I’ll revolutionise, transform Ondo as governor – Ajayi

The governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming off-cycle gubernatorial election in Ondo State, Agboola Ajayi, has vowed to pull the state out of the doldrums allegedly plunged into by the All Progressives Congress (APC) led administration.

Ajayi, a former deputy governor, who disclosed that he will transform the state into a beacon of sustainable development if elected as governor in November 16, emphasised that the state has no capacity to survive another round of “incompetence” and “directionless” government of APC.

The governorship candidate, who was a former House of Representatives member and ex-Council Chairman, stated this during a parley with media executives in Lagos State.

While reeling out his blueprint, Ajayi maintained that despite receiving over N99 billion in the past months, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has foisted maladministration and poverty on the people of the state, revealing that the situation was attested to by the national leadership of the party.

He said: “The National Chairman of APC, Alhaji Abdulahi Ganduje, while receiving the leadership of the Kano State Correspondents Chapel of the NUJ on Thursday, 29th of August, 2024, confirmed the fact that Ondo State was bedevilled with problems under the administration of erstwhile Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu.

“For Ondo State, it’s already an APC state, and when the former governor (Rotimi Akeredolu) died, he left a number of problems.”

“The problems left behind have now been exacerbated by his then deputy (now the substantive governor, Lucky Ayedatiwa), who lacks foresight, knowledge, coordination, and coherence and who is grossly incompetent in managing the affairs of the state.”

“Mr. Lucky Ayedatiwa has received more than N99.8 billion since he assumed the leadership of Ondo State about nine months ago, yet he is unable to coordinate the execution of a single project for which the state has received this humongous amount.

“This has been the trend of the APC-led administration in Ondo State. It is my candid position that Ondo State cannot afford to continue an inch further on this road to perdition.”

“It is in view of the above that I have carefully (and in the company of my team) thought out seven areas where I will intervene to curb these myriads of avoidable problems foisted on the Sunshine State in the last eight years.

“It is therefore my mission to harness the state’s human and material resources to actualise this vision and thereby rescue and redeem the people of the Sunshine State from the shackles of poverty, oppression, deprivation, and insecurity and set them on the path of sustainable development so that the sun will shine again in the state.”

Meanwhile, the governorship candidate warned the APC of the consequences that will be met if the alleged rigging perpetrated in the just concluded governorship election in Edo State surfaces in Ondo State.

According to him, the political events of 1983 were still fresh in the minds of the people of the state; hence, any move or ploy to subvert the will of the people would be met with resistance.