ONDO 2020: AKEREDOLU, JEGEDE'S SYMBOLIC VICTORY FIGURES
By: Olaseinde Omoboye
The primary elections of the major political parties ahead of the October 10 governorship election in Ondo State have been concluded with the Peoples Democratic Party holding its exercise on Wednesday through early Thursday morning.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has elected the incumbent, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, as its flagbearer while the former Attorney-General of the state, Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, emerged as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Both Akeredolu and Jegede will be contesting for the Alagbaka House seat for the second time as they had slugged it out once in the 2016 governorship election when Akeredolu emerged victorious.
From Akeredolu, his victory at the primary election came on his 64th birthday. He polled 2,458 votes which has been interpreted as 2+4+58 = 64. It's believed that the score recorded by Akeredolu symbolized his birthday having won the primary on his birthday.
For the PDP, the contest was fairly between the embattled deputy governor and Jegede who was mostly favored by his long standing membership of the party since he defected with his former boss, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko from Labour Party to the PDP in 2014.
In the PDP election, a total of 2,128 valid votes were cast as Eyitayo Jegede recorded 888 votes beating his closest rival, Agboola Ajayi who polled 657 votes. Similarly, the candidate of the APC, Governor Akeredolu recorded 2458 votes to emerge victorious in the primary election.
Since it is generally believed that numbers are ancient, meaningful and powerful, every number has a particular power which is expressed both by its symbol to explain its representation in the prevailing situation.
Beyond the winning and emergence of the duo of Akeredolu and Jegede, the various scores recorded at their party primaries have become a subject of discussions, especially on the new media space.
The 888 scored by Eyitayo at the PDP primary may have a deep meaning politically than the ordinary figure which pronounced him as the flagbearer of the PDP. There are three senatorial districts in Ondo state with each clamouring for two terms of eight years.
It's believed that the 888 scored by Jegede represented the stand of the Senatorial districts in respect to the unwritten zoning arrangement which has been initiated by the Central senatorial district during the eight years reigns of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko as Governor of the sunshine state.
Already, the political calculation in the state has established the fact that the central senatorial district has just spent eight years before the emergence of Governor Akeredolu who is from the Northern Senatorial district.
Political analysts have suggested that the score recorded by Jegede was an affirmation on the power rotation in the state which is currently in favor of the Northern Senatorial district.
The 888 figure recorded by Jegede which have surely given him victory to emerge as the candidate of his party might end up being a debacle as the zoning arrangement has become his greatest hurdle.
The people of the Southern Senatorial District who are the major contestants with Jedege at the PDP primary would avoid any arrangement that will not favor the zone in the 2024 governorship election.
After the eight years of the Northern senatorial district, the people are expecting the rein of power to shift to the south where it will hold sway for another eight years before returning to the central where Jegede hails from. That sounds oldies and superstitious. But it is, nonetheless, symbolic.
As it stands, the battle ahead in Ondo state will be interesting as the political atmosphere will be charged as soon as the electioneering campaigns commence. Both parties will surely leverage on their areas of advantages to emerge victorious in the October 10 governorship election.
Written by:
Olaseinde Omoboye
A public Affairs Commentator,
Sent in this piece from Akure
