Ondo 2024: APC lawmakers drum support for Aiyedatiwa

Ondo 2024: APC lawmakers drum support for Aiyedatiwa

Joel Oladele, Abuja

Majority of Lawmakers elected on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State House of Assembly (ODHA) have declared their full support for the governorship bid of Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

The group of lawmakers led by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Olamide Oladiji disclosed this during a visit to the National Chairman of APC, Alhaji Umar Ganduje at the National Secretariat of the party on Monday.

National Periscope had earlier reported  that APC has scheduled its governorship primary elections for April 25.

Addressing journalists after a brief meeting with Ganduje, Hon. Olamide said the support for Aiyedatiwa became imperative as he has proven himself as a man capable of leading the state ever since he was sworn in as governor after the demise of Late Rotimi Akeredolu.

He noted that although he was not on the same page with the incumbent governor during the leadership tussle that ensued in the state when the late governor was incapacitated, he appreciated Ganduje and President Bola Tinubu for the peaceful resolution that paved the way for Aiyedatiwa.

“Our visit to the party secretariat here is very simple. We are here to appreciate our leader, the chairman, the national chairman of the largest party in Africa, HE Alhaji Umar Ganduje.

“We are here to appreciate him for his quick intervention into the political crisis that erupted in Ondo States a few months ago and the quick intervention of Mr. President, led to peaceful resolution and also to appreciate him for making himself physically present in the burial ceremony of our late governor, His Excellency Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu. 

“And we are here also to tell him that as far as we are concerned, those of us around amongst our members and those that are on their way, we are fully in support of the continuity of APC-led government. We are in support of continuity. 

“We want APC to continue with the governments of Ondo State. We believe it will work out and we are giving them 100% assurance that the primary elections will be peaceful. Inshallah,” he said.

Clearing the air on an open letter recently written by National Assembly members from Ondo State to Tinubu accusing Aiyedatiwa of ruling the state recklessly, the ODHA Speaker said the house disagrees with the letter as those in Abuja are not in the best position to assess the performance of the governor. Adding that, Aiyedatiwa has so far done well in terms of appointments and performance generally.

“In respect to the letter that a few members of the House of Representatives wrote to Mr. President. Members here, we disagree with the letter and because we are the honourable members, we are the MHAs in our various state constituencies and we have about 15 of us here present, you know what it means. We have 22 APC members in the House of Assembly. We have 13 here now and another two are on their way.  So that is about 15. 

“And if we are telling you that the state under the leadership of Mr. Governor is at peace, you know we mean what we are saying and then apart from that also, for now, the appointments he has done are just for six commissioners, and he did it you know senatorial by senatorial, two per senatorial district, of which it’s still very okay. 

“Like those people that are complaining. I want to believe that they have not been coming to Ondo State to come and witness what is going on there. They are permanently in Abuja here. We are the ones that are closer to the grassroots, we know what is going on in Ondo State,” he stated.

Olamide also said none of the ODHA members has shown interest to contest because they believe in continuity and capability of Aiyedatiwa.

He lauded the ability of the governor to bring about synergy between various stakeholders in the state.

“ Let me use this opportunity to put the record straight, as far as we are concerned, we are not here to come and deceive the people of Nigeria. His achievements, the achievements of the incumbent governor are out there. Presently he has started the recruitment of 2000 workers in the academic sector,  and at the same time, he has worked at the  ODRS  and the most important thing is that he did not stop the legacy started by the late governor.

“He directed all the contractors to go back to the site of which everybody in the state applauded. So what I am trying to say in essence is that as I’m talking to you now,  all the contractors are now on the site working and other projects too are ongoing in Ondo State. 

“And  there’s a synergy now between the executive, the judiciary, and the legislature. There’s peace in Ondo State. And we are all working together, we are praying together and I can give you 100% assurance that our primary elections  come April 2024 is going to be very, very peaceful,” he said.

He therefore used the opportunity to appeal to the aspirants to prioritize the interest of the state above their personal interest, urging them to shun campaign of calumny.

“As far as the aspirants are concerned, my own advice as Speaker of Ondo State House of Assembly is that we should not hit the polity. You should try as much as possible to play the politics with all decorum in such a way that we don’t have any other state to go to. 

“We should try as much as possible to maintain decency while we are campaigning. It’s within the party, it’s within our party. We must not allow another political party to snatch this power from us,” Olamide appealed.

Earlier, the APC National Chairman, Alhaji Umar Ganduje has called on the lawmakers to support the party for a rancor free primary elections as APC is determined to retain the state in its political kitty.

“Ondo state is an APC state and we will continue to maintain it as an APC state. We need your cooperation so that we can have a free and transparent primaries in the state so that we can shore up our opportunity and believe our members are equal to the task with good synergy between the party and your institution as members of the State House of Assembly. 

“We thank you for coming and we assure you that we have prepared a well articulated programme for the primaries in Ondo state in order to produce a candidate.

“ Also, I have noted your request that we should extend your greetings and happiness to the Governor of Ondo state because he has succeeded in working with the legislature, judiciary, executive and different segments. I will do that,” Ganduje stated.