Ondo 2020: Former SSG recants PDP’s electoral victory claim

By Osagie Otabor, Akure

Immediate past Secretary to the Ondo State Government, Mr. Ifedayo Abegunde, has recanted his claims that the People’s Democratic Party won the 2016 governorship elections.

Abegunde resigned on Monday and in a statement he made in a radio interview said Akeredolu did not win the election that brought him to power.

He claimed that some powerful forces arm twisted INEC to announce Akeredolu as winner.

But addressing journalists Tuesday, Agegunde explained that the people and not Akeredolu won the election for the APC.

Abegunde said he has been working for Akeredolu since 2012 because Chief Bola Tinubu asked him to do so

He said he would support the governorship ambition of Dr. Olusegun Abraham.

The former SSG stated that he begged Akeredolu to appease all aggrieved party chieftains and operate a government with human face but he was ignored.

READ ALSO: UPDATED: Ondo 2020: PDP disqualifies two, clears 7 guber aspirants

He said, “At this point, moving forward in my political career, I want to announce that I have made up my mind after consulting with my followers that we are going to pitch our tent with one of the aspirants, who I believe would lift the state up from this mare that it’s currently in. He’s no other person than Dr. Olusegun Abraham.

“I want to use this medium to urge my teaming supporters and progressive lovers in the state to begin to canvas, campaign and support Dr. Olusegun Abraham. I strongly believe that God would crown him the next governor of Ondo State.

“I wish to reiterate that at no time did I say that the PDP won the 2016 election. That’s far from the truth. If at all the APC won with a wide margin so that the PDP thought it fruitless to join issues on it at the court of law.

“However, I only stressed that it was a steady and concerted efforts of our loyal party stalwarts of which I was prominent that won that election.

“You know, we all contested election in 2016. It’s that election that brought the present governor to power.

“I said Governor Akeredolu was not the one that won the election, that we the people won the election for him. That we contributed all our efforts. At the end of the day, he thought it wise, thinking that he owns the government. And he’s now using the government for himself, his family and his associates.”