Ondo gov’ship: Akeredolu, Jegede, Ajayi lock horns

Ahead of the October 10, 2020 governorship election in Ondo, the three frontline contenders – incumbent Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, Eyitayo Jegede, and Agboola Ajayi have launched aggressive political campaigns.

Akeredolu is the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), while Jegede and Agboola are the flag bearers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) respectively.

The political battle has shifted to Ondo State as the three leading parties campaign to occupy the Alagbaka government house in Akure, the state capital.

In the past three consecutive Saturdays, the three parties officially launched their campaigns.

First was the APC which flagged off its campaign at the Akure Stadium, where the candidate of the party and incumbent Governor Akeredolu solicited the support of the people of the state for a second term.

After Akeredolu was PDP candidate Jegede, who had his own campaign flagged-off at the MKO Democracy Park, Akure.

ZLP candidate and the incumbent deputy governor, Ajayi, launched his campaign at Ore last Saturday after being allegedly frustrated from using MKO Democracy Park.

After the flag-off, the three parties have resumed serious campaigns in all the three senatorial districts of the state.

To avoid violence, the Commissioner of Police (CP) Salami Amidu Bolaji, said the law enforcement agency had mapped out programmes to ensure parties held their campaigns at different senatorial districts.

But despite this arrangement, there have been incidents of attacks that affected all the parties (APC, PDP and ZLP), sparking allegations and counter-allegations.

Pundits say since the defeat of the APC in Edo State, there has been an unusual silence among APC members who now believe they need to put in more effort to be able to win the election.

Meanwhile, APC in Ondo State has said the intimidating credentials paraded by the Ondo State governor and candidate of the party are the core reasons why opposition parties are afraid of him.

The party, through its spokesman, Alex Kalejaiye, said yesterday that the parties betrayed their fear through the “deception, outright lies and unprovoked attacks on members of the ruling party at the slightest opportunity.”

In another development, Governor Akeredolu has assured Muslim women in Ondo State that his administration will continue to foster religious harmony in the state.

The governor spoke during a meeting with the Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations of Nigeria (FOMWAN) held at Ijapo in Akure on Saturday.

Akeredolu, who said his administration had commenced the construction of a mosque in the government house, noted that it is the first of its kind in the history of the state.

At another meeting, Governor Akeredolu assured the people of the state that his administration would get from the federal government, a declaration for the planned Deep Seaport project before the end of the year.

The governor disclosed this at a mega meeting held in Akure, the state capital, where he was adopted by the Ondo State Coalition 2020 as its governorship candidate for the October 10, 2020, gubernatorial poll in the state.