By Ayodele Fagbohun

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In a unanimous judgment, the Ondo State three-man Electoral Petition Tribunal recently affirmed the victory of Governor, Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, in the last governorship polls in the state.
What is exhilarating, it explicitly gave a clean bill of health to the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election which nominated the incumbent governor, as the party standard bearer for second term slot.
Thus, the outcome of the petition rendered the legal abracadabra of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and its candidates, Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, nugatory. And the attendant anxiety hovered like sword of Damocles on the good and peace loving people of Ondo State is laid to rest at least for now.
Whilst describing the petition as flawed right from the onset, the two- hour ruling struck out PDP’s petition, without any cost for lack of jurisdiction.
This statement among other pronouncements from the hallowed temple of justice in the landmark ruling, is enough food for thought for the opposition, the People’s Democratic Party to return to the drawing board; overhaul its house from the leakage of party indiscipline, petty squabble, imbroglio and avuncular strife bedeviling the party across the South West in particular.
When a political party runs itself aground, derelict and is totally deficient of organization skills to manage its internal affairs, such will automatically become a bundle of disappointment, electoral liability and casuality when seeking the people’s mandate to govern.
This was and still is the pathetic and dismal lot of the PDP seeking political sovereignty to govern the articulate and enlightened people of Ondo State.
On the contrary, it was not hard to discern the concerted and combined efforts of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The team work and relative discipline amongst the contending aspirants in subsuming their individual aspiration for the greatest interest of APC translated into the endorsement of the sole candidature of the illustrious Aketi.
This singular fact bolstered the popularity of APC as united and formidable political front, well prepare for and disposed to purposeful governance.
On this context, having gallantly lost the election proper overwhelmingly, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) went on the defensive. Out of sheer political indolence, PDP resorted to legal rascality compared to the infamous defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN) 2/3 machination in the ill-fated 1979 presidential polls which eventually rocked the Second Republic.
PDP like its forbear NPN saw a lacuna in the rival APC which was beyond its own domain in a futile attempt to reap where it did not sow. It is sheer political indolence and malady for any political party, the People’s Democratic Party which held sway for 16 years ruling this country to think in fool hardiness of winning in the election tribunal what it has lost amongst the electorate in the open field.
With the ruling of the tribunal and in all sincerity, we believe that the coast is now clear and reason will prevail to allow PDP to sheathe its sword and let peace reign for the elected governor, Arakunrin Akeredolu to continue his laudable projects for the people of the state.
These socio-economic projects and programmes will certainly turn around the ill-fortunes of the state without any distractions and in frittering away the scarce funds accruing to the state self serving litigations not beneficial to the progress of the people.
For the PDP, he who runs from a battle can still fight another battle and win the war in the ultimate. For one thing, PDP is not on ground in Ondo State irrespective of the political venality that holds sway and the appreciable scanty in roads PDP exacted on the state in the previous elections.
Ondo State remains the flagship and bastion of progressive politics from time immemorial. Thanks for the unflagging, unflinching and ever resourceful attributes of the doyen of Ondo/Ekiti politics, Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin whose stern consistent and innate political initiative gave fillip to egalitarian society in the rigorous pursuit of the greatest welfare of the people.
Not minding the asses that bray in the camp of the opposition, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu should not be distracted. Rather Aketi must hit the ground running to intensify and consolidate on provision of good governance.
Government should only embark on austerity measure on overheads, and reduce number of those commissioned to serve in the administration, to avoid duplication and multiplicity of functions and personnel involved. This will bring sanity to the public finance commitment and dedication without necessarily putting any public officer under surveillance. And without doing irreparable damage and neglect to the critical aspects of administration.
Government as a matter of urgency should source funds to service his programmes on free education, health; mechanized agriculture to secure adequate food production and regular maintenance of our malfunctioning silos for storage.
Essentially, government should prioritize the welfare of the work force, regular payment of workers’s salaries, pension and gratuities without haphazardly will definitely enhance dignity of labour and register Aketi populist administration on the hearts of the workers, and pensioners at the evening of life.
To relegate the welfare and wellbeing of workers and pensioners to the background is to defeat the purpose of government. For it is an article of faith that government must provide for the welfare and security of the people.
The work force as an integral part of the people and the engine room to plan and execute the programmes and policies of any responsible government. The workers should be cultivated and their genuine needs and aspirations be met to avert needless industrial dispute that may stall the smooth running of the administration.
Kudos for the iniatiative and ingenuity on the birth and herculean task of Amotekun, South West security network to tackle and complement the overstretched and unarmed police and other private security outfits to fight the intractable security breaches, banditry and other hideous crimes that turn the country into a Banana republic.
Whoever taunts or under Estimate the political valour of Aketi will surely stir hornets’ nest and does so at his own risk. Where lies the much vaunted strength of the People’s Democratic Party in its 16 years of gargantuan misrule in a suicidal and vindictive policies too obliterate the rich and undying legacy of free education and egalitarianism started by Awo/Ajasin.
Ride on Aketi! I humbly wish you more successful outings in the growth, development and progress of Ondo State. You dare not fail!!