The governorship candidate of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Hon. Agboola Ajayi, on Tuesday, stated that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) would be defeated in the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
Ajayi who stated this while receiving PDP defectors from Okitipupa Local Government led by a governorship aspirant, Banji Okunomo, former chairman of the local government, Mr Solomon Bitire, said the ruling APC has failed the people of the state.
He noted that the lacklustre performance of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu has contributed to the dwindling fortune of the APC in the state while the PDP has no structure to win the election in the state.
Ajayi said the party has breached the zoning arrangement in the state and voters would punish the party for it by supporting and voting the ZLP in the forthcoming governorship election.
Ajayi added that the performance of Akeredolu in office in the last three and half years has fallen short of people’s expectations, saying the governor has personalised the government.
The deputy governor urged the people of the state to speak with their votes by voting Akeredolu and APC out of power, saying the party has failed to meet the yearnings and aspirations of the people.
Ajayi commended Okunomo for taking the right step and displaying a high level of patriotism, unlike others who he said equate their personal interests with that of the entire zone.
He said “PDP and APC are dead in Ondo South. We can postpone the burial ceremony, but you cannot wake up the dead political parties.”
Okunomo, while speaking, said he decided to resigned his membership from PDP to join the ZLP, known as third force ahead of the Ondo State governorship election on October 10, 2020, in order to rescue the people from the misrule of Akeredolu’s family.
According to him, he would officially leave the party with over 15, 000 members of the PDP across the 18 local governments of Ondo State during a formal declaration to be announced a later.
Okunomo said “I contested with Ajayi in PDP. He was the newest in the PDP race and came second. He contested within three weeks. The youth have the opportunity now to elect one of us.
“We don’t want someone who will increase the school fees. We don’t want a governor who will make life difficult for the people of Ondo State.
“The PDP made the mistake of 2016 by presenting a candidate from a wrong zone. The PDP lost in 2016 and will lose in this election because it failed to look at the local content of zoning.
“It is not that PDP is not a good party but the handlers have mismanaged the fortune of the party.”
