The two main political parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are currently girding their loins to ensure that their candidates are chosen by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the July 16, 2022 Osun State governorship election within the stipulated time.

APC has released a revised time-table and schedule of activities for the conduct of the 2022 Governorship Primary Election in the state.

The party fixed the sale of the forms at N22.5million and the nomination form at N20 million.

According to a notice signed by the National Secretary, APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), John James Akpanudoedehe, the expression of interest form costs N2.5million, while female aspirants and physically challenged aspirants are required to pay 50 per cent of the prescribed fees.

Akpanudoedehe explained that the time-table is in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) guidelines.

According to the Time- table, the last day for submission of completed forms and accompanying documents at the APC National Secretariat was Wednesday, February 9, 2022, while screening of aspirants took place on Thursday, February 10.

The publication of claims and objections is scheduled for Saturday February 12, 2022 and screening appeals fixed for Thursday, February 15, while primary election will hold on Saturday, February 19 and primary election appeal will be heard on Tuesday, February 22.

The main aspirants for the Osun governorship election are the incumbent Governor Gboyega Oyetola; a former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon, Najeem Salam; former Secretary to the Osun State Government, Alhaji  Moshood Adeoti and former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Lasun Yusuf.

Governor Oyetola, Adeoti and Yusuf were screened last Thursday at the APC’s headquarters in Abuja.

Adeoti had left the party to contest the governorship poll in the 2018 election on the platform of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), but he returned to the APC in 2019.

Initially it was gathered that The Osun Progressives (TOP), a group loyal to the former governor of the state and the current Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, will adopt one of the trio of Yusuf, Adeoti and Salam as its aspirant for the February 19, 2022 primary election.

As at the time of writing this report, it is gathered that TOP favoured Adeoti to contest for the party’s governorship ticket with Oyetola, after a rigorous selection process, which featured him, Yusuf and Salam.

Adeoti, Yusuff and Salam had earlier expressed their readiness to work together to rescue the party from what they described as imminent electoral defeat.

The secretary of TOP, Lani Baderinwa, who is also a former Commissioner of Information in the state, confirmed that the group picked Adeoti because he is well tutored politically and he is from the Osun West Senatorial District which, it was agreed, deserves to produce the next governor.

Baderinwa said that Adeoti was chosen after a rigorous selection process, adding that Yusuf, who had obtained the governorship nomination form and submitted it, will not be contesting for the party’s ticket as an aspirant from TOP.

He said, “After rigorous selection process, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti emerged from amongst the three aspirants who are with us. So Adeoti is our choice and we are confident he will win in a free and fair contest.

“Adeoti is a grassroot politician. He is a party man to the core. He is well tutored politically. He is from the Osun West Senatorial District that has suffered untold marginalisation in the governance of Osun since the creation of the state. He is bold and courageous. He could be very loyal and resilient. He may have his personal foibles, like all humans, but his positive attributes outweigh his negative ones.”

On the coming primary election, Baderinwa said, “We hope the National Secretariat will provide a level playing ground for all aspirants. This is key to the essence of the exercise.”

On his part, Yusuf said he was ready for the APC primary election.

“I am prepared and ready for APC primary election and election proper in Osun State. Whichever modality they want to adopt, this time around, we are ready.

“The prayer and the appeal to our party leaders is that there must be a level playing ground for the election to be free and transparent.

“Osun State people need a break and change. The only way to achieve this is for politicians to eschew violence and stop the idea of do-or-die. Osun State belongs to all of us”.

In the past weeks, Oyetola has been going round the state to commission projects and he used the opportunity to seek support for his desire for a second term in office.

In the PDP, six aspirants were screened and cleared to contest the party’s primary election scheduled for March 7, 2022. They are Senator Ademola Adeleke,  Akin Ogunbiyi, Sanya Omirin, Dotun Babayemi, Fatai Akinbade and Dele Adeleke.

The Party’s National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, said, “The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, at its 544th meeting on January 26, 2022, after a careful consideration, approved the Osun State Screening Committee and Appeal Panel reports, which cleared all the six governorship aspirants.”

The statement also revealed that the party’s primary election to pick a standard bearer for the July governorship election will take place on Monday, March 7, 2022.

However, the PDP outlined its activities, ahead of the primary. They include the Osun State stakeholders’ meeting with the NWC holding in Abuja on February 1, 2022; ward congresses to elect ad-hoc ward delegates betweenn February 16  and 17 and local government congresses to elect one national delegate per local government on February 26, 2022.

One of the PDP aspirants, Akin Ogunbiyi, has the backing of Olasoji Adagunodo,   the National Vice Chairman, South West of the party and  Senator Ademola Adeleke has the backing of Sunday Bisi, the incumbent PDP chairman in Osun State.

Political analysts believe that both aspirants will fight for the soul of the PDP in the primary election. They were the two leading aspirants in the party’s 2018 primary.

Political observers believe the PDP in Osun state can be put in two categories or camps. The Senator Ademola Adeleke’s camp, which has the support of the Sunday Bisi – led state executive committee and the other camp comprising of Sanya Omirin, Dotun Babayemi, Fatai Akinbade, Bamidele Adeleke and Akin Ogunbiyi, who have decided to align themselves with the other faction of the party in the state under the proxy leadership of Wale Ojo, who is standing in for Adagunodo.

The aspirants are working round the clock and perfecting their strategies but political observers believe it is likely that the other five PDP aspirants will come together to choose a consensus candidate that will contest against Ademola Adeleke in the primary election.

One significant scenario is that the two parties, the APC and PDP are embroiled in intra- party crises. It is believed that any of them that solves its internal problems on time may win the governorship election in July.