By Shina Abubakar
As the struggle for the Successor of Governor Rauf Aregbesola thickens, it seems that the agitation to cede the ticket to Osun West Senatorial zone is becoming a factor to decide which party may likely win the state governorship election in the September 22 poll.
Investigation revealed that political parties in the state are waiting on one another to commit political blunder and strike where it hurts the most.
OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the PDP had already ceded its ticket to the zone but decided to keep its decision secret within the elders’ caucus to retain the interest of aspirants who are not from the zone as a strategy for political awareness in their respective zones.
However, some of the aspirants from outside the zone have either withdrawn from the race or decelerated political activities for the party’s ticket. For instance, the party’s aspirant from Ile-Ife, Dr. Albert Adeogun made a public statement announcing his withdrawal for a candidate from the west senatorial district.
Although, the party has not made any public statement regarding zoning of its ticket to the West Senatorial district, checks revealed that the leadership of the party had concluded to pick its flag bearer from the area and many of its aspirants have seen the hand writing on the wall.
However, the case with the APC is uncertain as the state Chairman has insisted that the party’s constitution is not in support of the request but pledged a level playing ground for all aspirants irrespective of their senatorial district of origin.
Findings revealed that the position of the APC chairman cannot be separated from clamour to allow every interested aspirants particularly from the central to participate in line with the party’s constitution.
The aspirants, from the district include Barrister Kunle Adegoke, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, Oluomo Sunday Akere, Hon. Lasun Yusuf, Hon. Yinka Ajayi, while Senator Babajide Omoworare, from Osun East Senatorial, has also thrown in his cap too.
Despite all of these, the elders’ caucus of the party was said to have reached a consensus that though the issue of zoning is not entrenched in the party’s constitution but the historical and gentleman agreement among the founding fathers of the state has allowed the arrangement to be acceptable in the state.
It was also gathered that the forum of APC Local Government Chairmen is divided over the zoning to the West Senatorial.
An independent survey by the medium revealed that the electorates across the state is also seeking fairness and equity in the distribution of political power across the three senatorial districts in the state and many respondents believed zoning the ticket to Osun-West would help any of the political party that want to win their votes in the September 22 election.
It was gathered that the APC, due to the performance of the incumbent Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s administration, has edge over the PDP but what is likely to become the former’s albatross is its choice of candidate, a decision its rivals are waiting to capitalize on.
Recent events in the state is also suggesting that the APC may likely call all its aspirants to a roundtable and let them see reason on the need to reach compromise before the date of its primary election.
