How Jegede Knocks Out Jimoh Ibrahim in Ondo Guber Tussle
The Appeal Court sitting in Abuja may have named Kayode Jegede as the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) candidate, removing the name of Jimoh Ibrahim.
The speculation that nothing fundamental has changed in terms of the sordid traditional culture of the judiciary being used as a pun in an orchestrated political game.
The source claimed that President Buhari was “embarrassed by the low turn out at the All Progressives Congress, (APC) rally held in Akure on Saturday, a clear indication that the Alliance for Democracy, (AD) was certain to win the election.
“The Presidency is very anxious to prevent a win by the AD. The best way to do this is to seek alliance with the incumbent governor of Ondo State, Dr Mimiko whose only demand was that his candidate should be allowed to contest the election. That decision by the Appeal Court is nothing but politics”, the source said. The source hinted that part of the negotiation was that the Ondo State election be postponed as the Fulani North considers the possibility of adopting Jegede who had lived all his live in the Fulani enclove of Adamawa state. It was gathered that some interests are expected to go to court this week to ensure the postponement of the election. “This will pave way for the North to restrategise to prevent the AD win. This might mean outright support for Jegede by the Fulani North since the issue is about the politics of power,” a reliable source said. The source added “the Fulani North distrusts the Yoruba either in APC or PDP. They were shocked to see Kayode Fayemi eulogising Tinubu after reports that he indicted him. They think they need time to reassess the Ondo situation”
There are various considerations by the Presidency. Our correspondent gathered that the Fulani elite considers that Jegede as the PDP candidate will result to either of three things: It will pave the way for the APC to rig the election with the assumption that Mimiko as the governor will accept Akeredolu’s victory, offering a moral boost to the election; that the Fulani North may opt for Jegede, so that if he wins, his group will decamp to the APC; that Jegede’s emergence will further reduce the expected votes of the AD which had succeeded in recording a landmark in Akure, Mr Jegede’s stronghold. The last option is that Jegede be adopted as the candidate of the Fulani North with the promise that he will support the Northern agenda.
The source hinted that without the knowledge of the APC leaders in the South West, the Northern leaders had entered into an agreement with Dr Mimiko and Mr Jegede on strategic plan for the Saturday election.
In its pronouncement this afternoon, the Appeal Court set aside the ruling of Justice Okon Abang which cleared Mr Ibrahim as the PDP flagbearer.
However, Irohinoodua was reliably informed that the decision of the Appeal Court was a result of a weeklong negotiation between President Mohammadu Buhari and the governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko in the desperation by the Buhari led government to win Ondo State as a strategic landmark in the bid for the 2019 Presidential election.
Mimiko, who had received Buhari in Akure last Saturday as protocol demanded, before the APC mega rally met with President Buhari this week. Sources hinted our correspondent that Mimiko demanded for a soft landing after 8-years of being in power in Ondo State insisting that the Presidency should at least concede the right for his candidate to contest the Saturday election.
‘Dr Mimiko sought a way out of what looked like a kind of humiliation. He wanted to have his candidate on the ballot box. The Appeal Court ruling is nothing but a political decision being the fallout of Mimiko’s negotiation with the Presidency even without the knowledge of APC in the South West”, our usually reliable source said.
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