Ahead of the forthcoming Ondo governorship election, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has issued a stern warning to the Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike, oyogist.com reports.
The Nation reports that the ruling party said it will continue to appeal to the people of the state to renew the mandate given Governor Rotimi Akeredolu 4 years ago, considering its efforts to reposition the state.
It was gathered that the All Progressives Congress stressed that it would not resort to rigging as alleged by the Rivers state governor. Reacting to a statement credited to Wike, which alleged that the APC in the state had perfected plans to rig the governorship election,
Alex Kalejaiye, the party’s publicity secretary, said such a statement could only emanate from a man who never believed that elections could be won without crude intimidation, violence, and rigging.
Kalejaiye noted that decency in politics and thoughts of the transparent election are alien to the likes of Wike.
He said: ”APC in Ondo State has no reason to contemplate rigging in a state where it has won the confidence of the people on account of performance and integrity.
”For the benefits of Governor Wike, we’re banking on the popularity of our candidate, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, that of his running mate, Hon. Lucky Ayedatiwa, and the projects APC led Govt has initiated and executed in less than four years.
Kalejaiye stated further that the APC has constructed bridges, roads,and schools; set up industrial hubs at Ore, activated bitumen production.
”We have recorded unprecedented intervention in agriculture,and are currently pursuing, with uncommon vigour, building a deep seaport in the Southern Senatorial District, to boost the economy of Ondo state.
He said All Progressives Congress has a presence in all the 18 LGA, and therefore, not going into the election as a party with a senatorial base.
In a related development, the Leaders of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are reportedly mounting pressure on the former governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, to support Eyitayo Jegede, their candidate in the forthcoming Ondo governorship election.
This follows the opposition party’s victory in the September 19 governorship election in Edo state.
Reports citing anonymous sources, reported that the Peoples Democratic Party is strategising to get Mimiko’s support in order to weaken the strength of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and its candidate, Agboola Ajayi.
The governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, and his Sokoto State counterpart, Aminu Tambuwal, have reportedly scheduled to meet Mimiko soon.
The meeting’s focus is reportedly to pressure Mimiko to accept the proposed alliance between the PDP and ZLP in order to defeat Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
A source was quoted to have said:
”I have been told that the national leader of Zenith Labor Party, Mimiko, has been contacted by both governors on the need for the meeting so as to bring our candidate to him to possibly apologise publicly in order to get his support to unseat the APC in that state. We won’t take chances at all.”
In the same vein, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said Z-pad used during the Edo state governorship election for the transmission of Polling Units (PUs) results would be deployed to the state.
This was disclosed on Thursday, September 24, by Prof.Mahmood Yakubu, the INEC chairman during a media interaction in Akure, The Nation reports.
The INEC boss explained that the commission has already moved the Z-pads from its state office in Benin City to Akure.
However, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) cautioned INEC on the use of Z-pad for the gubernatorial election.
Kola Ologbondiyan, the party’s spokesman in a statement described the Z-pad as unreliable, adding that it could compromise voter accreditation process.
