By Adesina Soyooye
A cousin of the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Agboola Ajayi has dumped him.
Barrister Akinwunmi Sowore, in dumping his cousin, who is the Governorship candidate of the Zenith Labour Party, ZLP, said Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, is a more quality Ese-Odo candidate.
This came as the Ondo State Government dismissed the Third force as tough fraud.
Sowore, a former Chairman of Ese-Odo Local Government did not dump Ajayi alone, on Friday. He led no fewer than 1,200 and decamped to the ruling APC.
The defectors were, formerly, members of the main opposition party, PDP as well as the ZLP.
The former Council boss was received to the APC by the State Chairman, Engr Adetimehin, in the presence of the party’s Deputy Governorship candidate, Lucky Ayedatiwa, Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Donald Ojogo, and other notable leaders of the APC from both Ese-Odo and Ilaje LGAs.
Sowore, from Kiribo Town, Apoi Ward 2 in Ese-Odo said the decision to
harvest the whole of PDP in the ward and other parts of the Local government for the APC was informed by the wonderful performance of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN.
“Aside the outstanding performance of our Amiable governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, SAN, it is only morally just for the entire state to allow the governor complete eight years in order to fulfil political configuration of the state.
“Please express this message to the Governor that we, in Ese Odo, are people of character and integrity. Let him not use the attitude of the estranged deputy Governor as a yardstick to judge us.
“In any case, Akeredolu is even more of quality candidate as an indigene of Ese-Odo than the man who is claiming Ese-Odo. Our people should note that we have got a more experienced and qualitative person in Aketi than anyone, if you are confronted that our brother is running after all.
Speaking at the event, Adetimehin lauded Sowore for his courage and foresight, saying the array of supporters he had brought on board showed he meant business.
Earlier in his welcome remarks, Ojogo charged the leadership of the APC in Ese Odo to stand form and repeat the fest achieved during the July 20 governorship primary even as he described the much touted third force as tough fraud and an aborted pregnancy.
“If we were united to defeat all forces by delivering over 80 percent for Aketi, now that we are more united than ever before, we will not do less. Ignore whatever anyone says about third force, it is a tough fraud not third force because they are singing about a pregnancy that had been aborted along the journey”, Ojogo said.
