Don’t repeat Edo errors in Ondo, candidates tell INEC

• Democracy in Nigeria mere transitional politics, says Obi
• Only LP can transform Ondo, says Ebiseni
• APC boasts of winning all 18 councils

Some candidates for the Ondo State gubernatorial election have warned that under no circumstance should the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) allow the errors recorded in the Edo State governorship poll be repeated in Ondo.

One of the candidates, who championed the discussion and was said to have met one-on-one with the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, is the Social Democratic Party (SDP) flagbearer, Bamidele Akingboye.

The Guardian learnt part of the demands, which Akingboye put to the INEC chairman, is that the commission should ensure that all its necessary gadgets for the election must be put in proper conditions before the election on Saturday and that under no circumstance should the umpire allow the error recorded in the Edo poll be repeated in Ondo.

It was also learnt that about seven political parties and their candidates have indicated interest to align with the SDP to oust the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

However, a national executive member of the SDP, Dr Olu Agunloye, said there had been several alignments and realignments going underground “but I want to say that the SDP will not align with either the PDP or APC. Seven parties have already indicated interest in working for our candidate.”

He also said that the SDP is only doing targeted campaigns since it does not have the kind of money for mega rallies like the APC and PDP.

The Guardian also gathered that there are ongoing discussions between the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and the PDP for a possible collaboration, which had allegedly been deliberated with Governor Seyi Makinde. The idea is to get the Ondo NNPP gubernatorial candidate to appreciate reasons he needs to work with Agboola Ajayi of the PDP to unseat the ruling APC and Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa on Saturday.

The Labour Party is also not taking chances as The Guardian reliably gathered that the national headquarters of the party had already mobilised all the party’s faithful across the neighbouring states to Ondo for the campaign.

Chairman of the LP in Oyo, Ataiye Tunji Sadiq, yesterday, said he could not say if there is going to be an alignment.

Meanwhile, despite all the moves to unseat the ruling APC, the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General of the state, Kayode Ajulo, has boasted that APC would win all the 18 councils in the state.

Ajulo, who dismissed any form of threat to the re-election of Aiyedatiwa either in form of alignment or collaboration, said that the future of Ondo State would be guaranteed if the people re-elect the incumbent.

He urged the people to look beyond rhetoric and recognise the stakes at hand, advocating for the re-election of Governor Aiyedatiwa.

MEANWHILE, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has expressed concern that democracy in Nigeria has been turned to transitional politics.

He lamented that democracy in the country is suffering, saying that everyone must be involved in the rebuilding process of the nation.

Obi, who spoke during the governorship campaign rally of the LP in Akure, Ondo State capital, yesterday, said that voters must shun vote trading during Saturday’s gubernatorial election.