– say each “floored” the other
The camps of the candidates of the All Progressives Congress, and Peoples Democratic Party have both rated their principals’ performance at last Sunday’s televised debate by the two as brilliant. Each of the two candidates “floored” the other according to their respective supporters.
While the camp of the APC candidate Lucky Aiyedatiwa believed that their principal “floored” the PDP candidate Agboola Ajayi with his more brilliant performance, Ajayi’s camp also believed that their principal trounced the APC candidate with his better and excellent performance at the debate.
The 2024 Ondo State Governorship Election Debate organised by Channels Television and Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room pitched Aiyedatiwa of the APC against the PDP candidate, Agboola Ajayi, in Akure, the state capital, on Sunday night.
For instance, the commissioner for Information, Wale Akinlosotu, who congratulated the APC candidate and incumbent governor “for the superlative performance which left his opponent bewildered and making up with lies,” praisee Aiyedatiwa, who he said had taken governance to another level in the state in the last 10 months.
Akinlosotu, in a statement in Akure on Monday, described the debate as “yet another opportunity for the governor to showcase his achievements across all sectors of the state economy, which he delivered to the satisfaction of all amid loud ovation from the gathering.”
He stated, “The governor’s performance at the debate is a confirmation of the fact that APC has a good candidate, a reliable, tested and trusted candidate, who has proven his ability to deliver on promise and take the state to higher heights”.
The commissioner, who congratulated the APC “for producing such a formidable gentleman and achiever par excellence as candidate, also hailed the people of the state for accepting his candidacy as demonstrated through the supports being given to the governor across the 18 local government areas of the state.”
The commissioner listed some of Aiyedatiwa’s “life-transforming achievements which had made him the beautiful bride in the November 16 election to include infrastructures development with the goal of making life easier for the people and attracting investment to the state in a bid to turn it to a fully industrialized state.”
Akinlosotu said that Aiyedatiwa had “breathed new life to the education sector through construction and rehabilitation of school buildings for conducive learning environment, provision of necessary amenities and instructional materials, payment of full WAEC fees, employment of 2000 teachers and training and retraining of teachers.”
The commissioner “also took pride in the governor’s achievements in the health sector including revamping and upgrading of the state’s healthcare infrastructure, the recent recruitment of health workers for PHCs in the 203 wards and the secondary health facilities in the 18 local government areas in the state, enhancement of doctors’ salaries to retain medical personnel and ensuring access to affordable healthcare though the the Orange Health Insurance Scheme (ORANGHIS).”
On the other hand, Sam Ogunmusi, the Director New Media of Ondo PDP Gubernatorial Campaign Council in a statement titled “Poll Debate: Agbo Floors Ayiedatiwa …Pledges N76 thousand naira Minimum Wage for Civil servants , Free Education.” said:
“The Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate in the Ondo state scheduled gubernatorial election, HE, Agboola Ajayi, has pledged a minimum wage of N76,000 to Civil servants in the state, even as he promised free primary and secondary education if elected governor.
The former Deputy Governor announced this during the debate organised by Channels Television yesterday in Akure, Ondo State Capital with his All Progressive Congress (APC) counterpart, Lucky Ayiedatiwa, ahead of the November 16 election.
During the debate where post event analysis revealed Ajayi put up a better showing than his APC counterpart, the PDP candidate condemned the incumbent government, led by his APC counterpart, Ayiedatiwa, for it’s lack of focus which has made insecurity and economic hardship more pronounced in the state.
Ajayi who promised to make the state financially independent by exploring the economic potentials of the state, mentioned that his major panacea for insecurity in the state, is provision of employment for the teeming youths, adding that, his government will ensure that the people in the state are gainfully employed, which will drastically lower the cases of insecurity in the state.
He encouraged his APC counterpart to feel free and seek from him, the template to secure the state, instead of attempting to bastardize the local Security outfit in the state, the Amotekun, which Ajayi mentioned he was part of its formation when he was Deputy Governor under Late Governor Akeredolu
Condemning the idea of the APC candidate to add Forest Rangers to Amotekun, Ajayi said Ayiedatiwa plagiarized his idea of a planned Forest Guard ,meant to beef up Security in the forests and secure farmers who have practically been unable to go to their farms.
Ajayi left the visibly rattled candidate of the APC defenceless, when the PDP candidate challenged him, to disclose how much he gets from the Federation Account as monthly Security Vote.
Ayiedatiwa had denied Ajayi’s claim that the governor receives N1.2b as security vote every month with nothing to show for it.
The APC candidate who many believe put up a below par performance at the debate, could not convincingly mention major achievements of his government after more than ten months in office while the few he mentioned were disputed by Ajayi, who mentioned that aside the fact that there is no functioning factory, there is also no single tractor available for farmers to use in Ondo state, as farmers usually hire same from neighbouring Kogi and Edo states.
Ajayi who promised a better life for civil servants in the state, promised to pay a minimum wage of N76,000 against the N73,000 Ayiedatiwa promised to pay which had not been paid up till now even after more than two months he had promised to pay however said primary and secondary education will be at no cost while all the Universities in Ondo State tuition fees would be reduced by 30 percent if elected as governor.
Some of the PDP leaders who accompanied the PDP Gubernatorial Candidate to the debate include , the Deputy Governorship Candidate, Hon Festus Akingbaso ( fessy west), the State Chairman of the party, Rt Hon Bakita Bello and all members of the party State working committee, Olorogun Eddy Olafeso, Chairman of the PDP Gubernatorial Campaign Council, Hon Clement Faboyede Director General, Operations of the PDP Gubernatorial Campaign Council, all PDP Chairmen from the 18 LGs, Hon Rasheed Elegbeleye, Deputy Director General, North, Hon ifedayo Akinsoyinu , Deputy Director General, central of the campaign council, Alhaji Sheu Agba, Director General Mobilisation, Ondo South Senatorial District, House of Assembly members elected into the platform of PDP among others.”
