Candidate of the APC and Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), and the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate, Eyitayo Jegede (SAN).
By Dayo Johnson Akure
The leadership crisis in the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in Ondo state, has deepened as its governorship candidate, Peter Fasua, and the state party chairman, Dele Ogunbameru are split between endorsing the candidates of the All Progressives Congress, Rotimi Akeredolu and the Peoples Democratic Party, Eyitayo Jegede.
While the party’s governorship candidate of the party, Peter Fasua, collapsed his structure for Akeredolu the party’s state Chairman Dele Ogunbameru, joined ten other political parties to endorse Jegede.
Also, the only House of Representatives member in the state, Hon Tajudeen Adefisoye, has also declared support for Akeredolu. The party’s deputy governorship candidate, Chief Mrs. Rachel Ajayi has also distanced herself from the position taken by the governorship candidate, Peter Fasua.
Speaking on why he decided to collapse his ambition for Akeredolu, Fasua said he opted to settle for a candidate already with experience rather than candidates with experiment.
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Fasua, who donated a branded coaster bus to Akeredolu, said the governor’s explanation at the debate organised by Face the Voter Initiative showed that his reasons for seeking to govern the state have been achieved.
He assured Governor Akeredolu that all structures of the SDP across the state would work for the victory of the APC during Saturday’s election.
According to him, “I was to choose between three giants with experience and experiment. I saw that Akeredolu has the experience. The manifesto read out by Governor Akeredolu at the debate endeared me to him.
“SDP used to be a big party. There were three mighty people. I have to join one even if I wanted to win the race. I didn’t have much interest in Akeredolu but during the debate, he explained what he has done. He already did the flag-off from Ilaje to Lekki in Lagos.
“I will put all my effort into the APC to win this election.” On the stance of the party chairman to support Jegede, Fasua said they had an agreement on Sunday night to collapse the party structure for Akeredolu.
He said he was disappointed when he heard the party chairman was at the PDP secretariat to endorse Jegede.
“We were both at the debate and we agreed at night to collapse the structure for the APC. He called me in the morning and we talked for 40 minutes. Meanwhile, the deputy governorship candidate, Chief Ajayi said that ” I am a party person and I queue behind any position taken by my party and its leadership.
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“The party has decided to support the Peoples Democratic Party as relayed by our State Chairman and that is ok by me. Fasua has never called me for once and he has not been carrying the party along in all his programmes. Everything about him is business, he is not prepared for this election and he has always been acting as an agent of the APC as revealed even during the governorship debate.”
” To me, he should have contested under the APC. The party is supreme and we are candidates sponsored by the party since we are not independent candidates. I do not support any activities that will undermine d supremacy of the party.”
However, governor Akeredolu appreciated Fasua for his love for the state, while describing his decision to join him as another sign of victory.
The Governor assured that his administration will continue to deliver on its promises and smiles on the faces of the people.
Akeredolu thanked Fasua and SDP for placing the interest of the state above their personal interest, promising never to betray their trust in him.
He said that “Be rest assured that I will not disappoint you. My administration shall continue to deliver for the people. I will never derail.”
