… Insists party Alliance cannot stop governor’s reelection
By Ezeocha Nzeh
The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Campaign Council for the Ondo State governorship election has declared that the party’s candidate and incumbent governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu will win over 58 percent of votes in Saturdays governorship election in the state
The Council maintained that the recent alliance of some political parties, who have endorsed the candidate of opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would have no effect as the APC candidate has done so well to deserve a report election
Member of the Council, Osita Okechukwu, said at a press briefing on Tuesday in Abuja that the alliance, which he described as gathering of missionary political parties in the state would not in any way sway the votes of the electorate against the candidate of the party, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.
Okechukwu, who is the Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), said the council had taken time to study the challenges in the State and came with the conclusion that Akeredolu would come out victoriously in the election.
He argued that the Ondo State governor has within the limited resources in the state done well in the provision of physical infrastructure. He is sure of victory going by his sterling performance.
He said, “the APC National Campagn Committee sent some of us to Ondo State for on the spot assessment of our chances, we spent seven days mingling with people of all classes and cadre. To be frank, without being immodest Aketi’s chances of winning the election hovers between 55-58%.*
Speaking further, he said, “the scant visible complaint the people we interacted with, especially the elites pointed out is that he is tight fisted, which borders on what is euphemistically dubbed Stomach Infrastructure.
“I don’t harbour any fears of APC losing Ondo State for His Excellency Akeredolu for most of the times what people vote for and indeed are yearning for is good roads, improved health care and quality education.”
“I told some people that Akeredolu shares a lot in common with his Edo State counterpart Governor Godwin Obaseki. One, they devoted much more resources in the past four years to physical infrastructural development than stomach infrastructure. This is why some elites are antagonistic to both. Secondly, both diligently reconciled with their fellow gubernatorial aspirants within their parties thus going into the election with the spirit of internal democracy advantage. Thirdly, they both defeated same candidates in 2016 and one does not see the danger naysayers are hyping. Fourthly, don’t forget that they are products of our great party, APC.”
Concluding that the coming together of some political parties to join forces with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against Akeredolu in the Saturday’s election would not have effect, the DG also dismissed the allegation that the APC was putting pressure on President Muhammadu Buhari to compromise the credibility of the election.
