The All Progressives Congress (APC) has stated that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa will not be given an automatic ticket for the upcoming governorship election in Ondo State on November 16, 2024.
This was revealed by the APC national spokesman, Felix Morka, during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today program on Thursday.
Morka emphasized that the APC is a democratic party and that anyone who wants to be nominated must earn it.
When questioned if the APC will award Aiyedatiwa the right of first refusal ahead of the party’s primary for the November election, Morka stated, “We have not had that discussion, but we are a democratic party; we are a progress party; we don’t give anything to people; people have to justify and earn it.
“And it is not to us they have to justify their suitability, their qualification, or criteria; it is to the people of the state who are our members, who would participate in the direct or indirect primary.”
“Whatever preference anyone may have, it is all subject to the democratic decision of the party members who will participate in our primaries.
“We don’t give free gifts in APC; we contest and we compete, and we win whatever it is we can get in terms of representation,” he added.
Aiyedatiwa, who was previously the deputy governor of Ondo, became the official governor of the south-west state on December 27, 2023, following the unfortunate death of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu. Given the somber mood in the state caused by Akeredolu’s passing, it may be too early for Aiyedatiwa to express interest in the 2024 governorship election. However, ambition is a progressive thing.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has already scheduled the Ondo State Governorship Election for November 16, 2024, unless there are any last-minute changes. Aiyedatiwa, who will complete Akeredolu’s second term by February 2025, is constitutionally allowed to run for office and remain the governor for up to eight more years if the voters choose him.
Nevertheless, the question on the minds of keen observers analyzing the political situation in Ondo is: Will Aiyedatiwa decide to run for office or gracefully step down by February 2025? Can he win the support of the influential figures in Akeredolu’s camp and secure an electoral victory? Only time will provide the answers.
