Ondo guber poll: ZLP’s candidate, Mimiko, allays fears of rigging

NURTW rallies support for Aiyedatiwa

The governorship candidate of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) for the forthcoming off-cycle governorship election in Ondo State, Dr Abass Mimiko, has said that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa should not expect that President Bola Tinubu will manipulate the election in his favour.

Mimiko, who allayed the fears of the people that the election would be riddled with vote-buying, urged the electorate not to fall for the trick that Tinubu would release funds for the All Progressives Congress (APC) solely for the purpose.

The ZLP candidate, who is the younger brother of former Governor Olusegun Mimiko, stated this while addressing newsmen at the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat in Akure, the state capital. He also said that he does not need the endorsement of his elder brother to emerge victorious at the poll.

He urged the people of the state to vote for the candidate of their choice and should not be intimidated by the power-of-incumbency dummy. He said: “As it is now, we are the third force. The PDP, APC, and ZLP are the alternatives Ondo State has.

“President Bola Tinubu is not coming to rig elections for the APC. Don’t let anybody deceive you that the President will come and impose on you.

“The President wants his country to run and run successfully. And he has taken some very bold steps. It’s unfortunate that we have states like Ondo that are not seizing the momentum.

“I don’t want my brother to give me any endorsement. What I need is the people, the endorsement of the masses, and the people of Ondo State. I won’t vote for somebody whose brother is raising his hand saying I became governor; come and vote for my brother! No!

MEANWHILE, the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Ondo State, yesterday, declared support for the governorship bid of Aiyedatiwa. According to the state Chairman of the union, Ademola Odudu, who expressed the union’s confidence in Aiyedatiwa’s leadership, hailed his achievements in road infrastructure development and his dedication to addressing the concerns of transport workers.

Odudu, who vowed to mobilise members of the union to ensure the emergence of Aiyedatiwa at the poll, stated: “We have seen firsthand the positive impact of Governor Aiyedatiwa’s leadership on our sector. His administration has not only improved our road networks but has also ensured the safety and prosperity of the union’s members.

Also, a national leader of NURTW, Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, has urged all the drivers in the state to rally support for the governor’s victory at the election.

Aiyedatiwa, who thanked the union for the endorsement, said that the vital role the NURTW plays in the state’s economy, particularly in enhancing transportation and ensuring smooth connectivity across communities, could not be undermined.