sitting governor searching for reelection, whereas Senator Monday Okpebholo is a serving senator searching for to be a governor. The 2 candidates’ reconciliation efforts have to be genuinely inclusive to face an opportunity of successful the governorship elections. This entails therapeutic celebration divisions, resolving conflicts, and fostering unity amongst varied factions. For Ondo, the late Governor Akeredolu’s political group have to be begged and persuaded. Bringing them into the fold poses one of many best challenges for Governor Aiyedatiwa, particularly people like Adewale Olumuyiwa Akinterinwa, Chief Olusola Oke (SAN), and Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, who command important grassroots assist, political alliances, and a robust warfare chest. Successful over such influential figures, who additionally get pleasure from assist from Rotimi Akeredolu’s base and different teams outdoors the APC, would require cautious persuasion and acknowledgement of their significance and political grassroots affect.
Zayyad I. Muhammad, Abuja
