Following the Abuja Federal High Court ruling that went in favour of the candidate of the Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim, the flag bearer of the party in the November 26 governorship election in Ondo State, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede, at a fund-raising event in Lagos, has insisted that he remains the candidate because he was not a party to the suit.
The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), has allayed fears that he is at risk of losing the ticket, following the recent court judgment. He said that he was not a party to the Abuja Federal High Court suit that favoured the candidate of the Modu Sheriff-led faction, Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim.
Jegede, who spoke at a fund-raising event in Lagos tagged, ‘An Evening with Eyitayo Jegede’, said he discovered after studying the case that it was about the 2019 general elections and not about his mandate as the flag bearer.
He said: “I want to again reassure you that I am the candidate of the PDP in Ondo State; I am not a party to any suit; I have not been sued as the PDP candidate and I have not sued anybody. Our party, the PDP, which is a defendant in the case filed by persons that were not governorship aspirants or contestants, has filed an appeal at a higher court and I believe that justice will take its course.”
The PDP flag bearer said that Ondo State has always been noted for peace and tranquility and that there is no need for anyone to fret over any suit aimed at causing disaffection.
The candidate, who was visibly moved by the array of eminent indigenes and other Nigerians that came to support his aspiration, said he would consolidate on the achievements of Governor Olusegun Mimiko.
He said: “Previous administrations have done their best to develop the state, but I am promising you tonight that we will do even more.” For instance, he said the shuttle service for pupils and students in the state is a novelty that should never be abandoned, because parents no longer get worried about the need to pay for their children’s transportation while attending school.
Jegede added: “Again, the delivery of free health delivery system for pregnant women that has led to a drastic reduction in maternal deaths also has to be continued. For instance, between 18 and 24 deliveries take place every day under the scheme, at no cost and regardless of whether you are an indigene of Ondo State or not.”
He said if voted as governor, he would focus, on not only infrastructural development, but also on the establishment of big-time industries that will provide sustainable jobs for the teaming population of the unemployed. The PDP candidate said he has designed an economic blueprint for reviving moribund industries and establishing of a power plant to keep the industries going.
The candidate promised to make the cocoa business a worthwhile venture, adding that, in a season, the state produces between 78 and 84 tonnes of cocoa, which is marketed both locally and internationally.
The chairman of the occasion, Prince Dapo Adelegan, said Jegede is dependable and purposeful, adding that as a technocrat, he would swing into action immediately he is sworn in.
Adelegan, who is the President of Nigerian/British Chambers of Commerce and Industries, added: “There is a global recession now that has also affected the Nigerian economy adversely. What we need in Ondo State is a technocrat as governor, not necessarily a politician; someone who would put the state on the path of economic progress.”
Governor Mimiko was represented by the Commissioner for Finance, Chief Yele Ogundipe.
At another gathering in Akure, the Ondo State capital, Jegede promised to institute a comprehensive insurance policy for farmers at all levels in the state, if elected.
The legal practitioner, who spoke about his plans to boost the economy of the state said his government would do everything within its means to make farming an enviable profession, both for practicing farmers and youths that are prepared to embrace the profession with the ultimate aim of becoming employers of labour.
Jegede, who is the former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, said farmers would experience the best of times under his administration, adding they would be insured against any eventuality, including attack by herdsmen. The insurance scheme, he added, would also cover fish farmers against flood.
The PDP candidate said he would empower cocoa farmers to enhance the production of premium cocoa for export.
His words: “Because of my priority for the economy in general and farming in particular, I will institute a scheme where our farmers will be insured against any eventuality, including herdsmen attack. The businesses of our farmers, including fish farmers, will be insured, so that when they suffer any loss, there will be compensation for them.”
Emphasising that farming will be giving a special place in his government; Jegede said state farms would be created where farmers would be given lands to function, aside the running of their private farms.
He added: “There will be state farms in all the senatorial districts where farmers would have the opportunity to earn more and employ people as well. They will also get free seedling.
“We want to make our people self-reliant as much as we can and we are determined to compliment what the present government is doing in that direction and bring more innovations that will make farming a preferred profession in the state
“The present government has done well in this regard, especially as it affects young farmers who have practically become self-reliant through the various agro business centres in Ore, Auga and Isuada among others.”
He promised to empower farmers to leverage on their ability to produce cocoa and train them and as well on how to produce premium cocoa that will add value to their earning.
Jegede also assured that his administration would continue to support the Mother and Child Hospital in Akure and the Mega Schools project, saying they are some of the people-oriented programmes of the Mimiko administration.
The PDP flag bearer said he will ensure that the Mother and Child Hospital is built in three senatorial districts, in line with the focus of the government. He said schools that are yet to meet the standard of the Mimiko-led administration’s millennium-compliant Mega Schools will be upgraded to meet that standard.
Jegede said the experience he has acquired as part of the incumbent administration in the last seven years would assist him to make impact.
According to the former Commissioner, his position as an integral part of the Mimiko administration in the last seven years has given him an insight into what could be done to further raise the bar of governance.
He said the challenges of the time demanded that the best hand is engaged to address them, adding that he will rely on his understanding of the state and its people, as well as his experience to develop the state.
Jegede emphasized that the legacies of previous governments will be protected and that he will use the experience he acquired in government to pilot well the affairs of the state, even as he volunteered that he has perfected a blueprint for job creation and to grow the state’s economy to the desired position.
He added: “There is a very clear idea of what I want to do; I have a clear policy of what I want to do, especially in the area of job creation and the economy.”
