- Says Contest Was Free and Fair Without Aiyedatiwa’s Interference
By: Sunday Ameh
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Ondo State and former Chairman of Ilaje Local Government Area, Hon. Banji Okunomo, has urged aspirants dissatisfied with the outcome of the party’s recently concluded primary elections to accept the result and refrain from attacking Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
Okunomo, in a statement issued on Wednesday, described reactions trailing the primaries as unfortunate, particularly what he termed “unwarranted and unnecessary” attacks directed at the governor by some aggrieved aspirants.
He said many of the aspirants expressing dissatisfaction were aware from the beginning that their ambitions did not align with existing political arrangements and zoning understandings in their constituencies.
According to him, although such arrangements may not be formally documented, they have evolved over the years as respected political conventions aimed at ensuring equity, fairness and political stability.
“These arrangements have become integral to the political stability of those areas, and the electorate has consistently demonstrated commitment to preserving them,” he said.
Okunomo explained that attempts to disregard zoning principles in the past had often resulted in political setbacks, as voters usually moved to restore what they considered balance and fairness.
Speaking on Okitipupa/Irele Federal Constituency, he said there has been a long-standing understanding regarding the rotation of the House of Representatives seat between Okitipupa and Irele local government areas.
He noted that Okitipupa had traditionally produced representatives twice, while Irele produced once, adding that with the outgoing lawmaker, Hon. Jimi Odimayo, from Irele, many stakeholders believed it was Okitipupa’s turn to produce the next representative.
Okunomo commended Odimayo for accepting the outcome of the process with maturity and restraint.
“Having understood the political realities and implications of the zoning arrangement, he accepted the outcome of the primary without resorting to bitterness or personal attacks,” he stated.
The APC chieftain, however, faulted the reaction of Mr. Jimi Adekanle, describing his comments against the governor as unnecessary.
According to him, “the exemplary conduct Odimayo makes the recent outbursts by Adekanle a.k.a. JAF even more unnecessary and unfortunate. Mr. Adekanle, who only recently returned from Canada to participate in the primary election, was fully aware of the prevailing political dynamics within the constituency before offering himself for the contest besides the limiting factor of having been away from the political environment and disconnected from the people for a considerable period”.
He maintained that it was unreasonable for anyone to blame the governor for failing to emerge victorious in a process they willingly participated in.
Okunomo also defended Governor Aiyedatiwa’s role in the primaries, insisting that the governor acted with fairness and neutrality throughout the process.
He said the governor had encouraged consensus arrangements capable of producing less divisive outcomes but noted that some aspirants rejected the idea and opted for direct primaries.
“Having voluntarily embraced a competitive process, they ought to accept its outcome in good faith. Elections naturally produce winners and losers,” he added.
Speaking further, he cited the Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency and Ondo South Senatorial District as areas where political sentiments favoured rotational representation.
He said party members in Ondo South supported the emergence of a candidate from Ese-Odo Local Government because it remained the only local government in the district yet to produce a senator.
Okunomo said the emergence of Hon. D.I. Kekemeke reflected the aspiration of party members for fairness and equitable representation.
He stressed that the governor did not impose candidates on the party and insisted that the outcome of the primaries reflected the wishes of party members.
“The people have spoken through the primaries, and their decision deserves the respect and acceptance of all party faithful,” he said.
Leave a Reply