After weeks of campaigns, Governor Fortunate Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and his kinsman, and fellow ex-deputy governor, Hon. Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are prepared for a showdown within the Ondo State governorship election. BIYI ADEOGOROYE, makes an extrapolation on the possibilities of the duo.
By this time subsequent Sunday, the curtain can have fallen on the Ondo State governorship election, as permutations of the previous couple of months would have transited from the realms of conjectures to certainty, for all of the candidates. Following their emergence as candidates of their respective political events earlier within the 12 months, it was predicted that the November 16 governorship election in Ondo State could be a battle between two former deputy governors. And fewer than every week to the election, rising developments level to no totally different path. Albeit, on paper, 17 political events are taking part within the election, 5 political events, lower than six are seen on the marketing campaign path. The are All Progressives Congress, (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Labour Party (LP) , the New Nigeria Individuals’s Party (NNPP) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
Within the race is Chief Sola Ebiseni, the standard-bearer for the LP, three-time commissioner within the state; Gbenga Edema, a one-time Ondo State consultant within the Niger Delta Growth Fee (NDDC), is the candidate of NNPP and Abass Mimiko is the ZLP candidate. However true to earlier forecast, the battle is certainly between the duo of Governor Fortunate Aiyedatiwa and Mr. Agboola Ajayi, candidates of the APC and the PDP, respectively, although each of them have traversed the 18 native governments and three senatorial districts within the state, canvassing for votes. Ajayi’s rating Usually counted to the benefit of Agboola is his political and administrative expertise. Agboola has been in state politics way back to the 90s, when he grew to become the chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in his ward, and in addition served because the celebration’s secretary on the native authorities degree, and earlier than changing into the Supervisory Councilor in his native authorities. He additionally served because the caretaker committee chairman and later grew to become an elected chairman of the identical native authorities. Agboola Ajayi was elected because the member representing the Ilaje/Ese Odo federal constituency within the Nationwide Meeting and ultimately served as Deputy Governor of Ondo State. In accordance with the celebration, taking a look at a politician like Agboola, who has spent his complete life in politics, you’ll know he possesses all of the expertise to discharge any accountability and switch across the state if given the chance. “This is without doubt one of the causes he stands out as essentially the most ready candidate and individual to develop into the subsequent governor of the state.” The PDP governors, particularly Seyi Makinde, and his counterpart in Osun, Jackson Adeleke are rooting for Ajayi in an effort to broaden the recognition of the celebration within the South-West. Adeleke particularly urged Osun indigenes resident in Ondo State to assist Agboola Ajayi. However he appeared to have constructed a pedigree and political astuteness over time. However his inconsistency and frequent defection from one celebration to a different has been his albatross. Within the final dispensation, shortly after his impeachment and defection from the APC, he returned to the PDP in a single day, securing the candidacy of the celebration solely to lose the election to Akeredolu.
Within the view of Olorogun Eddy Olafeso, a former Nationwide Vice Chairman of the PDP, South-West and Director-Common of the PDP Marketing campaign Organisation in Ondo State, mentioned Ajayi is in good stead to win the election, barring all hitches. He alluded to the reception given the celebration throughout its campaigns and poor state of the nationwide financial system because the bases for his confidence. He mentioned: “All that the state governor does is to rent Particular Advisers and Senior Particular Advisers with the view to utilizing them to rig the election. We heard that they’ve earmarked about N15 billion for that election, however they are going to be so humiliated and shocked, when the folks will transfer in opposition to them with their thumbs. I’m very optimistic. APC has no place within the lifetime of the folks of Ondo State any extra. They’ve failed themselves, they usually have failed the state.” Mr. Ayo Fadaka, a spokesman of the PDP Marketing campaign Committee, mentioned Ajayi will carry out higher as governor if elected. “The PDP, underneath Ajayi’s management, goals to re-establish free schooling from main via secondary ranges. The PDP administration additionally intends to supply textbooks and important stationery to college students, emphasizing their dedication to fostering the subsequent technology. Below Ajayi’s governorship, PDP goals to reverse the setbacks which have plagued Ondo State, refocusing on progress and growth.” Aiyedatiwa’s edge The circumstances previous his emergence is immaterial, incumbent governor Aiyedatiwa is poised to win, and his varied conciliatory actions and that of the celebration management level on this path. First was the truth that he has drawn all aggrieved aspirants again to the fold. The return of the likes of Wale Akinterinwa; Olusola Oke; Oladunni Odu and Isaacs Kekemeke whose exit created illfeeling on the loss of life of Akeredolu, now bolsters the governor’s probabilities. Maybe Aiyedatiwa’s publish primaries acceptance speech, titled ‘Time to win collectively’ paid off, the place he acknowledged and thanked all of the aspirants who threw their hats into the ring in what he conciliatorily known as “the household contest.” Particularly, Hon. Mayowa Akinfolarin, Chief Oke, SAN, Sen. Jimoh Ibrahim, Mr. Akinterinwa, Hon. Isaac D. Kekemeke, Hon. Gbenga Edema, Mr. Ohunyeye Olamide Felix, Hon. Olujimi Odimayo, Mr. Olusoji Ehinlanwo, Morayo Lebi Esq, Prince Diran Iyantan, Prof. Francis Faduyile, Engr. Ifeoluwa Oyedele, Mrs. Funmilayo Waheed Adekojo and Engr. Funke Omogoroye.” Waiving the olive department, he mentioned: “This isn’t the time to carry grudges in opposition to anybody however for all of us to return collectively to work for the success of our nice celebration in order to stay in energy. We’ll all achieve on this celebration, although at totally different occasions, if we preserve religion. I salute your braveness and eager curiosity to steer the State in the direction of growth. It’s your proper and you might be certified and worthy members of our celebration. “Now, greater than ever earlier than, the greatness of Ondo State is what issues essentially the most. I due to this fact request that all of us be a part of palms collectively in constructing the longer term that all of us yearn for in Ondo state. There’s infrastructure to be constructed; higher healthcare companies to be delivered; honest justice to be served; qualitative schooling to be ensured; civil servants to be skilled and motivated; safety of lives and properties to be strengthened; enabling setting to be created for companies to thrive and entice traders.”
Moreover Aiyedatiwa’s “antecedents, health, integrity, character and efficiency in workplace,”different components, working for him, in line with pundits, are the truth that his celebration guidelines on the nationwide degree, and the strategic place of state to President Bola Tinubu as a should win. Observers imagine that was the motive behind the celebration’s Nationwide Chairman, Abdulahi Ganduje’s boast of their readiness to win Ondo and Oyo states following the declaration of APC because the winner of the governorship election in Edo State. Insiders mentioned that APC’s management of the three Senators, 9 members of the Home of Representatives, majority of the members of Home Meeting, commissioners and over 260 particular advisers, most of whom are mentioned to be foot troopers of the governor and the celebration characterize extra power for the celebration. Dr. Olayide Owolabi Adelami, the Ondo State Deputy governor, mentioned the governor’s achievements will converse for him. “Such embrace a number of ongoing initiatives within the well being sector throughout the state prime of which is the development of 500 bedded wards within the College of Medical Sciences Instructing Hospital (UNIMEDTH) Ondo Metropolis. “The schooling sector has acquired a lift as we’re presently recruiting 2000 academics into our public faculties and in addition paid wage arrears owed to employees of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic in Owo, beside approving a grant of N1bn for the development of Senate constructing at UNIMED and he additionally gave one other grant of N1.2bn to Olusegun Agagu College of Science and Know-how in Okitipupa to finish some initiatives within the College. Just lately the governor accepted a mortgage of N220m for merchants, artisans and SMEs,” Adelami mentioned. Confrontation at debate To additional promote themselves to the citizens, final Sunday, Aiyedatiwa and Ajayi took to the stage in a debate, organised by Channels Tv and Nigeria Civil Society State of affairs Room. Aiyedatiwa not solely boasted about his celebration’s readiness to win, however scored the invoice’s eye with the declaration that PDP is completed in Ondo State with the huge defection of its members to the APC. “Throughout the 10 months of my assumption of workplace, in the event you examine the statistics, Ondo State is the second least of states with a excessive debt profile. Since I got here on board, we’ve not borrowed, and we don’t have the necessity to borrow for now. “Different achievements which had endeared me to Ondo State folks included my industrialisation drive, job creation initiatives, agricultural funding, Midas contact within the schooling sector, revolution within the well being sector, inclusive governance model and unrivalled welfare package deal for staff, pensioners and the personal sector amongst others as I pledged to do extra. “To construct on the present safety community, security of lives and property and the peace within the state, I established Amotekun Rangers from the present Amotekun Corps for the border areas to make sure that the border cities the place there was occasional incursion of criminals into the state had been correctly guarded in opposition to such.”
Ajayi lamented: “No single oil manufacturing unit in Ondo, they’re lifeless,” and promised to determine cocoa processing factories, and activate the export of money crops ought to I develop into governor of the state wealthy with mineral deposits and agricultural produce. He frowned on the killing of conventional rulers a while in the past, regardless of the month-to-month N1.2 billion safety vote, figuring out industrialization as a panacea, “preserve everybody busy and they’re going to help you do your jobs. As governor of Ondo State, I’ll get all criminals arrested,” mentioned Ajayi. Ajayi’s allegation that the governor spends N1.2 billion months of safety vote and a readiness to pay N76,000 minimal wage as in opposition to Aiyedatiwa N73,000 had been greeted by a retort, because the governor declared that Ajayi was economical with the reality. “I’m so shocked that you simply (Ajayi) can’t say the reality to the general public. By the point different folks will discover out a few of these lies, on the finish of the day, it will not be to your personal curiosity as a result of the information are there for the entire folks to examine. “There’s nothing like that, I don’t know the place he obtained his figures from, I’ve by no means drawn a safety vote of as much as N1.2bn. The place? How? It’s not true; it’s all political lies. What he (Ajayi) is saying just isn’t true, that may be a lie. How will you say that I withdrew N1.2billion on the eve of the Edo election – was I the one contesting for the election? You don’t use safety vote for an election. You already know it your self; I don’t know why you might be speaking this fashion,” the governor mentioned Ajayi. An excited Otunba Wale Akinlosotu, the Commissioner for Info and Orientation, submitted that “Aiyedatiwa carried out excellently effectively, within the governorship ballot debate, trouncing his opponent and PDP candidate, Agboola Ajayi. In his phrases, the governor put up “a superlative efficiency which left his opponent bewildered and making up with lies, took satisfaction in Aiyedatiwa, who had taken governance to a different degree within the state within the final 10 months and certainly showcased his achievements throughout all sectors of the state financial system, which he delivered to the satisfaction of all amid loud ovation from the gathering. “The governor’s efficiency on the debate is a affirmation of the truth that APC has a very good candidate, a dependable, examined and trusted candidate, who has confirmed his potential to ship on promise and take the state to increased heights. “Aiyedatiwa’s life-transforming achievements which had made him the attractive bride within the November 16 election to incorporate infrastructures growth with the objective of creating life simpler for the folks and attracting funding to the state in a bid to show it to a completely industrialized state.” Akinlosotu mentioned that the safety and prevailing peace within the state along with the infrastructural growth had attracted traders to Ondo State, including that the economic park facilitated by his administration “has employed virtually 4000 folks of Ondo State origin the place they produced ethanol from cassava to ethanol”.
“In case you listened to the governor, he mentioned a cocoa processing manufacturing unit within the state was producing about 7000 tons of cocoa each month, and added that the administration was doing lots to open up the agricultural areas “in order that farm produce will be dropped at the centre for factories for processing. That is without doubt one of the issues we’re doing already via the Rural Entry and Agricultural Advertising Undertaking programme. “The state authorities cleared lands of about 10,000 hectares at Jughere to encourage our youths to return to farming particularly cocoa farming,” and proper now, JD Farms at Ore, one of many largest farm produce farmers presently working in Ondo State, has employed over 3,000 individuals within the state, and the farm is attempting to improve into milling and refinery to supply vegetable oil,” he mentioned. Prime political observers, together with prime politicians imagine that with the huge defections from the PDP, the assist of the presidency and the underground backing of a former governor of the state, the chances favour Aiyedatiwa. However they argue that he owes it an obligation to be a democrat who will put the state’s curiosity above all others when elected into workplace.
Please observe and like us:
