By Allen Sowore, Esq.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Ondo State Governorship Primary Election, held on April 20, 2024, has concluded, but the profound impact of its outcome on the widow of the late governor, Mrs. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, may endure for quite some time. Chief Mrs. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, the Ada of Owere Kingdom, had envisioned transforming the state into a conduit beyond 2033, ensuring that one of her allies emerged victorious in the APC’s primary election. Unfortunately, her plans were thwarted. Since then, she has resorted to verbal attacks, uttering nonsensical and provocative statements that risk fueling hostility among the people.
While the election may not have been flawless, the irregularities were overshadowed by the widespread participation, and their impact on the overall success of the process was negligible.
No sooner had the Chairman of the Committee and Governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo, declared Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa as the winner of the APC Governorship Election than Mrs. Akeredolu took to the media, lamenting that her late husband’s adversaries had succeeded in disrespecting his memory. Who, exactly, are Aketi’s enemies?
It seems she may be experiencing memory lapses, as evidenced by her claim that elections had been relatively free and fair in the past seven years. In her own words: “It’s worth noting that throughout Aketi’s tenure, elections were relatively peaceful and fair. Despite tensions, they were engaging to participate in or observe. There was no thuggery—Aketi was known for not tolerating such behaviour—and voters cast their ballots in peace without interference.
Let me refresh your memory, Mommy Imo. In 2016, the APC Secretariat in Akure was turned into a mini shrine as contestants took their turns to drop fetish objects at the entrance of the Secretariat. Not only that, the then chairman, Honourable Isaac Kekemeke, was arbitrarily suspended.
It was not quite different in 2020. In fact, the controversy that arose during the primary election was the impetus for the opposition to challenge the legality of an incumbent governor as the chairman of the party. Yet the party managed through.
In the current instance, the party adopted the direct primary mode, and all the attendant rules and regulations were substantially complied with.
It’s evident that the widow of the late governor has squandered much of the respect and goodwill bestowed upon her by her late husband, through her unchecked remarks and seemingly domineering involvement in state politics.
Mrs. Betty is entitled to pursue her alternative strategy of rallying behind her preferred candidates and their supporters in the Labour Party (LP) for the November 16 Governorship Election, rather than resorting to this unpatriotic rhetoric, such as labeling Nigeria a “Zoo.”
Indeed, her recent references to Peter Obi and her use of the term “zoo” reveal her true intentions and allegiances. This behaviour contradicts the decorum expected of someone in her position.
While Mrs. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu retains the right to political association and choice, her status as the late governor’s wife obliges her to refrain from making inflammatory statements or taking actions that could disrupt the relative peace in the state. Members of the Oluwarotimi Akeredolu family must take decisive steps to rein in her unpredictable behaviour.
How can a woman who benefited from Nigeria as First Lady of Ondo State for seven years turn around to call the same country a “Zoo”?
Peoplesmind