The Labour Party in
Ondo State has a tough task ahead as it battles to win the seats in the
House of Assembly election coming up on April 26. Many analysts say the
contest will be between the LP and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
When the state was ruled by the PDP, majority of the House of Assembly
members were PDP members. But the court ruling that brought the LP to
power in the state saw many of the PDP members in the house defecting
to the LP.
The 26 seats in
the state parliament will be contested by five political parties. They
are: LP, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), PDP, All Nigeria People’s
Party (ANPP) and Congress of Progress Change (CPC).
However, if the
result of the National Assembly election is anything to go by, the LP
may win all the 26 seats. In the April 9 election, the LP won three
senatorial slots and eight out of the nine House of Representatives
seats.
Tough battle
During the
presidential election, the LP worked for the emergence of President
Goodluck Jonathan. The LP leadership had directed its members across
the eighteen local councils to vote for President Jonathan apparently
to prove a point to the PDP members. The LP will face stiff opposition
in Ilaje, Odigbo 1 and Owo II. The former deputy speaker, Mayowa
Akinfolarin, who belongs to the PDP and is seeking his fourth term in
the House, is said to be enjoying the support of his people because he
has brought rapid development to the area.
Also, Thompson
Atikase of Ilaje Constituency 11 is another hard nut to crack for the
LP. A former member of the Assembly, his stay in the house was brought
to an abrupt end by the law court which declared him unfit for the
seat. Mr Atikase, a PDP member also lost out narrowly in the
bye-election ordered by the court. He has since vowed to return to the
House.
The ACN is not deeply rooted in the state politics as it failed to make appreciable impact in the parliamentary election.
