- denies being Jegede’s running mate
By Banji Ayoola
The camp of Ondo State Deputy Governor, Hon Agboola Ajayi, has debunked the story making the rounds and going viral on the social media that he is planning to dump the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the Zenith Labour Party, ZLP, to pick that party’s governorship ticket for the October 10 governorship election.
It also disclaimed another report similarly going viral that Agboola is being tipped as running mate to Jegede, adding that “such discussion is not on the table at all for now.”
In fact, sources within Agboola’s camp described the reported meeting with ZLP’s leader and former Governor Olusegun Mimiko to consolidate the alleged plan to grab that party’s governorship ticket as “another failed attempt by the state government to blackmail Agboola.”
The Deputy Governor, who came second in the just concluded PDP governorship primary, had decamped from the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to wrestle power from his boss, the incumbent Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, in the forthcoming election.
The Radiance learnt from sources within Agboola’s camp that the insinuations in some quarters that the Deputy Governor is on his way out of the PDP, is a scheme and that “the falsehood being peddled by the State Government is to portray Hon. Ajayi as a man seeking power at all cost.”
A source said: “It must be known that the Deputy Governor has congratulated the winner of the PDP governorship election, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, and wished him success in the forthcoming governorship election, which will hold on October 10, 2020.”
It was gathered that Jegede had on Friday visited Ajayi in his Ijapo Estate, Akure, the state capital residence to forge a common front for the forthcoming election, as both are united in their resolve to oust Akeredolu.
Besides, it was learnt that prominent PDP leaders including Otunba Oyewole Fasawe and Dr. Tayo Dairo among others, have set up a reconciliation committee and pleaded with Ajayi to join hands with Jegede in order to win the election.
“The truth is that in all these discussions, there was no discussion on who would be the running mate of Jegede in the governorship election. The discussions centred on reconciliation ahead of the election.”
On Ajayi’s alleged meeting with Mimiko, the source said: “Also, the issue of defection to Zenith Labour Party has not crossed the mind of the Deputy Governor as being insinuated by the state information machinery.
“The only time the Deputy Governor met with Dr Olusegun Mimiko, the leader of ZLP, was before the governorship primary, as he wanted him to swing his followers in the PDP for him.
“Since the primary election, Ajayi has not met with Mimiko and has no plan to join ZLP as being sponsored by the state government.”
