A good number of politicians who have indicated interest in succeeding Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, may have been incapacitated by a cash crunch, The Point investigations have revealed.
These governorship aspirants mainly from the two leading political parties in the state- the ruling All Progressives Congress and the major opposition Peoples Democratic Party – have even been unable to map out a good campaign strategies that would sell them better to voters due to their poor financial situation.
Our correspondent gathered from notable members of these two parties, who pleaded anonymity, that only few of the aspirants have the required financial war chest to contest the state governorship election scheduled for September 22.
The sources further revealed that these affected governorship hopefuls have, therefore, not done so well in terms of campaigns and consultations because of their financial constraints.
Our correspondent further reliably gathered that some of these aspirants had sought for loans in banks to finance their campaigns and other strategies that would earn them victory in the coming party primaries.
Those caught up in the web of this alleged financial constraint include incumbent officials of the Osun State Government.
Checks by our correspondent in Osogbo revealed that about ten popular aspirants in the state failed to pay advertising fees before mounting their campaign bill boards.
And for defaulting, the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria has either defaced or removed several campaign billboards of many of the aspirants, including that of the current Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Hon. Najeem Salaam, and the Commissioner for Finance in the state, Alhaji Bola Oyebamiji, both of the APC.
Even the campaign billboards of the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, an APC chieftain and incumbent Senator Babajide Omoworare (APC) were not spared. They have either been removed or defaced by the advertising agency.
Other APC aspirants caught in the web of non-remittance of the stipulated advertising fees are Dr. Ezekiel Oyemomi, Adelere Oriolowo, Kunle Adegoke, Dr. Abiodun Layonu and Barrister Dayo Oyebanji.
The only PDP aspirant whose campaign billboard was affected is Rasheed Akinlabi, while those belonging to Hon Gbenga Akintola of the Alliance of Democracy also suffered the same fate for allegedly defaulting in fee payment.
APCON, a Federal Government agency coordinating the control and regulation of the practice of advertising in Nigeria, was said to have visited Osun to enforce compliance with advertising ethics and the remittances of fees.
A top official of the agency, who pleaded not to be named, told our correspondent that APCON visited Osun as part of its statutory and obligatory responsibilities to promote ethical advertisement with a pathway to convert commercial communications into an income generating source for the country.
The agency accused the aspirants of defaulting in the payment of the fees for their campaign advertisements placed on billboards across the state.
Most of the billboards and signposts sighted by our correspondent were defaced with the customised stickers of APCON.
But some of the aspirants have denied owing APCON.
When contacted, some of affected governorship aspirants claimed they paid the required fees to the advertising agencies they contracted for the placement of their campaign posters on the billboards.
They wondered why the agencies did not remit the fees to APCON.
Further investigation through the APCON zonal office in Ilorin revealed that only four out of the popular contenders were able to remit their fees for their billboards and escaped the agency’s sanctions.
The billboards of an aspirant of the PDP, Mr. Akin Ogunbiyi, were not sealed off. Also, those of Hon. Gafar Amere; the incumbent Chief of Staff to Osun Governor, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola and Benedict Olugboyega Alabi, all of the APC, were also spared.
Meanwhile, some aspirants have described the price of the nomination forms as “too costly and an attempt by party leadership to limit the governorship race to the rich and the favoured.”
Apparently announcing his withdrawal from the governorship race on his Facebook page, one of the aspirants from the APC, Dr. Isiska Owoade, said the N8million fee for the nomination form was an anomaly.
Owoade, who is the Executive Chairman of Osun Education Quality Assurance and Morality Agency wrote, “Osun2018 – One day, nomination fees will be set by humans. N8M just to limit it to the rich and the favoured! Henceforth, my energy will be focused on normalising these anomalies in our political processes. Byeeeee for now.”
Also, out of the about twenty people who indicated interest to contest the governorship, only ten aspirants have been confirmed to have purchased the nomination form to contest the July 19 governorship primary.
Those who have bought the nomination form include Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola; the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Lasun Yussuff; Najeem Salaam, Kunle Adegoke, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, Engr Aderemi Oriolowo, Tunde Taiwo, Engr. Mumini Olabanji, and Abdulgafar
Amere.
Other ten aspirants who could not afford the form fee have silently withdrawn.
The state PDP Chairman, Hon. Soji Adagunodo, had advised that aspirants who could not afford the nomination fee should not indicate interest as the governorship race was not for average citizens or
paupers.
But most of them did not heed the advice and indicated interest in the party ticket.
But checks by our correspondent revealed that out of the over twenty aspirants, only 11 were able to afford the N9million nomination form.
Those who are ready to contest the July 17 governorship primary of the party include Engineer Ezekiel Olajide Adeniji, Prof. Adeolu Durotoye, Barr N O Oke (SAN), Rt. Hon Rafiu Adejare Bello, Dr. Ayoade Adewopo, Senator Ademola Adeleke, Sen.Kola Ogunwale, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, Akogun Lere Oyewunmi, Fatai Akinbade and Senator Akinlabi Olasunkanmi.
