“The PDP National Campaign Council for Ondo Governorship Election has reviewed all prospects relating to the October 10 election and affirms that our candidate, Eyitayo Jegede, enjoys the greater support of the overwhelming majority of Ondo people and he is indisputably in good stead for victory on Saturday.
“This is despite the recourse to violence, threats, hate comments as well as desperation by the APC and its jittery candidate, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, to manipulate government institutions to work against the people and rig the election for them.
“Our campaign had earlier alerted of desperate moves by the APC to drag in certain officials of the Buhari Presidency as earlier boasted by Governor Akeredolu’s self-confessed thug, Isaac Kekemeke, who exposed that Governor Akeredolu plots to use violence and ‘federal might’ to muscle the election against the wishes and aspirations of the people of Ondo state.
“Such boasts coupled with Governor Akeredolu’s thoughtless threats and declaring Ondo citizens as his “enemies for life” for reaching a consensus to replace him with Eyitayo Jegede, had if anything, spurred the people to vote him and his self-serving administration out of office.
“It is not Eyitayo Jegede’s fault that Governor Akeredolu failed as a governor, and that the people identified him (Jegede) as a rallying point in their quest for a new and purposeful leadership.
“Governor Akeredolu wasted the chance given to him and should have nobody but himself to blame for the electoral loss that would befall him on Saturday.
“If Governor Akeredolu had done well in the last four years, he would have been celebrating his achievements instead of threatening his people, running from pillar to post to manipulate election and seeking to drag in the Presidency.
“Our campaign therefore calls on President Muhammadu Buhari not to succumb to pressure by a failed Governor Akeredolu and the APC to renege in his resolve not to interfere in elections, as amply witnessed in the September 19 Edo election.
“We invite Mr. President to note the applauses and commendations coming to him from all parts of our nation and the global community over the non-interference of his Presidency in the conduct of a free, fair and credible election in Edo state, a development that allowed the will of the people to prevail.
“Mr. President must not allow a failed Governor Akeredolu, who had been justly rejected by his people for non-performance and who has declared his citizens as his “enemies for life”, to detract from his desire in this regard.
“Our campaign therefore urges President Buhari to adopt the same Edo stance to ensure a free, fair and credible election in Ondo, without regard to partisan consideration, so that he can leave a legacy of electoral uprightness for which posterity and history can be kind to him.
“We make this demand because it is clear that the tide favours Eyitayo Jegede in this election and any attempt to manipulate the electoral process at any level will be a recipe for a breakdown of law and order, which Mr. President would not want at this critical time.
“Mr. President should note the ongoing spate of violence already being perpetrated on the streets of Ondo state by APC murderous agents.
“We therefore call on President Buhari to direct the Police and the Department of State Services (DSS) to clean the ground for a peaceful election by immediately pulling in characters like Isaac Kekemeke and other agents of violence allegedly assembled by Governor Akeredolu to perpetrate violence during the election.
“This is more so as information reaching us indicates that such characters plot to pose as agents of federal authorities and unleash mayhem on the people.
“Mr. President is therefore further urged to direct INEC and security agencies to restrict themselves to their statutory responsibilities as the Ondo people are ready to treat violators as fake security and fake INEC operatives.
“The PDP National campaign stands with the Ondo people in their determination to rescue their state from the stranglehold of Governor Akeredolu’s self-serving government on Saturday and nothing will stop them from achieving this collective resolve.”
Signed:
Kola Ologbondiyan, Chairman, Publicity Sub-Committee
