A political group within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo state, under the auspices of the G30 group, threw its weight behind Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s aspiration on Friday.
They stated that the endorsement became necessary following his competence, capacity, and the required vision for progressive leadership exhibited in the last few months.
The group, which made this declaration during a press conference in Akure, the state capital, asserted that Aiyedatiwa remains the best choice for the state regarding the required solutions to the myriad of problems confronting it.
Speaking during the press conference, the convener of the group, Dr. Tola Awosika, maintained that Aiyedatiwa has what it takes to create a very sharp impact for the good people of Ondo State within four years of his administration.
He urged the people of the state to support an aspirant who can bring unprecedented development to the state, irrespective of the number of years or terms that the aspirant can spend governing the state.
This comes on the heels of a call by one of the aspirants, Jimi Odimayo, who urged the people of the South not to vote for Aiyedatiwa, stating that his candidacy would shortchange the chances of the people of the southern senatorial district as he would only be allowed to serve a single term.
According to Odimayo, Aiyedatiwa can only be sworn in as governor twice and might not have the opportunity to recontest after a term, while the people of the South earnestly yearn for two terms of eight years.
But Awosika countered by saying that whether Aiyedatiwa spends two or four years, his endorsement as the governorship candidate of the APC in the November election opens development opportunities in the state.
Awosika, flanked by a former member of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Adefisoye, Dr. Oluwaseun Bosede Osamaye, and other members, said the group has carefully evaluated the capacity of Governor Aiyedatiwa in the last few months at the helm of power and believes he should be allowed to consolidate on it.
Awosika said: “I think we should be more concerned about tomorrow, what happens to our state, not what happens in a year, two, three, or four years.
“I’m sure you know that when the Northern senatorial district was clamoring for their turn, they also wanted eight years, but unfortunately, God decides tomorrow, and our late governor was only able to achieve seven years. However, in those seven years, he did his part.
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“He impacted his people, and they are very pleased with the legacy he left for them as far as Ondo North is concerned. So, I don’t see that being an issue for him. I believe it’s not about how long you spend but what you do when you’re given the opportunity.
“So, whether it’s two or four years, I believe he has what it takes to create a very sharp impact for the good people of Ondo State.”
He expressed optimism that Aiyedatiwa would receive the blessing of President Bola Tinubu, and said, “We all know the antecedents of President Tinubu. We saw it in his struggle for the presidential primary ticket.
“He’s a Democrat through and through, someone who believes in the process and elections. He fought hard for his nomination as a candidate of the APC during the 2023 presidential election, and I believe he’s paving the same path. He wants the aspirants to also fight for what they believe in, and I believe he’s going to support a very transparent and democratic process.”
The group, however, promised to mobilize the people to ensure that Aiyedatiwa is elected as the candidate of the party and subsequently as state governor on November 16.”
