Ondo Election: Why PDP lost, achieved lowest performance since 1999
In Ondo State’s governorship election over the weekend, the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, or PDP, received only 117,845 votes. This marks the party’s poorest performance in the state since 1999.
In the past six governorship elections in Ondo, the PDP received 195,682 votes (1999), 655,968 (2003), 349,258 (2007), 155,961 (2012), 150,380 (2016), and 195,791 (2020).However, Hon Ajayi Agboola, its candidate, received 117,845 votes, which were higher than the 69,127 votes he received in 2020 while competing on the Labour Party, LP platform.The 2024 Ondo governorship election has likewise had the lowest voter participation, showing Nigeria’s growing voter indifference.
Voter turnout in Ondo governor’s polls
In 1999, 536,584 (40.24%) of the 1,33,617 registered voters turned out to vote. Four years later, the figure increased dramatically, with 889,868 (59.16 percent) of the 1,504,181 registered voters casting their ballots.
In 2007, only 575,309 (42.40%) of the 1,356,779 qualified voters participated.
The figure fell to 38.12% in 2012, when just 624,658 of the registered voters cast their ballots.
In 2016, voter turnout increased slightly to 42.95 percent, with 707,776 of the 1,647,973 registered voters participating.
In 2020, just 591,193 (32.62%) of the 1,812,634 registered voters voted.
In Saturday’s election, the figure fell even more. For the first time, fewer than 500,000 voters participated. Only 497,077 voters, or 28.29 percent of the 1,757,205 voters who received their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs), turned out to vote.
According to Vanguard, money was the primary motivator for voters to participate in the election following the apparent rigging of several polls across the country. Indeed, vote-trading was a significant concern during the election.
Factors contributing to PDP’s defeat
Aiyedatiwa won convincingly in all three senatorial districts, demonstrating his deep understanding of state politics.
Unfortunately, Ajayi failed to win his local government of Ese-Odo, garnering 7,814 votes against Aiyedatiwa’s 14,511 votes.
Tinubu/APC Governors’ Factor
According to a reliable source, President Bola Tinubu met with prominent party leaders in the state prior to the election and assured them that the “Ondo election is a must win” and pledged to provide financial support if necessary.
Vanguard further learned that Governor Aiyedatiwa and party officials were reminded that the Ondo election would be the first to be held in the South-West since the president took office, and that he should not be politically shamed in his region.
APC Governors’ Invasion
The attendance of nine APC governors and national officials of the APC, led by National Chairman Dr. Umar Ganduje, demonstrated their unwillingness to take anything for granted.
Furthermore, Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented the President during the party’s campaign grand finale in Akure, stated that the party will win in all 18 council areas, implying that they intended to “capture” all states in the region.
Aiyedatiwa, the new governor, had met with several of the governors and pleaded with them not to let him “walk the journey alone,” and he was obliged.
According to sources, Aiyedatiwa pleaded with his fellow governors not to let his kinsman, Agboola Ajayi, bring him down.
Join Our Social Media Channels:
WhatsApp: NaijaEyes
Facebook: NaijaEyes
Twitter: NaijaEyes
Instagram: NaijaEyes
TikTok: NaijaEyes
