Akure at Crossroads: Will 2025 finally deliver a Governor? By Prince Dr Wumi Akintide
Akure at Crossroads: Will 2025 finally deliver a Governor? By Prince Dr Wumi Akintide
Akure’s long-cherished hope and determined aspiration to produce its first civilian governor since the creation of Ondo State in 1976 may once again remain an elusive dream. This is largely due to our unwillingness to learn from recent developments at the national level.
At the federal level, we have seen the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) mutate in less than three months into the ADA and now into the ADC, a party already registered and commandeered by the PDP’s founding fathers in desperation.
Their fear is that INEC, under the influence of President Tinubu, may frustrate or delay the registration of a new party, just as the PDP did to opposition parties during its 30-year grip on power. Ironically, the same manipulation they once wielded is now working against them.
The PDP, still dominated by the northern political elite, is desperate to reclaim power. Having been shut out for over a decade, they are now attempting to cut short the South’s turn in power by insisting that President Tinubu whose tenure should constitutionally last eight years, serve only four.
This strategy is rooted in a deep-seated belief that Nigeria belongs to the North, and power must return there by any means, regardless of the South’s interests.
Unfortunately, some southern politicians have been blind to this plot and are unwittingly aiding it. They fail to see the trap being set.
The traditional northern political solidarity, once embodied by the Sardauna of Sokoto, Ahmadu Bello, began to unravel with the creation of the Mid-West region in 1962, followed by the 12-state structure in 1967 aimed at weakening Biafra.
The increase to 19, and eventually 36 states (excluding the Federal Capital Territory), has altered Nigeria’s political landscape significantly. Today, the influence once held by the core North over places like Borno, Benue/Plateau, and even Yoruba-speaking areas of old Kwara can no longer be taken for granted.
Military rulers like IBB and Sani Abacha sought to preserve northern dominance by carving out multiple states from Kano and Borno, giving the North 19 states compared to the South’s 17. They further entrenched this imbalance through the creation of 774 local governments most of which are in the North to maintain political and fiscal dominance.
At a time, some northern power brokers openly declared that the PDP and by extension, the North would rule Nigeria for 100 years.
But that myth was shattered by Tinubu, a southerner who successfully engineered the APC’s rise to power through the merger of Buhari’s CPC and Tinubu’s ACN. Tinubu, while protecting southern interests, has also remained the North’s most trusted ally by advocating fairness and balance in national politics.
His “Emi lo kan” declaration wasn’t just political bravado, it was a calculated challenge to northern hegemony, and he won.
The current PDP plot, led by Atiku Abubakar, to unseat the only southern president who dared to defy northern dominance is built on a flawed foundation and is bound to fail.
This is where Akure must take heed.
If Akure truly desires to produce a civilian governor after Governor Aiyedatiwa, it must learn from the PDP’s missteps. Eyitayo Jegede’s decision to follow Atiku from PDP to ADA and now to ADC could prove fatal. The current ADC lacks the strength to unseat the APC in Ondo State at this time.
Akure must begin to confront hard truths that many are reluctant to accept.
As one of the three senatorial districts in Ondo State; Ondo Central, which comprises Akure (the state capital), Ondo, Idanre, and Ifedore LGAs Akure has remained the only major city yet to produce a civilian governor.
By contrast, Ondo North has produced two in Papa Adekunle Ajasin and Rotimi Akeredolu, while Ondo South has had Olusegun Agagu and the current Governor, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa. Ondo Central’s lone representative was Olusegun Mimiko from Ondo town.
The time for Akure is now.
We had pinned our hopes on Eyitayo Jegede, who has contested twice. But his choice of party may once again hinder his chances. Running for a third time under the wrong banner could lead to another disappointment.
Akure must be strategic about the quality of candidates it presents, not only for governorship but for all other major positions, including senatorial seats. A failure to do so could further marginalize us politically.
We cannot afford to keep endorsing candidates who may end up as back benchers in Abuja due to lack of requisite experience, capacity, and public appeal. We need credible, well-qualified leaders like the late Hon. Omolafe and respected legal luminary Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), among others.
These are individuals with the potential to secure re-election and build influence in the National Assembly.
Personally, I contributed my modest support to Eyitayo Jegede in the past, not because I was asked, but because I believed in his vision. I would do the same for any candidate who earns my trust, regardless of affiliations.
We must now embrace the principle of electing competent, tested, and visionary leaders, not those who merely have deep pockets.
Leadership demands more than money, it requires integrity, empathy, forgiveness, and a genuine desire to serve.
Let us no longer fall for flashy but empty candidates who throw money around like Ejigbadero or political thugs who end up embarrassing us in office. We must reject this trend, not excuse it.
The future of Akure depends on it.
Dr. Wumi Akintide
