By Osagie Otabor, Akure

Some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders in Ondo South Senatorial District displeased over the running mate picked by governorship candidate of the party, Eyitayo Jegede.

Jegede picked a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Gboluga Ikengboju, as his running mate, rejecting names submitted to him by party chieftains.

One of the aspirants in the just- concluded PDP primary, Godday Erewa, said selection of a running mate to any candidate in a political contest was a crucial component of the electioneering process.

He argued it could be instrumental in boosting or hampering the electoral victory of a political party especially in an election that is bound to be fiercely contested.

Erewa noted running mates were expected to balance candidate’s personality, inexperience or lack of character as well as provide geographical balance geared towards ensuring just and equitable representation.

According to him: “Against this backdrop, it is quite confounding that the ilaje nation was deliberately neglected in the choice of a running mate for the PDP candidate. Are we saying that there is no one in Ilaje nation to be so nominated by the PDP?

“This decision to ignore us is generating palpable tension and disenchantment and if not properly managed, the consequences would be immensely catastrophic.”

Also, a former local government chairman in Okitipupa Local Government, Hon. Solomon Bitire, said Jegede failed to give a sense of belonging to members of the PDP outside his political camp at the just- concluded primaries.

”All the viable names of politicians suggested to him outside his political camps were rejected by Jegede as he insisted he cannot work with any one of them.

Read Also: Jegede picks lawmaker as running mate

”Jegede is on a vengeance mission since he emerged the candidate of the party.

”He rejected to work with Agboola Ajayi, Ondo Deputy Governor who angrily decamped to the Zenith Labour Party which is now described as the third force in Ondo State.

”He spearheaded the failure of Mr Dennis Alonge as State Chairman of the party because he is not a member of his camp which made him threw his weight behind Fatai Adams, a member of his political family who emerged the new state chairman of the PDP in Ondo State.

”The last straw that breaks the camel’s back is his insistence to choose another member of his political camp as running mate.

”So, he has already pocketed the PDP. He is not liberal. If he becomes governor of the state, our interests cannot be protected.”

But Jegede said he sought the face of God to pick his running mate.

He spoke in Ondo West local government where volunteers were trained to help canvass votes for the PDP through door to door campaign.

 Osagie Otabor, Akure

 

MEMBERS of the Unity Forum of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State have dissolved the body and blended into the campaign team of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.

The forum, headed by former deputy governor Alhaji Ali Olanusi, was formed following the inability of stakeholders in the Ondo APC to resolve their differences after the election of Governor Akeredolu in 2016 and the conduct of the congresses.

It had vowed to ensure Akeredolu did not return for a second term, but internal wrangling within the forum and the crisis of a consensus aspirant caused division within its ranks.

Read Also: Ondo teachers endorse Akeredolu for re-election

The dissolution of the forum followed the steps taken by Governor Akeredolu to ensure the party goes into the electoral battle united.

At an enlarged APC stakeholders’ meeting in Akure, the party leaders, especially governorship aspirants in the forum, agreed to work for Akeredolu’s victory.

Olanusi, who was present at the meeting, said he was on board the campaign train of Governor Akeredolu

It was the first time Olanusi would be in a solidarity meeting with Akeredolu in the past three years.

The governor urged leaders and members of the Ondo APC to work for the success of party.

He hailed the resolve of party leaders to work as one indivisible party with one united purpose and sole mission to win elections to remain in government.

Akeredolu said the new spirit in the party must not dwindle, but must continue to soar.

By Osagie Otabor, Akure

• Governor: you can’t market a treacherous product
• You’re not a progressive leader, says Mimiko

Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and ex-governor Olusegun Mimiko are rowing about Deputy Governor Agboola Ajayi.

Dr. Mimiko said he would reveal why Akeredolu did in one year what he could not do in eight years.

Akeredolu had slammed Mimiko for abandoning projects started by the late Olusegun Agagu.

He described the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) as a vehicle without an engine.

But Mimiko, who spoke while receiving Deputy Governor Agboola Ajayi at his Ondo home, said Akeredolu was not a progressive governor because he abandoned a reproductive health care programme.

He hailed the courage of politicians who had remained with his vision.

Mimiko said ZLP comprised tested politicians, adding that its structures would be harmonised.

The former governor said ZLP was not expecting any surprise from Agboola and other defectors.

He described Agboola as a well groomed and a seasoned politician, who had learnt a lot in politics.

Mimiko said: “We don’t expect any surprise. We know the good and bad of Agboola. Never trust a man until you give him power.

Read Also: Akeredolu slams Mimiko for allegedly abandoning projects

“Agboola has seen and exercise power. He has a good head and a good heart for governance. This is not the time for campaign, but I will tell my friend (Akeredolu) why he was able to do what I could not do in eight years.

“Any party that does not drive in the direction of removing the burden of looking for money for reproductive health cannot be called a progressive.”

Agboola described Mimiko as “a leader of politicians”, who managed them for eight years.

He stressed the need for unity to rescue the state from bad governance.

Agboola said he was in ZLP to change the narrative of Ondo politics and governance for the people.

“We are not just in ZLP to contest. We want to win and take power for the benefit of all us. The state has spoken. The people are waiting for your (Mimiko’s) directive.”

Governor Akeredolu said his predecessor, Dr. Mimiko, cannot market what he termed a treacherous product.

Akeredolu, who spoke through his Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Donald Ojogo, was reacting to comments by Mimiko that he is not a progressive governor.

He said: “We don’t consider what the former governor said as needful of any response. He must say something to calm down and indeed calm the nervousness of his unsuspecting victims.

“We can only sympathise with him because he has come out to remind the people of Ondo State and as well reactivate their consciousness of his almost forgotten past. No one without any treacherous content can market a treacherous product.”

By Osagie Otabor, Akure

There is apprehension among stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as the party’s candidate, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede, has kept mum on his choice of running mate.

Sources said Jegede has been under pressure to pick one of the governorship aspirants preferably from Ilaje Local Government in Ondo South.

It was gathered that the names of Sola Ebiseni and Banji Okunomo were presented before Jegede, but he has rejected them.

Aides said Jegede would announce his running mate today, as tomorrow is the deadline for parties to substitute names already submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Read Also: PDP a united force, says Jegede

The Nation learnt that Jegede insisted on picking his running mate from his political family within the PDP.

Sources said Benson Amuwa, Jegede’s director of campaign for Ondo South in the just concluded primary election, had been pencilled down.

The sources said Amuwa had submitted his credentials and they would be submitted at the national secretariat of the PDP in Abuja today.

Amuwa is to replace Olumide Ogunje, whose name was earlier submitted to meet the INEC deadline.

Another source said Jegede insisted that he could not trust anybody outside his political camp.

Jegede had rejected Deputy Governor Agboola Ajayi, who later defected to the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), expected to become the third force in the state.

The choice of Jegede’s running mate, according to a PDP chieftain, might cause implosion in the party.

By Osagie Otabor, Akure

The Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) will on Monday unveil Gboye Adegbenro as the running mate to its governorship candidate, Agboola Ajayi.

The state Chairman of ZLP, Mr. Joseph Akinlaja, last night confirmed Adegbenro as the party’s choice for a running mate.

He said Adegbenro will be announced on Monday.

Read Also: Ondo poll: can Agboola succeed Akeredolu

Former Commissioner for Youths and Sports Yekini Olanipekun has, however, denied eyeing the ZLP governorship ticket.

He said he was not a member of ZLP and never sought to run on the party’s platform.

Olanipekun said: “I’m not part of ZLP. I didn’t lobby and never discussed with anybody that I wanted to be running mate on ZLP’s platform.”

By Osagie Otabor, Akure

The Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Caretaker Committee in the Southwest, Mr. Dayo Ogungbenro, has dismissed insinuations in political quarters that some governors elected on the platform of the party are supporting the candidate of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Mr. Agboola Ajayi.

Ajayi, the deputy governor, defected to the PDP from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of its primaries, but promptly dumped the party (PDP) after being defeated by Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), in a primary adjudged as credible and fair.

In a statement issued on Sunday in Ibadan, Oyo State, the PDP bigwig challenged the writers of what he called misleading reports to provide evidence that any PDP governor was backing Ajayi for the Ondo top job.

He said: “PDP will never work with a renegade and political turncoat whose ambition is not grounded in reality. It is a mark of hypocrisy for those who cannot abide by the result of a demonstrably free and fair governorship primary to be planting fake news in the media suggesting that they are being sponsored by PDP governors in other states.

Read Also: 2023: Showdown imminent in PDP over Secondus

“For the avoidance of doubt, PDP governors, members in Ondo State and the good people of the state are behind the candidate of our party and incoming governor of Ondo State, Eyitayo Jegede (SAN). They are doing everything within their power and within the laws of the land to ensure that he emerges the governor. This is the reality.”

Ogungbenro said when Ajayi came calling, the party opened its door to him, thinking he would add value to it, not knowing that he was a sly and a desperate politician.

He said Ajayi had spent barely five weeks in the party before he jumped ship, adding that PDP governors would never support such a character who betrayed the confidence reposed in him.

“We broke rules to accommodate him and gave him delegates so that he could have a sense of belonging. But it has become clear that those kind gestures have given him a false sense of political importance.

“If he had genuine intentions, he would have stayed put after losing out in a free and fair primary. Throwing around the names of PDP governors as being purportedly behind such a sinking candidate is an affront not only to our party, but also the electorate,” he said.