- ‘Why Ondo State People Should Vote PDP’
By Banji Ayoola
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ondo State, has declared that its candidate in the coming October 10 governorship election, Mr Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, would defeat the incumbent Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, flagbearer of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the poll.
Making this declaration in an exclusive interview with The Radiance in Akure the state capital, the party, through its newly elected State Publicity Secretary, Mr Kennedy Ikantu Peretei, reeled out reasons why it believes that the people of the state wish to return the PDP rather than the ruling APC or any other party.
He said that the people are already yearning for his party to return to power in view of the perceived comparative superlative performance of its administration in the state in the recent past.
Particularly, he noted that Ondo State people are ready to elect Jegede in the election considering what he described as their nostalgia for the prosperity and abundance they once experienced during that party’s administration.
Besides, the PDP alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, is relying on the federal might alone to return at all cost its candidate, the incumbent Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, in the coming election.
But it said that as the defunct National Party of Nigeria, NPN, through its federal might, failed woefully in 1983 to impose Chief Akin Omoboriowo as governor of the old Ondo State now bifurcated into Ondo and Ekiti States, the APC would also fail this time around to return Akeredolu.
According to Peretei: “Ondo State people are looking forward to those days when their children could go to school at minimum cost; when they could afford the school fees at the state owned universities; when their pregnant wives could go to the Mother and Child Hospitals and be delivered of their babies free of charge.
“Our people are already nostalgic about the PDP days. These alone put Jegede well ahead of Akeredolu.”
Besides, the party said that APC would meet its waterloo at the incoming poll the same way the Olusegun Obasanjo administration did when its federal might failed in 2007 to prevent the election of the immediate past Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko.
In fact, dismissing the incumbent APC administration as lack luster and non performing, the PDP said: “Akeredolu is just depending on the federal might. Ondo State people do not know federal might. It is the man that the Ondo State people want who becomes governor here.
“This was proved in 1983 when the NPN government wanted by all means to impose Omoboriowo. The people said no, it is Ajasin we want.
“Even as recent as 2007, the federal might of the Olusegun Obasanjo administration could not change the people’s wish to make Iroko (Mimiko) governor.
“So if anybody is banking on Yaya Bello and their shenanigans from Abuja, they would meet their waterloo here.”
When reminded of the planned Port Ondo, bitumen exploitation, the Araromi Seaside to Lekki Lagos road and the Ondo Linyi industrial projects as part of the star achievements of the Akeredolu administration, Peretei said: “I am from the state’s coastal area. We have not seen the seaport. Those areas where he thinks he has done well, we do not know those areas.”
He said: “In any case, if he has anything good on ground, it would be improved upon. But as it stands now, Ondo State people are asking Akeredolu to excuse us. Let him just go.
“He can decide to go to Ibadan or the annex of Ondo State Government in Owerri to go and stay there.
“Jegede’s incoming government in Ondo State would be a reenactment of the purposeful and people oriented PDP government.
“People would know that they have a government. Market women would know that there is a government. Mechanics, artisans would see the impact of government; not this one of Akeredolu that is of the father, mother and children. Ondo State people do not want that kind of government.”
Peretei told The Radiance: “Alagbaka is just a few steps away. The present occupier of Alagbaka has messed the office and the people have left him.
“Ondo State is shopping for a replacement; and we have a competent replacement in Eyitayo Jegede. It is a quit notice for Akeredolu. We expect that he should have started packing his things in Alagbaka so that he would not be caught unawares.”
On what qualifies Jegede to govern the state, he said: “Jegede was part of the Mimiko led PDP administration. He was the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in that administration.
“The legacies of that administration stand him out. All the shuttle buses, the mega schools, Mother and Child Hospitals, affordable school fees, neighbourhood markets and numerous other projects executed statewide by that administration stand Jegede out.
“It would be a continuation of an achievement packed PDP administration.
“Even when Abena (former Secretary to the State Government, Hon Ifedayo Abegunde) was leaving, he said that the Akeredolu administration has proved that the Iroko (Mimiko) administration was a saintly administration.
“Ondo State people are looking forward to those days when their children could go to school at minimum cost; when they could afford the school fees at the state owned universities; when their pregnant wives could go to the Mother and Child Hospitals and be delivered of their babies free of charge.”
On the planned defection of the state’s Deputy Governor, Hon Agboola Ajayi to the Zenith Labour Party, ZLP, to contest the coming governorship election on that party’s platform, Peretei advised Ajayi to remain with the PDP.
However, he believes strongly that if he eventually leaves as being speculated, the deputy governor’s exit would not affect the PDP’s chances at the coming election.
He said:” There is no official statement yet. The stories about Ajayi leaving for the ZLP are in the realm of speculations. INEC has published the list of governorship candidates for the election. His name is not there. Consultations are still ongoing.
“The wise counsel is that it is best for the PDP to have a united strength. He is still consulting. “
On what he believes qualifies Ajayi to be governor of the state, Peretei said: “He is a sitting Deputy Governor. That is already qualification to be governor, in an assistant capacity; it is the same qualification for governor.
“However in these circumstances, a lot of other factors come into play. It is left for him to decide his political future. He must properly gauge the minds of the people.
“Only God knows who would be governor. Most of the time, this is predetermined long before now in the spiritual realm. We human beings only calculate.
“His next plan is his business. He has his own name. He takes responsibility for his decisions good or bad. I believe that after these consultations, the decision is his.
“I advise that he listens to advice of wisdom so that he does not make political miscalculation.
“If eventually he goes, nothing happens to his PDP supporters. PDP is a big family. There is freedom of association. If he leaves for any other party, those who believe in him would leave with him. His leaving would not do any damage.
“From my own standpoint, I advise that he does not go to another party. But if he does, PDP is an institution, a big family. His leaving is not going to affect the chances of the PDP in the election.
“He should not leave so that he would not confirm the speculation that he had come to destroy the PDP.
“Those of us who supported him for the primary did so in the belief that it was appropriate for the South to produce the next governor. But now, the electoral college has spoken; and we are bound by the decision of that college.
“It was a keenly contested primary. The outcome of the electoral college is that Eyitayo Jegede is the candidate of the PDP in the October 10 Governorship election in Ondo State.
“Every genuine supporter of the party would rally round the candidate of the party because he cannot do anything outside that process. The primary of the party was free and fair. It is honourable for members of the party to support the candidate who emerged at the primary.
“The only thing is that Jegede must be magnanimous in victory by embracing all the other aspirants to ensure that the PDP does not divide itself because victory is very close to us.”
On the zoning controversy, the Jegede camp believes that the Governor of Ondo state could come from any part of the state, as it faulted the argument of a purported zoning arrangement dictating that the a particular Senatorial District should produce the next Governor in the October 10 election.
The Head, Media Research of Eyitayo Jegede Campaign Organisation, EJCO, Mr Kayode Fasua, in another exclusive interview, told The Radiance that: “As far as we are concerned, our principal is an indigene of Ondo State and he is contesting for the governorship of the state.
“He believes that relying on the zoning arrangement at the expense of merit and competence could only promote mediocrity and bad leadership. Above all, he is contesting for the governorship of Ondo State and not for governorship of a senatorial district.
“On our part at the campaign organisation, we make bold to say that Governor Akeredolu who is the current candidate of the APC is not from the South Senatorial District; and we have cases of other parties that did not pick their governorship candidates from the South as well.
“So, the Governor of Ondo State can come from any part of the state. The bottom line is that he or she should have the capacity to deliver on his or her electoral promises.”
He said: “If it is true that Agboola is defecting to the Zenith Labour Party to contest for governorship, we wish him well in his new voyage. For us, we are consistent and loyal PDP members; and we are not Janus-face. We are ever consistent.
“By the Grace of God and the support of the good people of Ondo State, Eyitayo Jegede will emerge victorious in the October 10 governorship election.”
Also, the PDP candidate has declared that the people of the state, who he said were tired of Akeredolu’s alleged abysmal performance in office, would vote out the APC administration in the coming election.
He described the governor’s claim that he would win the election as bogus, overrated and untimely.
Jegede said that the rigging and trickery tactics, which the governor allegedly intends to rely upon to win the poll are now obsolete and cannot safe him this time around.
He made the declaration in a statement by the spokesman of Eyitayo Campaign Organisation, Hon Gbenga Akinmoyo, which was sent to The Radiance, noting that for the governor to boldly declare in public that his “abysmal stay will be extended is to rely on a greater force than the will of the people.”
He said that apart from the fact that some of his hatchet men have fallen out with him, the Ondo state’s electorate, which is already fed-up, are ready and eager to show Akeredolu the red card.
Following is the full statement, entitled “Akeredolu has never won Ondo State: “The recent statement by His Excellency, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu forecasting his fate in the forthcoming October election is untimely and overrated.
Would it not be better to have allowed the sleeping dog to lie in peace? Was it necessary to ruffle the feathers of the people and insult their sensibilities with these bogus claims?
“As far back as 1963, Nigeria took a decision to become a Republic and thereby dispense with rulership by monarchy led by a royal family far away in Great Britain. Little did we know, the elections of 2016 in Ondo State would re-introduce the monarchical system into governance, endorsed by the party system.
“What is more damaging is that the fact that the Emperor has manipulated the system so badly, yet he has never democratically won an election in Ondo State.
“Well, truth be told Aketi has never won an election in Ondo State, so what gives him the impression his luck is about to change?
“In 2012, a total of 26 aspirants traveled from Ondo State to Bourdillion in Lagos State to determine who would be the candidate of the now defunct Action Congress of Nigerian (ACN), Aketi returned from Lagos as the nominee.
“Feeling on top of the world, he boasted his victory in the October 2012 Governorship election three months ahead. Not only did he lose, but finished a far distant third behind Dr Olusegun Mimiko of Labour Party and Chief Olusola Oke of the PDP.
“In 2016, Aketi returned from Ibadan his place of regular domicile to contest on the platform of APC. For a young political party at that time, Aketi made history by orchestrating the most controversially doctored party Primaries in Ondo State to be recorded as the flag bearer through the back door.
“A few months later at the Governorship elections, we now know that Aketi didn’t win the elections, following disclosure by the immediate past SSG, Hon Ifedayo Abegunde. He was fortunate that PDP didn’t challenge the outcome of the 2016 results.
“We are now in 2020 and the external forces of the Presidency, Governor El-Rufai and Governor Fayemi have worked overdrive to save Aketi being screened out of the APC Primaries before eligibility for a contest in which he ought not have been a contestant.
“Our advice to Arakurin is to use the next 7 months to try hard and amend the poor conditions prevalent throughout the state before packing his bags and leaving Government House in February 2021. Ondo State citizenry have no choice on that because his constitutional term of office is 4 years.
“To boldly declare in public that such abysmal stay will be extended is to rely on a greater force than the will of the people. I’m sorry to disappoint Arakurin that the Rigging and Trickery tactics, which he intends to rely upon, are now obsolete and cannot safe him in October 2020.
“Apart from the fact that some of his hatchet men have fallen out with him, a fed-up electorate is ready and eager to show him the red card.”
Following his declaration as the winner of the PDP primary held between July 22 and 23 in Akure, the state capital, Jegede had said that he would defeat Akeredolu in the coming election.
Promising to liberate the people of the state from the shackles of Akeredolu’s APC government , he said: “Standing ramrod straight, I’m patently dumbfounded on how best to express my sincere appreciation to you all, our noble delegates.
“I am greatly overwhelmed with joy, this day, beholding my people, as in a sea of heads, largely exultant in partial fulfilment of their common dream.
“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has once more demonstrated its panache in party unity, personal freedom and political advancement.
“All these qualities are made possible by the level of sophistry and love, obtainable in the PDP family.
“One thing must be taken into consideration: in any contest, somebody must be declared the winner. But in the real sense of the word, all contestants for the trophy at stake are winners. They are winners in the sense that, while a poster boy hoists the shield, that same shield is eventually shared in unison, by the club members.
“For this reason, I cannot but appreciate the conviction of purpose with which my co- contestants pursued the dream of becoming the candidate of our great party in Ondo State.
“Which is why I’m commending the participation of other aspirants and compatriots. Indubitably, this victory at the primary election is a collective one and the choice is of the family.
“I cannot do it alone. I will be drawing from the supports of my brothers (that is, co-contestants) in the task of liberating Ondo state from the shackles of the suffocating government of the Akeredolu-led APC government in Ondo State.
“We all chose to join the PDP because we believe in its manifestoes and programmes of action and we are bound, as loyal party members, to become crusaders toward the fulfilment of those lofty projects to better the lot of Nigerians.
“Without doubt, Ondo, our dear state, is in dire strait. It is a state in need of a surgical operation, as it were; when it eventually finds itself in the theater of PDP’s political medicament.
“You may say that the PDP had been in the saddle of government in Ondo State in the past. Yes, you are right. But a dispassionate comparism of the PDP period with this moment that is no more than the daze of the locust, will forever remain instructive in the history of our dear state.
“A PDP administration made life comfortable for our children in school by providing free buses daily to cater to their transportation. But today, where are the buses?
“A PDP government provided free health services for the less-privileged, who include pregnant women, nursing mothers, senior citizens and the enfeebled; but today, events in Ondo’s health sector has left many shedding tears.
“Patients have had to pay through the nose for no hospitality.
“In the education sector, it is the same litany of woes. Those in charge in our dear state may have indicated that they do not have any milk of human kindness in the abrasive hiking of school fees in tertiary institutions.
“While the PDP was in charge, tuition fees were in the neighborhood of N35,000 per session. But today, it is all a drama of absurdity, laced with wicked intention, as the average student nowadays pay not less than N250, 000 as tuition fees, in a year.
“The story of rot in Ondo State is virtually endless. So, where do we go from here? A golden opportunity has, at the moment, arisen; giving us the unique space of privilege in this chequered human history, to bring about a turnaround.
“We must ensure that we come together as one family, and harmonise ideas, resources and come together in love, to rescue Ondo State from its haitus.
“I, Eyitayo Olayinka Jegede, solemnly assure you that, with your collaboration-which will, by the special grace of God resonate in overwhelming victory for us in the governorship election coming up in October, that there will be accelerated progress in human development and socioeconomic uplift.
“My action plan, which is encapsulated in the overall PDP agenda for the development of our dear country, is a public document.
“I welcome your inputs, which do not, in any way exclude criticisms, as we all forge ahead to rescue our dear state from this unworthy pass.
“I, once again, thank our abiding, loyal party members, and pray that our labour of love shall never be in vain.”
But Akeredolu has said the contest would be a replay of what happened in the 2016 election when he first defeated the PDP candidate.
Describing his estranged deputy as a politician of no consequence, he vowed to defeat him even in his own Ese Odo Local Local Government home and political base.
He further described Ajayi’s exit from APC as good riddance to bad rubbish; as he advised Ajayi to remain in the PDP with Jegede rather than jumping ship again.
The governor, who spoke at the APC national secretariat in Abuja shortly after appearing before the Ondo State Governorship Appeal Committee of the party, also declared that his estranged deputy, Hon Agboola Ajayi is a politician of no consequence, vowing to defeat him even in his own local government.
Describing the exit of Ajayi from the APC as good riddance to bad rubbish, he advised him to remain in the PDP with Jegede rather than jumping ship again.
He said: “Let me advise him again to stay with Jegede and let us see what happens. Jegede is my friend. We are colleagues and both members of the inner bar, I don’t have anything against him and I just pray that our campaign should be issue-based without violence and I know that he knows that it will not be easy for him.
“Yes, it may not be easy for me to win, but by His Grace, I am going to win. I can assure that as it was in the beginning, so it shall be now and forevermore. We will win this election by the grace of God.”
On its own, the state government through Akeredolu’s Chief of Staff, Chief Olugbenga Ale listed what it described as monumental achievements in all sectors of the state’s economy including industrial and statewide infrastructural development, with the Port Ondo, Bitumen and Araromi Seaside to Ibeju Lekki, Lagos legacy projects, among other achievements as enough reasons to return the governor for a second term in the forthcoming October 10 election.
In an exclusive interview with The Radiance, Ale reeled out a list containing among others, regular salaries payment, the construction of over 400 kilometres of roads, the Ondo Linyi in Ore industrial hub, having six industries with several factories, which, already, are producing and employing many youths from the state.
In fact, he declared that apart from the administration of the late Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin in the Second Republic, which established many industries that are now moribund due to neglect by successive administrations, no administration, whether military or civilian, has ever made such trans-formative changes in the state’s economy.
He also debunked the allegations making the rounds that the governor sidelined party leaders and people of the state in favour of his relatives and in laws in the award of contracts.
Ale said that Akeredolu “has done a lot in the area of infrastructure. Many people think that he would not be able to perform in that area; but even our cynics now believe that he has done enough. We have done over 400 kilometres of roads in about three years. Even those who were here for eight years never achieved that. You can be sure, that is a monumental achievement.”
He said: “When you go into the area of industrialisation, we did a critical analysis of the moribund industries we had in the state. If you look at Oluwa Glass, it’s gone; Ifon Ceramics is gone. When we looked at all these things, we knew that to say you want to revive them would be a difficult task.
“That is why he had to think out of the box, moved outside the state to woo investors; and the story is a very palatable one today. If you have been to Ondo Linyi in Ore industrial hub, you would have seen a number of factories we have there: cassava to ethanol, vehicle assembly plant, medium density fiber, high density fiber, six industries, not in the pipeline, that have started production and employing the youths of this state. If you get to that place, you would think you are at the market place; you would see the sea of heads that are working in Ondo Linyi.
“Tell me, since the time of Baba Ajasin, who established those industries I referred to earlier on, no other governor, I repeat, no other governor, has recorded such achievements. We have had many military governors and many civilian governors. No one, we cannot point to any industry in this state that they sited; but within three and a half years, Akeredolu has established many industries.
“If you go to Education, when he got here, he said that he would not criticise anybody for embarking on mega schools, but that would not be his style, because he believes that mega schools would not go round; that even many of the mega schools that were already in place then were under utilised because they did not have enough students. And many of the schools in the rural areas in other cities had become dilapidated.
“He took it on his own that Education should be the bedrock of development. Because of this, we did a lot; he has done a lot in renovation of primary schools. As a follow up to that now, he wants to look at the personnel, the teachers because you have to complement those physical structures with good teachers. You have seen that the process of employment is on now, even if it is being criticised by cynics who would never see anything good in anything the government does.
“If you go to the area of Health, he has done his best. When we came on board, we only had Mother and Child Hospital in Akure and Ondo. We have expanded this now to all the three senatorial districts. We now have Mother and Child Hospital in Owo and Okitipupa.
“And look at what we have done in creating a Teaching Hospital. Up to the time we came on board, Ondo State remained the only state in the South West without a teaching hospital. We have established it. We have one in Ondo. We also have one in Akure here.
I don’t know if you have visited the place. You need to visit to see the kind of infrastructural development that is taking place in the teaching hospital. It is not just infrastructural development; very up to date medical equipment are being installed.
“Outside the state, the governor made personal visits to America to bring in many hospital equipment, both consumables and equipment. We bought about 40 ft container. About 26 of them were shared to all the hospitals in the state. That is to tell you he cares about his people.
“Even in human capital development, the civil service, because we believe that the quality of service you have would depend on the kind of civil service you have. Many civil servants are being trained. They are being given their welfare. Look at the area of salary. As at today, we have paid our salaries up to date.
“We have paid up to date. Out of the seven months salaries we inherited, Mr. Governor has paid six; and he has even made a promise to the workers in the state that he would pay the last one before he finishes his first term, even if he has to go and borrow. He has made that commitment to them.
“So, generally speaking, the administration of Akeredolu is people-centred. Despite the criticisms that we have from our party men that he is not giving them the welfare, he has tried his best.
“Apart from that, we have done a lot in micro credit, giving loans to the people, to the market women. These are things that can have direct impact on the people.”
