2023: Yoruba’s Presidential Chances Hinge On Outcome Of Ondo Election – Akeredolu |The Source

By Gideon Njoku

Ondo state Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, has linked the chances of the Yoruba to successfully take a shot at the 2023 Presidential election to the outcome of the Ondo Governorship election.

The Governor, who is the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, made this call while on a courtesy visit to a Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

A victory for APC will be a plus, he said, for the chances of the Yoruba to take a shot at the Presidency in 2023. He said the election is about the future of the Yoruba, not about him, Akeredolu.

It is not clear why the Governor made the pronounciation while on a visit to Tinubu, but it is strongly being speculated that Tinubu has an eye on becoming the President of Nigeria after Buhari. More states for the APC, especially,  in the South-west, his zone of origin, means better chances for him than otherwise.

Even though Tinubu is yet to make a public pronouncement on his ambition, his foot soldiers are already at work. Governor Akeredolu seem to have bought into it – either for Tinubu, or for another Yoruba would-be aspirant.

Said Akeredolu who went visited Tinubu with Traditional Rulers: “The October 10 election in Ondo state is not about Akeredolu, it is about the future of Ondo and the entire Yoruba nation because whatever  the outcome will determine our seriousness in the quest for the 2023 Presidency.”

Many  people think this must be why Tinubu is taking  the Ondo on-coming Governorship election seriously. Until now, most political watchers thought Tinubu had a frosty relationship with Akeredolu.

In Akeredolu’s unsuccessful first shot at the Governorship, Tinubu had backed him to the hilt. But during his second shot which, incidentally, was successful, Tinubu ditched him, and supported Segun Abrams. Akeredolu was supported by Minister for Works and former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, SAN,  and Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi.

This time around, Tinubu had cleverly said he was backing no  aspirant for the Primary, a

stand the Akeredolu camp celebrated, even though Abrams was, also, contesting. As soon Akeredolu won the Primary, one of the first people he reached out to was Abrams, who quickly collapsed his structures to the Governor’s.

Tinubu seems to have become Akeredolu’s campaigner-in-chief.

At the flag-off of the Governor’s campaign for a second term a couple of days ago, Tinubu was the star. He was given the special recognition of commissioning a project. He was there with Chief Akande, the first Interim National Chairman of the  APC.  Present, also, were many party chieftains, including eleven APC Governors. But it was only Tinubu that Akeredolu led traditional rulers to go and greet.

The projection is that Governor Akeredolu may, clearly, win the October 10 election.

How that would boost Tinubu’s speculated  Presidential chances in 2023 is another kettle of fish.  Time, will tell.