Ondo 2024: Importance of Odu’s support for Jimoh Ibrahim

By Remume Oviri

Sen. Jimoh Ibrahim, CFR, Ph. D, has left no one in doubt about his gubernatorial aspiration in Ondo State. Never known to be a politician without the courage of his conviction.

He has hit the ground running from the word go and has in the past few months raised the bar of All Progressives Congress (APC)’s popularity in Ondo State and beyond.

In the conventional media space and the new media likewise , Jimoh Ibrahim has not been found wanting as he continues to spread the good tidings of what the state stands to gain by his Governorship drive.

And ever since, there has been lot and lot of supports coming his way from grassroots political gladiators of the ruling APC in the state. Beyond the fact that he has become the choice of members of APC across the 203 wards in Ondo State, Dr. Ibrahim daily keeps winning the attention and admiration of forces of political reckoning that matter in Ondo State and beyond.

Of a note is the support that has just come the way of the Igbotako born politician and business mogul from no less a weighty politician of relevance in Ondo State than Princess (Barr.) Catherine Oladunni Odu, the Idepe- Okitipupa born political amazon who has bestrode the political landscape of the Sunshine state like a trojan horse for over three decades and with unblemished record of admirable achievements.

It will be recalled that Princess Odu is the immediate past Secretary to the State Government (SSG), the first female to have held such a lofty position in Government.

Princess Odu, no doubt is one of the few poster reference to the realization of the 35 percent affirmative action in Ondo State, nay Nigeria and instructively, at a time her political machinery was in motion to activate her gubernatorial aspiration. After due consultation, the Iwajowa Group, which championed Mama Oladunni Odu’s political movement and strides, resolved to collapse its structure for Ibrahim and work assiduously for the emergence of the Ondo South Senator at the Party’s primary.

This obviously is a plus for the Ibrahim guber perspective and a huge harvest for the cerebral Aseyori Strategist. As a huge support base for Gov. Akeredolu, which Princess Odu has been naturally identified with, the fusion of Iwajowa political structure into the Aseyori strategic think tank bears multiple political significance. For one, it significantly indicates a huge chunk of Late Akeredolu’s support base has chosen to thump up their chest in support of Jimoh Ibrahim and this is one support the Aseyori political leaning won’t take for granted.

Equally, Princess Odu is a symbol of the active involvement of the women folks in politics tagged ‘Omabinren’; the implication of her standing for and with Jimoh Ibrahim implies the womenfolk have chosen what giant path to follow.

In the course of the week, Hon. Banji Okunomo, former gubernatorial aspirant under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former State Party scribe and one time Chairman Ilaje Local Government Council has loud submission on Ibrahim’s governorship ambition describing him as the candidate of APC and not just a contender or a keen competitor.

Okunomo is not known for frivolity and he doesn’t waste words unnecessarily. As a politician who has cognate political experience spanning years of active participation, he has seen it all and with his opinion that Senator Ibrahim is not a mere contender but the candidate from APC to win the November guber poll, it is a prognosis not based on mere conjecture or whimsical assumptions.

Okunomo in an interview now in public space noted that Ibrahim has been the only APC guber ticket seeker who has been going around with the air of a candidate and who has been doling out patronage towards consolidating the gains of the party in Ondo State, adding that the founder of The University of Fortune, Igbotako has the necessary wherewithal to execute a gubernatorial campaign without running out of means and substance.

Definitely, there is something Okunomo has seen that has made him projected Jimoh Ibrahim beyond the pedestal of mere Gubernatorial aspiration to that of candidacy.

Be that as it may, the two Doctoral Degree holder in War studies and Business all from prominent Ivy league universities in England has resolved to continue to attract the support of the brightest and the best assurances of APC stakeholders as the state gravitates towards the historic party primary.