As the November 16 governorship election draws near, Ondo State’s political landscape intensifies.
Recent comments by the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, have sparked a fierce response from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), setting the stage for what promises to be a highly contested race.
Following the APC’s victory in Edo State, Ganduje confidently announced plans to replicate the winning strategy in Ondo.
Speaking at a meeting with members of the APC’s situation room for the Edo election in Abuja,
Ganduje stated, “We would continue to extend our influence in the South-east and South-west.”
This assertion, however, has not gone unchallenged.
The PDP in Ondo State swiftly countered, dismissing the Edo election outcome as “not only embarrassing but shameful.” Kennedy Peretei, the PDP’s Publicity Secretary in Ondo, issued a strongly worded statement on Tuesday, reminding the APC chairman that “Ondo State is not one of the states where the people can be intimidated or cowed.”
Peretei highlighted Ondo State citizens’ political awareness and resilience, citing past resistance to electoral manipulation.
He stated, “Our people are very enlightened and resilient. When the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN) attempted to subvert the will of the people, the people proved to the Shagari government that they were different. That tradition has not died.”
The PDP spokesperson further criticized Ganduje’s remarks, particularly in light of ongoing controversies surrounding the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Nigerian Police’s roles in the Edo election.
Peretei argued that such statements undermine public faith in Nigeria’s democratic process, saying, “Most Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora are beginning to lose hope in our hard-earned democracy when major players like Ganduje openly allude to the fact that their votes will not count as long as men like him hold influential positions.”
Peretei didn’t mince words in his critique of the Edo election, alleging widespread irregularities.
“Everyone knows that most of the results announced at the state collation centre were fabricated, as the figures were different from those uploaded into the INEC Irev portal,” he claimed.
The PDP spokesman further asserted, “The people of Edo State could never have elected a man who promised to bring ‘insecurity to Edo State’.”
In a direct challenge to the APC chairman, Peretei suggested, “Let Ganduje first give the ‘Edo Treatment’ to his people in Kano State, where he was humiliated by a relatively unknown New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in last year’s gubernatorial election.”
As the November 16 election draws near, both the APC and PDP are ramping up their campaign efforts across Ondo State.
The incumbent governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the APC, will face off against former deputy governor Agboola Ajayi, representing the PDP.