With just 36 days remaining until the November 16 governorship election in Ondo State, political parties have yet to initiate their campaigns, which were supposed to begin on June 19, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) timetable.
The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has appointed former commissioner Clement Faboyede as the Director-General of its governorship campaign council. In contrast, the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), has selected House of Representatives member Abiola Makinde, representing the Ondo East/Ondo West Federal Constituency, as its campaign D-G.
The APC is fielding Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa as its candidate, while the PDP has nominated former Deputy Governor Agboola Ajayi.
Despite the looming election date, the inauguration of the APC campaign committee has been postponed twice. Meanwhile, checks by Vanguard revealed that the Agboola Ajayi Campaign Organisation has begun subtle campaigning across the state but has not engaged in a full-scale campaign.
The lack of campaign activity has left the electorate frustrated, as parties are expected to have commenced their campaigns since mid-June based on INEC’s schedule.
Political analysts have raised concerns about this stagnation, suggesting it may indicate that the parties are strategizing for vote-buying rather than investing time in traditional campaigning to earn votes.