With the 2027 general elections about two years away, the political atmosphere in Ondo State is already charged, with political gladiators in the state already setting their sights on the next governorship election in the state.
The political development has ignited a cold war between Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and the Minister of Interior, Bunmi Tunji-Ojo, with the permutations already pervading the ranks of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
The battle of wits between them is not unconnected with the governorship seat, as Tunji-Ojo is said to be interested in governing the state. Curiously, the incumbent, Aiyedatiwa, was sworn in just about two months ago for a fresh term after completing the stillbirth tenure of the former governor, late Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.
This development is coming on the heels of a concern raised by a socio-political group, Ilaje Ugbo Intellectual Youths Alliance, that the governor was poised to impose a House of Representatives candidate from his hometown in Ugbo Ward 4 on the Ugbo Kingdom, even when it was glaring that it was the turn of Ugbo 2, 5 or 6 to produce the Reps candidate in 2027.
While he has not publicly declared that he was gunning for the governorship of the state, the interior minister is said to have a firm grip on the party’s followership across the three senatorial districts.
This is just as the governor is said to be nursing the idea of running for another term after the expiration of the current term in 2029. Already, pseudo-campaign bodies have been organised across the state, with some dominating social media.
The battle of supremacy reportedly manifested last week when Aiyedatiwa was said to have snubbed Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire (Ondo Central) and the Ondo State representative on the governing board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Otito Atikase while recognising dignitaries during the visit of the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Oluremi Tinubu.
A top government source present at the event disclosed that “When Ayedatiwa was introduced to the podium, he deliberately omitted certain personalities from the protocol list; he failed to acknowledge Adegbonmire, representing Ondo Central Senatorial District, and Otito Atikase, the representative of Ondo State on the board of NDDC.
“In the hall, Abegunde (Abena), Executive Director of Corporate Services in NDDC, Otito Atikase, and Adegbonmire were seated together on the far left.
“Surprisingly, the governor only introduced Abegunde and ignored both Adegbonmire and Atikase, who represent Ondo State on the board of (NDDC).”
