In lower than two weeks, voters in Ondo State will file out to elect a brand new governor among the many 17 candidates jostling for the Alagbaka Governor’s Workplace. Among the many candidates, solely 4 are seen as observers as severe contenders whereas the remaining as pretenders. BABATOPE OKEOWO reviews the slogan warfare among the many prime contenders.
Forward of the November 16 governorship election within the Sunshine State, the highest contenders have launched into what might be deemed ‘a slogan warfare’ because the gladiators transfer to outwit each other with taunts and sloganeering aimed their opponents.
Other than the deployment of slogans by their respective political events; the candidates have additionally adopted catchy phrases to drive their messages to the citizens.
Among the many 17 candidates listed within the Unbiased Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC) portal as potential governor of the state, solely 4 together with the incumbent, Hon Fortunate Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Individuals’s Democratic Party (PDP), Hon Agboola Alfred Ajayi, the Labour Party (LP), Chief Sola Ebiseeni and that of New Nigeria Individuals’s Party (NNPP), Hon Olugbenga Edema might be seen as severe contenders.
The Slogan Conflict
The varied political events coined totally different slogans to wow and woo the citizens to their facet because the election steadily drew close to. For the ruling APC, the slogan is ‘Change’ or ‘Renewed Hope’ whereas the principle opposition occasion; the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has ‘Energy to the Individuals’ as its slogan.
The Labour Party (LP) has adopted the ‘Ahead Ever, Backward By no means’ slogan whereas the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP’s) slogan is ‘Training For All’ can also be renting the air and is alleged to be resonating with the citizens like these of others.
The candidates
Aiyedatiwa of the APC
Governor Fortunate Aiyedatiwa and the candidate of APC adopted the usage of Odatiwa, Odirorun, a corrupted type of his identify because the slogan for the election. In marketing campaign rallies, once they shout APC, the reply is Odatiwa, Odirorun.
The marketing campaign supplies together with cap and T-shirt additionally carry the candidate’s slogan. Governor Aiyedatiwa is a person of circumstance as a result of he succeeded his boss, former Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, who died of prostate most cancers on December 27, 2023.
To start with, Governor Akeredolu introduced in Aiyedatiwa to switch his foremost challenger within the PDP, Hon. Agboola Ajayi who was at the moment the deputy governor of the state, saying at each occasion that he’s his anointed successor however the relationship took a flip for the more severe when Akeredolu who was fondly referred to as Aketi took ailing earlier than he finally died.
To the credit score of Aiyedatiwa, who’s the main candidate and the incumbent has served in numerous capacities earlier than changing into the deputy by his late boss for the reason that starting of the current democratic dispensation.
At numerous occasions, he had been a Home of Consultant candidate for Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency; Commissioner of Niger Delta Fee (NDDC) earlier than fortune smiled on him and have become the Deputy Governor to late Akeredolu and now the governor of the Sunshine State.
Agboola Ajayi of the PDP
As an alternative of the ‘Energy to the Individuals’ slogan identified with the PDP, what many residents and supporters of the PDP’s candidate are used to are ‘Pagboyimika’, ‘Agbofessy,’ and ‘Agbo Irorun’.
The slogans of the candidate have been taken from his identify and that of his operating mate; Hon Festus Olanrewaju Akingbaso popularly referred to as Fessywest. In a lot of the rallies, the slogans belonging to the candidate and his deputy had overtaken that of the occasion.
Agboola was dropped at life by the well-known Ajayi household within the socio-politically acutely aware city of Kiribo in Ese-Odo Native Authorities Space of Ondo State. He had his Main and Secondary Training in Kiribo and Bolorunduro communities of Ese-Odo Native Authorities Space simply as he had his tutorial basis rooted in these communities earlier than pursuing College Training.
Ajayi’s political trajectory included his appointment as supervisor for agriculture and supervisor for works for Ese-Odo Native Authorities between 1999 and 2003. He was later appointed the caretaker Chairman of the identical native authorities between 2003 and 2004.
He was later democratically elected Chairman of Ese-Odo Native Authorities between 2004 and 2007 and was made the treasurer of Affiliation of Native Authorities of Nigeria (ALGON), Ondo State chapter between 2004 and 2007.
The climax of Agboola’s political journey got here in 2007 when he was elected to the Federal Home of Representatives to signify Ilaje / Ese-Odo Federal Constituency.
On the Nationwide Meeting, he served because the Chairman of the Home committee on NDDC between 2007 and 2010. He was additionally a member of assorted committees, which included the Home committee on Gasoline, Home committee on Habitat, Home committee on Justice and Home committee on Business between 2007 and 2001
In all these lofty positions, he excelled and used these places of work to the touch the lives of his individuals. He grew to become the deputy governor of Ondo State between February 2017 to February 2020.
Olugbenga Edema of the NNPP
The slogan of NNPP, ‘Training for All’ has been jettisoned for ‘Igbega Ipinle Ondo’ and ‘Edemayemi’ within the buildup to the November 16 governorship election.
To enhance the thought of sloganeering, the Deputy Governorship candidate of the occasion, Dr. Rotimi Adeyemi has his surname shortened to Yemi. The catchy phrase for the marketing campaign fashionable among the many supporters is ‘Edemayemi’ in Ipinle Ondo.
Born within the rustic village of Ogogoro in Ilaje Native Authorities Space of Ondo State on fifteenth November, 1966, Edema had his early main training on the L. A. Main School, Ogogoro and City Neighborhood School, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.
For his secondary training, he attended Erinje Grammar School, Ode-Erinje, Ondo State between 1977 and 1978 and Doherty Memorial Grammar School, Ijero-Ekiti, Ekiti State between 1978 & 1982.
The younger Gbenga then proceeded to the well-known Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, the place he bagged a Bachelor’s diploma in Geography in 1990 and served within the Nationwide Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme at Gbogan/Ode-Omu Anglican Grammar School, Gbogan, Osun State.
He later proceeded to the celebrated University of Ibadan, for his diploma in Legislation which he accomplished in 1999. He was referred to as to the Nigerian Bar on the third of July, 2001.
Olugbenga Edema is a member of {many professional} Organisations together with the Nigerian Bar Affiliation (NBA) and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. Previous to his appointment because the Chairman of Ondo State Oil Producing Space Improvement Fee (OSOPADEC).
He was the principal associate, Olugbenga Edema & Co, a agency of authorized practitioners doing enterprise in Akure, the state capital. He had his early stint with politics in 1998 as a member of the Peoples Solidarity Party, one of many many political associations aspiring for registration beneath the Basic Ibrahim Babangida transitional programme.
He moved to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), one of many two political events that have been finally created by the Babangida administration the place he held plenty of vital positions together with delegate to its Nationwide Conference earlier than the abolition of the 2 events by Basic Sanni Abacha in 1993.
With the return to democratic rule in 1999, he joined the PDP whereby he contributed immensely to its success within the 2003 elections. Subsequently, he served as a member of the Ondo State Sports activities Council (2005–2007) and the Ondo State Scholarships Board.
He joined the Labour Party (LP) on 24 Might 2010 in Igbokoda, Ondo State and was elected as member representing Ilaje constituency II on the State Home of Meeting in 2011.
He later joined the All Progressives Congress, APC, on the twenty third of October, 2014 and he re-contested however misplaced re-election in 2015. Till April, 2021, he was the Board Chairman of the Ondo State Oil Producing Space Improvement Fee, OSOPADEC and later member of NDDC Board representing Ondo State.
Sola Ebiseeni of Labour Party
The LP candidate is among the veteran politicians within the state. He has additionally chosen one other veteran, Dayo Awude as his operating mate. As an alternative of ‘Ahead Ever, Backward Ever’ slogan of the occasion, he has adopted ‘Ebiseeni De, Tiwa Dayo l’Ondo’ as the brand new slogan for the marketing campaign actions.
Since he launched the marketing campaign of the occasion just a few months in the past, Ebisemi has been making waves together with his new mantra.
A authorized practitioner, he studied Legislation at Obafemi Awolowo University graduating in 1985 and has since been working towards within the Chambers of the then President of the Nigerian Bar Affiliation, the late Chief Alao Aka-Basorun.
Aka-Bashorun was one of many main lights within the Nigerian civil society in the identical pedestal of greats such because the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti, Chief Fredrick Faseun, Baba Omojola, and Femi Falana.
He began his political profession as chairman of the previous Ilaje/Ese-Odo Native Authorities. He was barely 30 years when he assumed this management function. Because the native authorities chairman, he was the Coordinator of MKO Abiola 1993 presidential campaigns and when the election was annulled and different democratic constructions dissolved in November 1993 ending his tenure, he joined the Nationwide Democratic Coalition (NADECO) battle for the re- validation of the mandate.
On the resumption of democratic rule since 1999, different political actions and positions held embrace Director, Oluwa Glass Firm Restricted; Deputy Governorship Candidate Democratic Party Alliance, Chairman Ondo State Legislation Fee, three-times Commissioner for Setting and Mineral Assets; Federal Authorities Delegate 2014 Nationwide Convention. Ebiseni is the Secretary Basic of Afenifere, apex Yoruba Socio-political Group; Labour Party South West Coordinator and member Authorized Crew 2023 Presidential Election.
With just a few days to the scheduled ballot, these gladiators have intensified their push and one of many instruments which have been deployed is sloganeering however how that might flip the tide of their respective favour stays to be seen.
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