Ondo: ZLP’s Agboola Ajayi Flags Off Campaign After Botched Attempt To Stop Him |The Source

By Ayodele Oni, Akure

A last minute barricade of the road leading to the flag off of his Governorship campaign of Zenith Labour Party, (ZLP)  flag bearer, almost marred the event on Saturday.

Governorship candidate of ZLP and deputy governor of Ondo state, Mr Agboola Ajayi, had opted for Ore Township after being denied of the use of the Democracy Park in Akure.

He was asked to pay N11 million before he could use the event centre, in Akure, named after the  late MKO Abiola as against the N5 million usually charged for the  Centre.

The ZLP candidate thereafter relocated to Ore, in Odigbo local government for the flag off ceremony.

However on his way going to the venue with his entourage, he was held up in traffic for almost four hours, caused by blockade of the highway in Ondo town with a trailer.

After series of pleadings from former Governor Olusegun Mimiko, a chieftain of ZLP fell on deaf ears, efforts were made to contact incumbent Governor Rotimi Akeredolu who intervened before the trailer was removed from the highway.

It was learnt that the articulated vehicle was used to block the highway by people suspected to be members of the All Progressives Congress ,(APC).

Addressing supporters at the rally, Ajayi declared that he’s the most qualified candidate to occupy the seat of government in the state.

“I am a home-based politician. I am familiar with the challenges of our people. I am the most qualified to be the governor of Ondo State.

“The person who said I am a neophyte does not know the meaning of the word. I had served as a councillor, local government chairman, a member of the House of Representatives.

“I live among my people and feel what they feel. I am the most qualified to rescue them from the misrule and hardship they have been subjected to by the present administration in the state.”

Assuring parents and students that he would review downward tuitions of all state-owned tertiary institutions, Agboola said the maximum any student would pay would be N50,000.

He dismissed the N10,000 reduction in tuitions announced by the All Progressives Congress gubernatorial candidate, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, as a ruse, saying he(Akeredolu) was jolted by the promise by ZLP to review downward tuitions of higher institutions owned by the state.

“We will make Ondo civil service work because we have brilliant sons and daughters. We are going to design Civil Service Revolving Financial Scheme, which would provide the opportunity for workers in the state to access loans to build houses.

Lamenting the lingering power supply problem in the Southern Senatorial District of the state, the ZLP candidate assured that if he’s voted in as the governor of the state, he would fix the power problem within one hundred days in office and restore power supply in the district.

In his address, a former Governor of the state and national leader of ZLP, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, urged the people of the state to collect the money offer by people who plan to buy the votes, and still go ahead to vote for ZLP.

He described the deputy governor as the most qualified among all 17 candidates participating in the election.

Mimiko, therefore, urged the people to go out on the election day to cast their votes for ZLP and wait at the polling booths till they count the votes, and results announced, so that those planning to manipulate election results be checkmated.