By Osagie Otabor, Akure

Ondo Governor and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has lambasted his predecessor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko and candidate of the Zenith Labour Party(ZLP) Hon Agboola Ajayi.

Akeredolu, who spoke in a television interview monitored by The Nation, said some people were never qualified to be Ondo Governor.

The Governor said the combination of Mimiko and Agboola as third force in the state does not make him nervous.

Akeredolu said his works would give him victory at the polls.

He said he had treated Mimiko fairly

According to him: “Does Mimiko and Agboola affect me, does it make me nervous? No, I am confident of my victory by the grace of God.

“They were never my allies. I ran against Mimiko in 2012. I have treated Mimiko fairly. No other Governor has treated his predecessor as I treated Mimiko.

Read Also: Ondo 2020: Why Akeredolu deserves re-election by Tinubu, APC governors

“Mimiko has his own traits. Let us leave this, If Agboola, with what he did, found solace in Mimiko, it is because they share the same trait. People who are prone to betray others must come together. They will want to work together. Mimiko is not a political force anywhere.

“He left office and wanted to run for senate. He didn’t even win his local government. He is a spent force.

“This man is dead politically and probably he needed resurrection and support.

“Who is Mimiko in the politics of Ondo State today? He is finished politically and Agboola cannot resuscitate him.

“Third force doesn’t exist. They exist only in your news media. There is no problem. We are prepared. Our work will speak for us. Our work will give us victory.

“We are not a gathering of betrayals. Mimiko worked with Adefarati, did he not betray him? Tinubu and all of us supported him to become Governor, did he not betray us?

‘’He cannot be my allied. I only brought Agboola to balance power in the state. Tell me who can be in one political party in three months. He is an inconsistent person.

“I respect Jegede. He is a gentleman. I have nothing against him. He is entitled to run for the office of a governor. He worked for Mimiko and he was betrayed.

‘’Jegede is a serious minded person unlike people who I know are not qualified to govern this state. Jegede is learned practitioner. He is well read Ondo State is not for neophyte, nincompoops.”

From Osagie Otabor, Akure

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State, Mr. Solomon Bitire, has said the party has already lost the governorship election before October 10.

Bitire, a former chairman in Okitipupa Local Government, said no deputy governor could produce the stimulus needed by Ondo South Senatorial District even if thousands of deputy governors were picked from the region.

Speaking at a summit organised by Ondo South youths in Okitipupa, he said Ondo South has suffered much due to political marginalisation.

Bitire said the only way to right the wrong was for the district to produce the governor.

He said: “If thousands of deputy governors are produced by our region, it can’t give us the necessary stimulus we need in Ondo South. Ondo South is lagging behind in everything and there are no other means to solve our challenges than to produce a governor.

Read Also: I will defeat Oshiomhole in his ward, Shaibu boasts

“Don’t be deceived, a deputy governor is a spare tyre whose survival is at the discretion of his boss, the governor. I saw it all when I joined the advocacy for Ondo South to produce the governor. The political history of Ondo South has shown that the election of governors in the past was on the basis of turn by turn.

“No senatorial district should hold sway unto power. As I have always said, where a party didn’t respect the culture of zoning by producing their candidate from the right zone, then the electorate will correct the injustices during voting.

“I am a PDP man, but PDP has already lost this election before the conduct of the election on October 10 for not doing what is right. The ball is in the court of all of you to save the future of Ondo South and decide the way forward, because I, Solomon Bitire, will not do that for you. I have played my part and it is now over to you.”

Agency Reporter

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday advised religious leaders to sensitise their followers to shun violence as the governorship election approaches.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. John Alalibo, gave the advice at a one-day stakeholders’ sensitisation meeting in Benin.

He said the commission’s efforts at ensuring free and credible election on September 19 might suffer a setback if religious leaders failed to douse the rising tension.

Read Also: INEC ready for governorship poll, says Yakubu 

Alalibo said threats of violence coupled with COVID-19 pandemic could lead to voter apathy in the coming poll should religious leaders fail to take responsibility as relevant stakeholders before, during and after the election.

“It is on this light that I am appealing to you the religious leaders to help allay the fears of the voters.

“The commission has put in place processes that will enable the electorate vote without contracting COVID-19 if they follow the preventive measures and guidelines properly.”

From Osagie Otabor, Akure

A former aide of ex-Governor Olusegun Mimiko, Mr. Femi Adekanmbi, has said the plot to use fake documents to sway votes against Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu will fail.

He said the citizens would rather vote for a performing governor than published fake documents about the manner he ran his administration.

Speaking with our reporter in Akure, Adekanmbi said it was normal for any governor to work with the people he could trust.

He said all former governors of the state used their family members to run their administration and not only Akeredolu as the Opposition had been painting the issue.

Read Also: Ondo Deputy plans to embarrass me with fake documents – Akeredolu

Adekanmbi said: “PDP and others have been saying Akeredolu is practising the government of the father, the mother and the son. Tell me which governor will not do that? The best people you can trust in your life are your wife and your children. If I am a governor today, it will be my three sons I will trust. Are you saying my first son who is studying Computer Science and he is good, are you saying I cannot bring him in to head my IT section?

“When Adefarati was there, the wife and son, Gbenga, supported him to succeed. Agagu came in and his family was all over the place. His brother was chief of staff. During Mimiko time, there was cry that his in-laws were taking over everything because his children were still young. There was no way he could have placed them. It was his in-laws that were over the place. You must trust somebody.

“Akeredolu’s son, Babajide, did well for his father in the 2016 campaign. He is sound and you don’t expect the father not to listen to him. That is the truth of the matter. The governor’s wife has performed well through BRECAN.”

He urged the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Eyitayo Jegede, to wait for the right time to contest for the governorship election.

Adekanmbi said it will be unfair for Eyitayo, who hails from Ondo Central, to contest in the election when Ondo North, where Governor Akeredolu hails from, is yet to complete their eight years.

By Osagie Otabor, Akure

Former Ondo State governor Dr. Olusegun Mimiko has asked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to campaign with the projects executed by the late Dr. Olusegun Agagu.

Mimiko is the leader of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP). The party has Deputy Governor Agboola Ajayi as its candidate in the October 10 governorship election.

ZLP is regarded as the third force in Ondo State.

Spokesman for the Ondo PDP, Kennedy Peretei, had in an interview, said the party would campaign with the projects and programmes executed during the administration of Mimiko because they were done on the party’s platform.

He said Mimiko would not lay claims to the project while campaigning for ZLP because ZLP was never in power in the state.

But a close aide to Mimiko, who pleaded anonymity, urged the PDP to campaign with the late Agagu’s projects.

The aide said it was laughable for the visionary to be in one party and another party planned to campaign with his projects.

According to the aide, “Mimiko is the man with the brilliant idea. You can see the PDP candidate already praising Mimiko to high heavens. In all his talks, it is Mimiko’s projects he is talking about.

“It is not about the party, but the individuals. That talk by the PDP that Mimiko should not campaign with his projects is just a beer parlour talk.”

By Osagie Otabor, Akure

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has dismissed claims by the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) that it is the third force in the October 10 governorship election.

It said the outcome of the election would prove the strength of parties in Ondo State.

The governorship candidate of the party, Mr. Oyeleye Fasua, in an interview said SDP is the party to watch out for.

He said he is among the two leading candidates in the governorship race.

Fasua warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to adhere to the dictates of the Constitution and the Electoral Act in preparation for the election.

The SDP candidate slammed the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) for opposing reopening of tertiary institutions.

He said the position of ASUU was unfair to parents and students.

Fasua urged the Federal Government to stop salaries of lecturers if they were not prepared to resume academic work.

“If the Federal Government stops their salary, will they say they will not resume? It is because they are getting salary while at home that they are saying what they are saying.

“Markets are opened, churches are opened and aeroplanes are flying. Is it not to put preventative measures in place? I am calling on the Federal Government to withhold their salary pending when schools will resume.”

By Osagie Otabor, Akure

A lawyer in Ondo State, Mr. Femi Emmanuel Emodamori, has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to publish the particulars of Agboola Ajayi, governorship candidate of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

He said it would be in line with relevant provisions of the Nigerian constitution and provisions of Section 31 (2) & (3) of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended).

This was contained in a letter to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, dated September 1.

Emodamori said: “It will enable me and any other Nigerian who so desires to obtain a certified true copy of his particulars and institute an action in court to have Ajayi disqualified for having presented a forged certificate, as provided for in Section 31 (4), (5) and (6) of the Act.

According to him, “in the unlikely event that INEC fails to comply with the above demand, I will immediately institute a mandamus action in court to compel INEC to perform its statutory duties in this regard.

“I hope INEC will avoid the damning negative connotation and perception that such failure will engender among Nigerians and the international community, as well as civil societies and other stakeholders/observers assiduously working with INEC to deliver a credible governorship election in Ondo State.”

But spokesman for the ZLP, Felix Olatunde, said the party was aware of the attempt to create doubt in the minds of its members and Ondo voters concerning Ajayi.

He said Emodamori was acting on the prodding of some political adventurers.

By Osagie Otabor, Akure

Ahead of the October 10 governorship election in Ondo State, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governorship aspirant, Chief Olusola Oke, SAN, has handed over his structures across the 18 local governments to Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN.

Oke the former National Legal Adviser of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) slammed former Governor Olusegun Mimiko for playing the role of a godfather.

He said Mimiko can’t pick governor for the people of the state, especially the South Senatorial District.

Oke said the re-election of Governor Akeredolu is important for the future of Ondo South Senatorial District.

The former aspirant said the people of Ondo South would vote for the re-election of Governor Akeredolu.

He said his decision to support Akeredolu was informed by the developmental strides of the governor in the Southern Senatorial District.

The APC leader stressed that the people of the South will choose for themselves when it is time for the district to produce the governor.

He said: “If we want a governor in the South, we will choose by ourselves. Not the one that will be picked from the Central. We have not chosen anyone to be our governor in the South. No person will choose our governor for us.

“We have agreed that Aketi will do second term. After him, it will come to the South. We will look for a renowned son like Agagu to be our governor. But for the October 10 poll, Akeredolu is our candidate and we will vote for him overwhelmingly.

“The renaming of Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology (OAUSTECH) after Agagu is enough for me to follow Aketi. We have used our money to train him. He has the experience of governance. We don’t want experiment.

“That university for eight years after Agagu, was like a goat house. It was abandoned. We know those who abandoned it. Now, they want to choose a governor for us in the South.

“Ondo South will deliver great for you. We want to use our votes to secure our future. We don’t want anyone to contest with us next time. We want to deliver a vote that can’t be challenged in court.”

Governor Akeredolu said it is important for members of the party to come together to work for the party, noting that the APC is now a united big family. Some members of the PDP led by Muyiwa Afolabi joined the APC at the event.