Ondo State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), has told Governor Oluwarotimi Aketi that he has seven months to leave the Alagbaka Government House, Akure.
The governorship election holds on October 10 and a new governor will be sworn-in February, 2021.
Jegede said Akeredolu never won any election in the Sunshine State in 2012 and 2016.
A statement by Gbenga Akinmoyo (GaRo),
spokesman, Eyitayo Jegede Campaign Organisation, said: “The recent statement by His Excellency, Arakurin 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 neccesary 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 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 travelled 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 save him in October 2020.
“Apart from the fact that some of his hatchet men have fallen out with him, a fed-up electorate are ready and eager to show him the red card”.
