The PDP National Campaign Council for Ondo Governorship Election has
reviewed all prospects relating to the October 10 election and affirms
that our candidate, Eyitayo Jegede, enjoys the greater support of the
overwhelming majority of Ondo people and he is indisputably in good
stead for victory on Saturday.
This is despite the recourse to violence, threats, hate comments as well
as desperation by the APC and its jittery candidate, Governor Rotimi
Akeredolu, to manipulate government institutions to work against the
people and rig the election for them.
Our campaign had earlier alerted of desperate moves by the APC to drag
in certain officials of the Buhari Presidency as earlier boasted by
Governor Akeredolu’s self-confessed thug, Isaac Kekemeke, who exposed
that Governor Akeredolu plots to use violence and ‘federal might’ to
muscle the election against the wishes and aspirations of the people of
Ondo state.
Such boasts coupled with Governor Akeredolu’s thoughtless threats and
declaring Ondo citizens as his “enemies for life” for reaching a
consensus to replace him with Eyitayo Jegede, had if anything, spurred
the people to vote him and his self-serving administration out of
office.
It is not Eyitayo Jegede’s fault that Governor Akeredolu failed as a
governor, and that the people identified him (Jegede) as a rallying
point in their quest for a new and purposeful leadership.
Governor Akeredolu wasted the chance given to him and should have nobody
but himself to blame for the electoral loss that would befall him on
Saturday.
If Governor Akeredolu had done well in the last four years, he would
have been celebrating his achievements instead of threatening his
people, running from pillar to post to manipulate election and seeking
to drag in the Presidency.
Our campaign therefore calls on President Muhammadu Buhari not to
succumb to pressure by a failed Governor Akeredolu and the APC to renege
in his resolve not to interfere in elections, as amply witnessed in the
September 19 Edo election.
We invite Mr. President to note the applauses and commendations coming
to him from all parts of our nation and the global community over the
non-interference of his Presidency in the conduct of a free, fair and
credible election in Edo state, a development that allowed the will of
the people to prevail.
Mr. President must not allow a failed Governor Akeredolu, who had been
justly rejected by his people for non-performance and who has declared
his citizens as his “enemies for life”, to detract from his desire in
this regard.
Our campaign therefore urges President Buhari to adopt the same Edo
stance to ensure a free, fair and credible election in Ondo, without
regard to partisan consideration, so that he can leave a legacy of
electoral uprightness for which posterity and history can be kind to
him.
We make this demand because it is clear that the tide favours Eyitayo
Jegede in this election and any attempt to manipulate the electoral
process at any level will be a recipe for a breakdown of law and order,
which Mr. President would not want at this critical time.
Mr. President should note the ongoing spate of violence already being
perpetrated on the streets of Ondo state by APC murderous agents.
We therefore call on President Buhari to direct the Police and the
Department of State Services (DSS) to clean the ground for a peaceful
election by immediately pulling in characters like Isaac Kekemeke and
other agents of violence allegedly assembled by Governor Akeredolu to
perpetrate violence during the election.
This is more so as information reaching us indicates that such
characters plot to pose as agents of federal authorities and unleash
mayhem on the people.
Mr. President is therefore further urged to direct INEC and security
agencies to restrict themselves to their statutory responsibilities as
the Ondo people are ready to treat violators as fake security and fake
INEC operatives.
The PDP National campaign stands with the Ondo people in their
determination to rescue their state from the stranglehold of Governor
Akeredolu’s self-serving government on Saturday and nothing will stop
them from achieving this collective resolve.
