By  Osagie Otabor, Akure 

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State has stated reasons the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) cannot campaign with projects executed during the administration of former governor Olusegun Mimiko.

Mimiko is the leader of the ZLP, which has the Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi, as its governorship candidate and he is expected to lead the ZLP campaigns.

Projects and programmes under contention are the free mother and child treatment, free delivery for expectant mothers, urban renewal, credit facilities for traders and artisans among others.

Spokesman for the Ondo PDP, Kennedy Peretei, in an interview with The Nation said the party would lead its campaign with its previous achievements in the state.

He said Ondo State residents were already yearning for those programmes and policies of the party.

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Peretei said: “Before this current administration, treatment for mother and child was free. Expectant mothers were delivered for free and given free treatment. People used to come from neighbouring states to enjoy free treatment offered by the PDP administration. But today people pay through their noses to get treatment for their children. This is what Ondo people are protesting.

“There is the issue of urban renewal. Street used to be kept clean. No refuse anywhere, but this is what we are seeing now. Infrastructures in the markets were put in place with credit facilities for the traders. The issue before Ondo people is the life abundance they enjoyed before and the poverty they are experiencing now.

“We are campaigning with what we have done before and the promise to improve on what we have done.”

When reminded that Mimiko would also campaign with those projects for the ZLP, Peretei said the ZLP was yet to be tested in power and as such had nothing to showcase.

“He did those things not under the ZLP. The ZLP has not been tested. He has to bring out the products from ZLP. Those projects were done under the PDP. He performed well under the PDP. Even if they said he worked under Labour Party. He was SSG under Agagu and later became a minister under Obasanjo. Labour Party in Ondo was an offshoot of the PDP. It will be valid for us to lay credit to these achievements.”