The emerging coalition aimed at unseating the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State may be heading for troubled waters as internal wrangling and the return of familiar political figures stir growing discontent among stakeholders and observers.
The political atmosphere in the Sunshine State is once again charged, not with the promise of fresh leadership, but with the return of what many describe as recycled ambition cloaked in coalition garments. With the buzz over the so-called coalition intensifying, several political actors believed to have exhausted their political goodwill in their former parties are reportedly rebranding themselves within the alliance.
Among the names making waves is a former member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) State Working Committee, who famously resigned in a huff after his bid to become the party’s chairman failed. The politician, who once described the PDP as "a party in the morgue," is now actively involved in the new coalition, reportedly positioning himself to emerge as its State Chairman.
Observers have raised eyebrows over the former PDP Executive swift political U-turn, with many describing it as a desperate grab for relevance. “This is a man who called the PDP all sorts of names when he didn’t get what he wanted. Now he’s back, dancing around the coalition fire like nothing happened,” a source within the opposition said.
Joining him in this latest political adventure is a former Senator who represented Ondo South Senatorial District for a single term. The Senator, widely perceived in some quarters as a habitual violator of internal party agreements, is reportedly playing a lead role in the coalition’s state-level structure.
The duo, according to insiders, are now lobbying intensely to install the former PDP State executive as the State Chairman of the Coalition, raising questions about the credibility and future direction of the alliance. Critics argue that entrusting the fate of a supposed people-oriented movement into the hands of those who once contributed to the dysfunction of their former parties could derail the coalition’s objectives.
“This may end up being a PDP Pro Max. If the same people who danced to the drums of dysfunction are now tuning the Coalition’s flute, what music should the electorate expect?” another political analyst queried.
The development has sparked concerns among voters who feel betrayed by repeated cycles of political repackaging. “Ondo people have been served too many bowls of political eba with no soup,” said a local youth leader in Okitipupa. “Now the same cooks have changed aprons and returned with the same menu.”
The fear among many is that the coalition could quickly morph into a PDP redemption camp, dashing hopes for a genuine alternative to the APC. If left unchecked, critics warn, the coalition risks becoming a repackaged version of the very institutions it claims to challenge.
“If these men are the beacons of our political rebirth,” another political observer said, “then the dream of a new Ondo might well remain a utopian fantasy.”
As the coalition continues to gather steam ahead of the next political cycle, only time will tell whether it will deliver on its promise or collapse under the weight of recycled ambitions and personal agendas.
