Jubril Bada

The January 18, 2025, local government elections in Ondo State are expected to be a critical moment for grassroots governance and political consolidation across the 18 local government areas and 203 wards.

The intrigue surrounding the elections is building as it promises to be a significant political event following the recently concluded governorship election.

As the ruling party in the state, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is leveraging on its incumbency and Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s achievements. The entire state as the party’s stronghold, which cannot be overemphasized, confers a great advantage over the opposition due to significant development projects and political loyalty.

Efforts are ongoing to consolidate grassroots support, particularly after its landslide victory in the November 16, 2024 governorship election.

The APC concluded its primaries last week ahead of the local government elections, electing candidates for all chairmanship and councilorship positions across the state’s 18 local government areas and 203 wards. It was widely regarded as peaceful and in compliance with electoral guidelines.

With this development, the APC candidates are now set to compete against opposition parties in the forthcoming local government polls. The successful conduct of the primaries reflects the party’s preparedness for the elections.

With APC’s dominance with  its strong performance of winning all the 18 local governments in the governorship election under Governor Aiyedatiwa, the party is expected to leverage this momentum to consolidate power at the grassroots.

But the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other parties like the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Labour Party (LP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) will likely aim to regain relevance by targeting local governments where APC may be less entrenched.

The PDP remains a formidable opposition force, although it faced setbacks in the governorship election as it lost in all the 18 councils. The party is seeking to regain relevance by targeting disaffected voters and leveraging its networks in strongholds like Idanre, Ese-Odo, and parts of Akure South.

It has been focusing on internal reconciliation to ensure unity.

Although the party adopted the indirect mode of primaries to select most of its candidates; it also used consensus to choose some candidates, not all the chairmanship and councillorship seats it contested for.

Out of the 18 local government and 203 councilorship seats available to be contested in the polls, the PDP successfully selected 15 chairmanship and 131 councilorship candidates, respectively.

The chances of the PDP winning many seats in the forthcoming elections are low, given its poor performance across all the councils in the recent governorship election, especially when compared to the ruling APC’s vote scores in the state.

The ZLP, under the leadership of key grassroots figures, is aiming to play the role of a kingmaker in some localities.

However, its refusal to align with larger parties ahead of the governorship election suggests a desire for independent relevance.

In the forthcoming council polls, the ZLP is fielding only three local government candidates in Ondo East, Ondo West and Owo local governments and 10 councilorship candidates.

The LP, with its fifth position in the recent governorship election; buoyed by growing youth and middle-class support, is working to expand its influence beyond urban areas.

The party’s leadership has emphasized the importance of transparency and integrity in the electoral process.

The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) is experiencing low participation in the upcoming election, as only one candidate has shown interest in contesting the position of chairman on the party’s platform. This lack of interest is attributed to the cost of obtaining the expression of interest and nomination forms, set at ₦30,000 for the chairmanship and ₦15,000 for the councilorship positions.

The financial burden of these fees likely discourages potential aspirants, particularly at the grassroots level, where resources are often limited. Such high costs can restrict political participation, undermine inclusivity, and affect the party’s ability to present a diverse pool of candidates, ultimately limiting its competitiveness in the elections.

The Young Progressives Party (YPP) as one of the parties that obtained forms to participate in the elections has one chairmanship and about 50 councilorship candidates who are yet to submit their forms.

Action Peoples Party (APP) has plan to field about 10 chairmanship and 18 councilorship candidates.

Other parties which obtained expression of interest and nomination forms to participate in the election and yet to complete the process include All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Booth Party, Social Democratic Party (SDP) , Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), and Allied Peoples Movement (APM).

With the readiness of the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) handle the election, it promises to be a free, fair, and credible election. Measures such as sensitization workshop for political parties  and key election stakeholders, training of stakeholders on the imperative to comply with electoral laws, and advocacy , enlightenment and voters education series are being prioritized.

The commission is also collaborating with political parties to ensure all stakeholders have confidence in the process.

Nigeria Police Force, and other security agencies are expected to collaborate in providing adequate security during the elections, especially in areas prone to violence and disputes.

Traditional rulers and community leaders are playing a pivotal role in encouraging peaceful participation and discouraging electoral malpractices. They are also mediating conflicts  within their domains.

Parties are tasked with ensuring that candidates emerge through credible and inclusive primaries to reduce internal crises.

Many are emphasizing voter mobilization through grassroots campaigns.

The election will be a litmus test for political parties to demonstrate their grassroots strength and acceptability as well as for stakeholders to showcase their commitment to democratic principles.

The APC’s dominance is likely to be challenged in several areas, but its incumbency advantage remains significant. Much will depend on how well ODIEC, political actors, and security agencies manage the electoral process to foster credibility and trust among the electorate.