Ugo Aliogo
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, decides to throw his hat into the ring to win the election. He has remained undeterred by the emergence of a third-party candidate in the upcoming governorship election in Ondo State scheduled for October 10, 2020.
A statement made available to THISDAY by the Vancouver Group Outreach Coordinator, Philip Adebayo, said Eyitayo Jegede, is a grassroots politician, who is in good shape to win the governorship election because already he has the public opinion and momentum on his side.
He also noted that the emergence of a third-party candidate has further brightened his chances to clinch the contest on the Election Day.
Adebayo further explained that Governor Rotimi Akeredolu is jittery because of the entrance of a third-party candidate, adding that evidence to this is that the governor is now taking panicky measures to shore up his dwindling acceptance among his party’s supporters and key leaders.
He added that it is the governor who has a trust issue with his key party leaders and he stands chance of having his support-base being peeled off.
According to him, “What is noticeable is that key members of the governor’s party are wary of the current truce with him given his antecedent, and as adults they do not want to be fooled twice. They are the ones who are voting with their feet to a third-party candidate. It is doubtful how a 45 days PDP member can pose a significant political threat to a grassroots politician like Eyitayo Jegede from winning the gubernatorial election.
“As evidence of governor do anything and say anything strategy to gain relevance, less than six months into the end of his administration, the governor suddenly touts his elusive COVID-19 palliative and reels out a bogus 200,000 beneficiaries. Out of blues, the governor realizes that the previous government left a huge debt of N220 billion. Suppose the previous government left such a debt, it is reasonable to call officials of the previous government to ask questions rather than say it when election beckons and when the previous governor now backs a third-party candidate, threatening the governor’s electoral fortunes.
“Moreover, one would have expected that a probe panel would have been set-up to unravel the veracity of projects embarked on, which warranted the accumulation of such a whopping debt, but this has been left undone for more than three years. Talks are cheap. Well, the public sees through these worn-out tactics, but such tactics are expected when the governor has no tangible achievements’ to run his campaign on.
“Jegede welcomes a third-party candidate into the race because it has brightened his chances. More than any other candidates in the race, he has demonstrated his reliability, consistency, and his experience will be needed to bring back the state to a sustainable development path. More than any other candidates in the race, he does not seek power just for power’s sake but to uplift the state. Therefore, he is poised to win this election based on issues that are important to the people of Ondo State. He is ready to debate his opponents on issues and programs that will benefit the citizenry and confident that voters will decide in his favour.”
