By Banji Ayoola
Ondo State Deputy Governor, Hon Agboola Ajayi, has thanked his supporters statewide over his impressive outing at the just concluded governorship primary of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Ajayi scored 657 votes, the second highest number trailing the winner, Senator Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, who scored 888 votes to clinch the party’s ticket for the October 10 election.
A statement on Friday July 24, by his Campaign Director General, Dr Kola Ademujimi, said: “On behalf of His Excellency, Hon Alfred Agboola Ajayi, Deputy Governor of Ondo State, we wish to thank all our supporters across the eighteen Local Government Areas of the State for an uncommon doggedness, commitment and excellent outing at the PDP Governorship Primaries on Wednesday, 22nd July, 2020.
“We also wish to appreciate and Commend our Principal, His Excellency, Agboola Ajayi for displaying maturity level headedness on the face of provocation and campaign of calumny.
“He proved that he is a grassroots politician by polling 657 votes, coming second in a contest among seven other Aspirants, barely thirty days after rejoining the PDP.
“This is why commendations kept pouring in from the State and even from outside the State. It was a great performance, a great day for him and democracy.
“We are equally using this medium to state unequivocally that, PDP remains our party and we therefore want all our supporters to remain loyal to the Party as we work towards the way forward.
“Once again, we thank all of you for your high sense of commitment and loyalty.”
Jegede was declared early Thursday morning by the chairman of the Ondo State PDP Governorship Primary Election Committee and Enugu State Governor, Mr Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, as the winner of the party’s primary, which was hotly contested by seven other aspirants including the Ajayi.
It held at the International Culture and Event Centre, otherwise called The Dome, at Alagbaka in Akure, the state capital.
Also present at the primary is Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, among other members of the committee.
Other aspirants are Senator BOluwaji Kunlere, Chief Sola Ebiseni, Dr Eddy Olafeso, Hon Bode Ayorinde, Mr Banji Okunomo and Mr Godday Erewa.
Jegede, a former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of the state and PDP governorship candidate in the last governorship election, polled 888 votes to beat his closest rival, Ajayi, who scored 657 votes.
With his victory, the stage seems set again for another historic electoral battle of senior advocates, when Jegede would slug it out with the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate and incumbent Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, another SAN.
In fact, history is being repeated as both candidates faced each other in the last governorship election as candidates of their same parties. That election brought Akeredolu to power.
Breakdown of the result shows that Eddy Olafeso polled 175 votes, followed by Bode Ayorinde: 95 votes; Banji Okunomo: 90 votes; BOluwaji Kunlere: 33 votes; Sola Ebiseeni: 29 votes; and Godday Erewa: 14 votes. There were 64 invalid votes.
The primary which began on Monday, was rolled off by Ugwuanyi, saying: “It is our expectation that this Ondo State primary election will be seamless at the time it is completed. We hope to see that the Ondo State chapter of the PDP elects a widely acceptable flag-bearer.”
He said the party’s candidate should be able to make the ‘umbrella’ stronger and win the upcoming governorship election in October.Ugwuanyi disclosed that the aspirants were properly screened for the election and made to sign a peace pact.
“We are in agreement on strict adherence to electoral guidelines on the conduct of a credible, free and fair gubernatorial primary election in Ondo.
“We also agreed to observe the protocols laid down by the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) for prevention of Covid-19 transmission.”
Following are the full results:
Eyitayo Jegede- 888 Votes
Agboola Ajayi- 657 Votes
Eddy Olafeso-175 Votes
Bode Ayorinde – 95 Votes
Okunomo- 90 Votes Kunlere- 33 Votes
Ebiseni Olusola- 29 Votes
Erewa Godday- 13. Votes
