Francis Oronsaye

By Francis Oronsaye

A lot of analysis has been carried out on the emergence of Jimoh Ibrahim as the candidate of the PDP in Ondo state. While some have hauled insults at the APC/President Buhari, some have hauled insults on the judiciary and Justice Abang.

Sometime back Senator Ali Modu Sheriff (SAS) was on his own, eating dabino and drinking kindirimo when some PDP governors (Wike, Fayose and some others) went to get him to come and be the jagoran PDP at the national level. In their seemingly smartness, they had intended that SAS would hold sway for a short period of time, pending which they would probably get their own man on board, meanwhile they needed his money. In the words of Abraham Lincoln in his book, “Stories from an African Village”, “To give monkey water with cup no bi wahala. Na to collect the cup wahala dey”(2015).

Seeing that Alanguro was not ready to play ball, they played a fast one on him by dissolving his exco and appointed caretaker committee in their stead pending the next convention as the court had barred them from holding a convention in Port Harcourt. There, the shenanigans started. It has become a game of boju boju between Makarfi (Strong man) and SAS as both have tried to manipulate the judicial system in their favour.

In the case of Edo state, the Makarfi faction produced Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as their candidate while the SAS version produced Matthew Iduroyikemwen as their candidate. INEC published the name of POI as the candidate for the PDP. POI was smart and vigilant while Iroko and Jegede have taken a lot of things for granted.

Now, the difference between the Ondo and the Edo scenarios is this. Mimiko , wanting to act like a smart Alec, dissolved the EXCO of the PDP in Ondo and got a caretaker committee in place. The committee, obviously acting the script of the Gomina, produced Eyitayo Jegede as candidate. If you have followed Jimoh Ibrahim for a while, you will know he is a “kura”(smart and cunning fellow). He simply got the elected exco to hold primaries and he emerged their candidate.

The case before Justice Abang was whether the caretaker committee was known to law and the court, considering the clear provision of the PDP Constitution (the “kpim” of the party) answered the issue in the negative. In essence, the only recognized exco was the one that produce Jimoh Ibrahim and not the caretaker that produce Jegede. And since you cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stand (Lord Denning, 1962), it therefore means all the actions of that caretaker committee (including the primaries) are in ‘a banza”.

This is where Jimoh Ibrahim was very smart. His timing was on target. The Electoral Act 2010 requires INEC to publish the names of all candidates at least, thirty days before the date of election. Elections in Ondo hold on the 26th of November, 2016. In essence, latest by the 26th of October, INEC ought to publish the name of the candidates of the various parties. As at the date of the deadline, the decision of the Federal High Court, per Justice Abang, states that the exco that produced Jegede as well as the primaries so constituted by them are “banza”. INEC must obey that decision. They do not even have powers to appeal at all (the Supreme Court has blasted them in this regard).

Jegede has sought leave to appeal and stay but the court said, Jimoh we know, Sheriff we know but we do not know Eyitayo Jegede.

Whatever is happening to the PDP now, they brought it upon themselves. If they had steered clear of SAS, this won’t be happening. It remind of the Bini proverb of the bird that turned its arse towards the sky saying it wanted to excrete on the sky.

I don’t know how the court of appeal can hear and determine the appeal before the election. If they do not do so before 26th of November, 2016, OYO for Jegede. The principle in Amaechi’s case no longer applies. If he does not take part in the elections, a declaration of him being governor is a non-issue. All these postulations and permutations na unto say PDP get enough blockus take win elections o.

Besides, there is serious discontent against Iroko concerning how he has being ruling the state and also the fact that he and Jegede are from the same Senatorial Zone, thus effectively violating an unwritten rotational agreement.

As for Jimoh Ibrahim, I do not know if the people of Ondo would want him as their governor anyway.

In the whole mess, I think Aketi would be the greatest beneficiary of the entire brouhaha as there would be swing votes in his favour from folks who would not want Jimoh Ibrahim as their governor (I do not want to say anything about how he has managed organisations he purchased.(I still have some connections to Ondo state)

But, any whish way (Leon Trotsky, 2006) a lawyer MUST emerge as the gomina of the Sunshine state and occupy Alagbaka for the next four years