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In all truthfulness and fairness, Chief Alexander Olusola Oke has paid his due in the political landscape of Ondo state, a committed, loyal and grassroots politician, having tried several times to govern the state without success, cross-carpeted from PDP to APC when Goodluck Jonathan lost as president of Nigeria in 2015, had a short stay in AD in 2016, found his way back to APC, he was the choice of Unity forum against Aketi in 2019. 

He has been playing submissive politics to Aketi despite the draconian nature of Arakunrin in the sunshine state regarding party decisions, his contribution to the success of APC in the last elections can't be overemphasised. Will all these work for Oke? Will he be a lucky man this time? Will he finally win in the last attempt like President Buhari? Ondo state 2024 will answer this puzzle for political watchers*

Independent national electoral commission (INEC) will be conducting the next governorship election in 2024, though Arakunrin will still be in charge of the state for almost 2 years from now, the campaign for Aketi's replacement has started because the politicians and citizens of the sunshine state are bored by Aketi's ineptitude, lack of compensation for committed party members, high handedness in governance, privatisation of state's affairs, and undue influence of his family members in the state. As a means of coping and survival, APC members have resulted in finding succour with the federal and state legislative members, thereby putting more financial burdens on them. This may explain why the state indigenes are very conscious of whom succeeds the current administration in the state. Many aspirants are showing interest to be the landlord of the Alagbaka government house come 2025. 

Tactically, the race is solely for people of the southern senatorial district i.e the indigenes of these six local governments, Okitiputa, Odigbo, Irele, Ese-Odo, Ilaje and Ile-Oluji-Okeigbo. These people may slug it out for the next governorship while the people of Ondo central will produce the deputy governor. For knowledge's sake Akure south and north, Ondo East and West, and Idanre and Ifedore are the six local governments, and one of them may produce the next deputy governor for sunshine people. There are a lot of factors that will determine who governs the state after the expiration of Aketi's tenure. Currently, Okitiputa local government has produced the senator-elect, Bar. Jimoh Ibrahim and the late Dr Olusegun Agagu were from Iju-Odo in the same local government, so it may be difficult for another governorship to emerge from these areas, mostly in APC which is the party of the major political heavyweights in Ikaleland.

However, people like Eng. Ife Oyedele, Princess Oladunni Odu, and Bar. Jimoh Ibrahim may try their luck, though, the two males of the aforementioned individuals haven't shown their willingness to contest, except the female, whose supporters have flooded social media with the title of woman 'O' clock. Another person who may slug it out from that area is princess Jumoke Akindele in PDP, a blood relation of princess Oladunni Odu, both with records of the first female speaker of the Ondo state house of assembly and the first female secretary to the Ondo state government respectively. Also, Bar Morayo Lebi from Irele with his kinsman, Prince Jimi Odimayo, the house representatives member-elect for Okitiputa and Irele federal constituency, are likely to contest for the APC ticket in 2024. In Eseodo, people who may show interest include Bar. Isaac Kekemeke and Bar. Olusola Iji in APC, while H.E. Agboola Ajayi(erstwhile deputy governor to Aketi ) may come out in PDP despite the recent defeat to APC candidate, Bar. Jimoh Ibrahim in the last senatorial contest, just like the cat with nine lives, this great politician popularly called Agbo doesn't give in to failure easily.

In the same way, Ile-Oluji-Okeigbo local government has the current commissioner for finance, Mr Wale Akinterinwa, from Ile-Oluji to be precise, believed to have enjoyed the blessings of Aketi in the race, as it's been presently rumoured by APC members, which is a negative for him, the former commissioner for education during Dr Mimiko's administration, Dr Pius Osunyikanmi and the Lagos based billionaire, Mr Akinrinsola Odunayo a.k.a Kabonti. By the current permutation, Odigbo local government has no contender in APC, nevertheless, Rt. Hon. Ogundeji Iroju and the veteran commissioner who recently resigned from Aketi's cabinet and joined PDP, Mrs Yetunde Adeyanju should be watched out for. In Ilaje local government, the incumbent deputy governor, though featherweight politician, H.E. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Hon. Gbenga Edema (current member of NDDC ) and Chief Olusola Oke SAN are the strong individuals here to hustle for the number one seat in the sunshine state.

The major factor that will determine the next governor in the sunshine state is God through destiny and the interest of our president-elect, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu. After the swearing-in on May 29, this year, he is no longer Sen Ahmed Tinubu, the APC leader, but rather Sen. Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, the commander of armed forces, whose interest must be first sought before a significant party decision would be taken and his interest his final, otherwise, you will have all the military and paramilitary apparatuses at his disposal to contend with, including EFCC and ICPC. In nutshell, Gov. Akeredolu Oluwarotimi SAN has rough days ahead on the choice of who succeeds him, his interest here may be insignificant, considering his antecedents against Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu in the past and the array of friends of Asiwaju in the state who are political opponents of my Arakunrin within APC, I promise to write elaborately on the this in one of my future articles.

This Ilaje-born political Igodomigodo, Chief Alexander Olusola Oke SAN, has been contesting sincere 2012, enjoyed the support of late Dr Olusegun Agagu in PDP, came second to Dr Mimiko's second term aspiration while Mr Akeredolu Oluwarotimi SAN, the current governor of the state came third, despite the support from Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, under the platform of ACN. In 2016, he participated in the governorship primary of APC and came third after Aketi and Mr Segun Abraham who were first and second in the contest respectively. Arakunrin was alleged to have been favoured by political shenanigans by the cabals from Aso-rock and arrowheaded by Dr Kayode Fayemi, then minister for mines and natural resources, Chief Oke was said to have enjoyed the blessings of Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu who was encouraged by his performance in the primary and widespread acceptability across the state, he decamped to AD to challenge Aketi in the tension-filled general election for Ondo state governorship of 2016.

Following the unceremonious outing in the election which was blamed on the rescinding of his decision to provide logistics support for Chief Oke by Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, due to political pressure from president Muhamadu Buhari, he returned to APC and coordinated Buhari-Osinbajo 2019 in the entire southwest, did well in the assignment, delivered most the states except few ones like Ondo state, due to anti-party orchestrated by Aketi and his stooge, Mr Ade Adetimehin (APC state chairman). He also worked with other leaders like Sen. Ajayi Boroffice, and Sen. Tayo Alasoadura, Bar. Jimoh Ibrahim and others to form Tinubu Independent Action Movement (T.I.A.M) for the last presidential election. Putting into consideration, the challenges ahead, failures of the past and resilience of Chief Olusola Oke, another opportunity is on the ground already to fight another political battle for his destiny.

In all truthfulness and fairness, Chief Alexander Olusola Oke has paid his due in the political landscape of Ondo state, a committed, loyal and grassroots politician, having tried several times to govern the state without success, cross carpeted from PDP to APC when Dr Goodluck Jonathan lost as president of Nigeria in 2015, had a short stay in AD in 2016, found his way back to APC, he was the choice of Unity forum against Aketi in 2019. He has been playing submissive politics to Aketi despite the draconian nature of Arakunrin in the sunshine state regarding party decisions, his contribution to the success of the party in the last elections can't be overemphasised. Will all these work for Oke? Will he be a lucky man this time? Will finally win in the last attempt like President Buhari? Ondo 2024 will answer this puzzle for political watchers. 

Peoplesmind