Barring any last minute change, the bye-election for the House of Representatives in Akure South/Akure North Federal Constituency in Ondo State will hold on February 26, 2022, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced last week.
The seat, it will be recalled, became vacant following the demise of Hon. Adedayo Omolafe, also known as 'Expensive', after a brief illness in August 2021. Adedayo, whose death was announced on Monday August 16, 2021, barely two years after he was sworn in as lawmaker, was of the People's Democratic Party, PDP.
After his demise and burial, prominent politicians across the two major political parties (APC & PDP) in the State have since begun scheming for the vacant seat.
Announcing the date of the election in Abuja, INEC National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voter Education Committee, Barrister Festus Okoye, said the announcement followed the declaration of vacant seats at the Green Chamber by the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila.
He said; "Following the declaration of vacancies by the Honourable Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Honourable Speakers of some State Houses of Assembly, the Commission has scheduled bye-elections for six constituencies in 4 States as follows:
"Akure North/Akure South Federal Constituency, Ondo State; Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency, Plateau State; Pankshin South State Constituency, Plateau State; Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency, Cross River State; Akpabuyo State Constituency, Cross River State; Ngor-Okpala State Constituency, Imo State.
"The elections will hold on Saturday 26th February 2022 immediately after the FCT Area Council elections. This will enable the Commission to clear most of the bye-elections, focus on the Ekiti and Osun Governorship elections and ongoing preparations for the 2023 General Election".
According to the statement, some of the vacancies arose as a result of the death of the previous occupants; substantial disruption of the electoral process and fulfillment of constitutional and legal requirements in the electoral process.
Okoye added that "political parties that present to the Commission the name of a candidate who does not meet the qualifications stipulated in the Constitution and the Electoral Act shall be guilty of an offence and on conviction shall be liable to a maximum fine of N500,000.00".
"Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) for all new registrants as well as requests for transfers and replacement of damaged cards have been printed and are available in all the six Area Councils for collection. The Commission appeals to citizens who applied for fresh registration as well as transfers and replacement of the PVCs to do so immediately and avoid last minute rush for these cards, as has been the case in the past", Okoye added.
The campaign of the over 15 aspirants in the two major political parties for the election intensified last week following the announcement by INEC, as aspirants tour the 23 wards in the two local government areas of the constituency to meet and talk to potential delegates of their parties.
According to the timetable released by INEC, the primary elections to pick the candidates of political parties for the bye-election will hold between January 26 and February 5.
As the main contenders are now being separated from the rest of the crowd in the field, we profile the leading aspirants (in alphabetical order) in both parties and their chances of picking their party's ticket in the primary election.
ABEGUNDE, IFEDAYO SUNDAY (APC)
Former Secretary to the Ondo State Government, Hon. Ifedayo Abegunde, is a two-time occupier of the House of Reps seat between 2003 to 2007 and 2011 to 2015. Abegunde, popularly known as Abena, had fallen out with his former boss, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, ahead of the 2020 governorship election but stayed in the APC.
Abegunde, who is the State Coordinator of the South West Agenda (a political group moblising for the presidential ambition of Bola Tinubu), had since reconciled with Akeredolu and will be relying on both Tinubu and Akeredolu to get the ticket to contest the bye election and return to the House of Reps.
Abegunde, who lost the Ondo Central Senate ticket of APC in a keenly contested primary to Senator Tayo Alasoadura ahead of the 2015 general election, has declared that he only wants to go to the House of Reps to complete the tenure and has no ambition of recontesting or running for Senate in 2023.
The major obstacle in the way of Abegunde seems to be the fact that he had been in the House of Reps twice and many opine that he should not aim to go back there but allow a fresh candidate. Getting the support of the governor may also be tricky for him.
Chances: Average
ADEGOROYE, ADEMOLA (APC)
Prince Ademola Adegoroye is perhaps the most popular among those contesting in the bye election. A former member of the Ondo State House of Assembly and former governorship candidate in the state, Adegoroye currently holds a federal board appointment.
Following the poor performance of the APC in Akure in the last governorship election, some leaders of the APC were said to have approached Adegoroye to consider running for House of Reps in 2023 in order to shore up the popularity of the APC in Akure.
After the death of Omolafe, the party leaders were said to have gone back to the Akure Prince to throw his hat into the ring for the bye election. Since declaring his interest in the election, his campaign has received huge support from across the structures of the party in the two local government areas.
Adegoroye seems to be the only aspirant in the APC whose popularity cut across the two major political parties and is widely known in the federal constituency, which would make his campaign easier if he gets the ticket of the APC.
Also, haven run a governorship election as a major candidate in the state in 2007 and almost becoming the Deji of Akure in 2010, that political experience and community reach count hugely in his favour.
He also seems not to belong to either of the two major rival groups within the APC in Akure; the Mandate Group and the Ajapada Group. This could make his candidature more acceptable to members of both groups after the primary election.
Many believe Adegoroye, an energetic and outspoken character, has the trait of a good lawmaker, one that will not be in the green chamber just to make up the number, one that will quickly settle down and make friends and one that knows how to bulldoze his way to get what his people wants.
Combining legislative experience with political experience and community leadership as a Prince, makes Adegoroye a shoo-in for the election.
Chances: Very Bright
ADESANYA, KEMISOLA (PDP)
Hon. Kemisola Adesanya is a former two-time member of the Ondo State House of Assembly, representing Akure South Constituency 1 between 2011 and 2019, on the platforms of the Labour Party and PDP. She is currently the State Woman Leader of the PDP.
Adesanya is one of the strong contenders for the ticket in the PDP and is said to have the backing of some of the leaders of the party within and outside the state. The return of former Governor Olusegun Mimiko and his loyalists from Zenith Labour Party to the PDP may also count in her favour.
There are speculations that she is banking on the support of a northern PDP governor and presidential aspirant who has promised to provide the resources needed to get the party's ticket for her and fund her election.
Chances: Bright
ADU, MUYIWA (PDP)
Mr. Muyiwa Adu is a lawyer, oil and gas expert and business man. He is a United States trained expert and has worked across the world and has a vast of business interests across Nigeria.
He is relatively unknown in the politics of Akure but known within the PDP as someone who has been on the fringes for over a decade and who has supported quite a number of aspirants and candidates of the party for elections in Akure.
Since joining the race, Adu has been able to garner a lot of support within the party and is said to be the front runner, partly due to his financial muscle as many party leaders believe only a candidate with huge financial war chest can defeat the candidate of the ruling party in the bye-election.
Chances: Very Bright
AWUDE, DAYO (PDP)
Mr. Dayo Awude, a writer, author and businessman, is a former Commissioner for Youths and Sports in Ondo State, former Chairman of the State Scholarship Board and former Chief of Protocol to Governor Olusegun Mimiko. He is from Ilu Abo in Akure North local government, which has not produced a Rep since 1999.
Awude is one of the most popular contenders for the ticket of the PDP. He has run for the ticket twice, once in Labour Party in 2015 and once in PDP in 2019. He lost the ticket in the PDP primary to the late Omolafe ahead of the 2019 general elections and later became the State Vice Chairman (Central Senatorial District) of the PDP.
Awude is believed to enjoy the support of the former governorship candidate of the party in the state, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede, for the ticket. Awude had been one of the most loyal supporters of Jegede in the 2016 and 2020 governorship elections.
Also, he may benefit from the return of his former boss and former Governor Olusegun Mimiko and his loyalists to the PDP. The former governor is likely to choose between him and Adesanya to support for the ticket.
Being able to mobilize enough financial resources to get the ticket in the PDP primary seems to be the only major obstacle before Awude but being a party vice chairman is a huge advantage.
Chances: Bright
FADAIRO, FEMI DENNIS (APC)
Mr. Femi Fadairo, popularly called Fada, is a vibrant grassroots politician and one of the youngest contenders for the seat. Fadairo is currently the Director of Administration to the Office of the Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Before the death of Omolafe last year, Fadairo had shown interest in the seat for 2023, banking on the support of his boss, the Senate President, Senator Ahmed Lawan. Since the seat became vacant, Fadairo has been ferocious in his grassroots mobilization and quickly opened a campaign office at his base in Oke Aro, Akure.
Fadairo is very popular among the youths and has empowered a lot of traders, graded community roads and supplied transformer to a community. He is also banking on the support of his political godfather, Senator Ajayi Boroffice, the Deputy Majority Leader of the Senate.
However, one of his major obstacles could be his inability to get the support of those loyal to Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu as a result of the old rivalry and clashes between the governor and Boroffice. It may take the intervention of the Senate President to get the support of the governor for his ambition.
Chances: Bright
FALAE, SUNDAY (APC)
Engr. Sunday Falae, a businessman and philanthropist, is the MD/CEO of West One Group of Companies. He is a nephew of Chief Olu Falae and hails from Ilu Abo in Akure north local government area. Although he is known more for his philanthropy than his politics, he is a major financier of the APC in his locality.
Falae is the President of Ooye Development Initiative (ODI), a prime and influential community development group in Akure and as the Patron of the Akure Youth Coalition (AYC), he is very popular among and has a very strong connection to the youths in Akure communities.
He is one of the five aspirants who are members of the Mandate Group within the APC in Akure and has run an impressive campaign since late last year.
However, coming from Akure North local government seems to have recently become an obstacle for him as some of his opponents claimed since the seat was vacated by someone from Akure South local government, therefore should be filled by a candidate from the same local government.
This line of argument, however, does not put into consideration that Sunday Falae is also an Akure Prince and qualified to vie for the stool of the Deji of Akure in Akure South local government. He is said to be unfazed by the logic and is intensifying his campaign for the party's ticket.
Chances: Bright
OLAJIDE, SUNDAY (APC)
Hon. Sunday Olajide is a second term member of the Ondo State House of Assembly, representing Akure South Constituency Two and Chairman of the House of Assembly Committee on Finance.
Olajide had shown interest in running for House of Reps in 2015 before he was prevailed upon by party leaders to drop the ambition for House of Assembly.
He is now one of the front runners for the APC ticket for the bye-election. However, many party leaders and the governor were said to have expressed reservations about giving the ticket to someone who is already an elected lawmaker as such will necessitate another bye-election to fill his seat if he wins the House of Reps bye-election.
Chances: Average
OLATUNJI-OHWOVORIOLE, OMOWUMI (APC)
Hon. Olatunji-Ohwovoriole is currently the Chairman, Governing Council of the Federal Polytechnic, Kaura Nomada, Zamfara State. She is a former Commissioner for Women Affairs in Ondo State and former two-time member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, representing Oshodi/Isolo Constituency 2. She is also a former member of Lagos State Sports Council.
She has been a force of reckon within the APC in and out of Ondo State since 2016. In January this year, the APC National Caretaker/Convention Planning Committee appointed her as a member of the Ekiti State APC Registration and Revalidation Committee.
Hon Olatunji-Ohwovoriole also runs a popular charity orgainsation named after her late mother, Monisola Adeniyan Eddo Foundation, through which she carries out regular empowerment of women and traders in Akure.
The former lawmaker had already shown interest in the Reps seat for the 2023 general elections before the seat became vacant last year. Since then, she has run an impressive campaign and mobilization.
Hon Olatunji-Ohwovoriole, who is not short of financial firepower for the primary election, is said to be banking on the support of an APC governor and this is said to have unsettled some of the loyalists of Governor Akeredolu who have questioned her loyalty to Aketi.
Chances: Very Bright
Source: TRACE MAGAZINE
