Ahead of the November 16 governorship election in Ondo State, Ayodeji Akinnodi has emerged as the candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) in the state.
Akinnodi emerged on consensus as the leadership adopted him as the candidate of the party, describing him as a man of competence and impeccable character who is ready to change the narrative of the state.
In the primary exercise held at Alagbaka, elected delegates of the party unanimously adopted Akinnodi and ratified him as the candidate of the ADP.
The exercise was witnessed by the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Nigeria Police, and other security agencies.
Akinnodi, while speaking after his adoption, highlighted his plans to sustain and emulate the legacies of Chief Obafemi Awolowo in the fields of education, health, education, security, and agriculture.
The ADP candidate promised to prioritise education through increased budgetary allocations, infrastructural development, and sustained public reorientation to reduce the number of out-of-school children.
He said he would work towards achieving economic integration and development between the states in the southwest to bring the dreams of Awolowo and other leaders to reality.
He promised to tackle the challenges of insecurity, dearth of infrastructure, and unemployment, among others.
He said, “Our people fought for the betterment of this place. The Awolowos, Akintolas, and Abiolas fought the battles of their lives to bequeath us a land of prosperity and greatness. Yet see where we have found ourselves.
“Our parents, who toil day and night to produce the food we live on, can hardly go to their farms without being hunted down like game in the jungle.
“Even in our places of worship, terrorists can invade and hack us down. Millions of able-bodied, job-seeking men and women are neglected and treated like second-class citizens.
“If you don’t know someone somewhere to hold your hand to the top, you will forever remain a job seeker.
“There is a dearth of infrastructure in all the sectors- health, transport, education, power, housing, name it. Available infrastructure has decayed badly because of a lack of maintenance.
“This is completely unacceptable. We cannot have this kind of unsightly situation in our land and go about as if things are normal.
“For me, this is an utter calamity that must be tackled with all the might and resources at our disposal. We must end this. Apparently, this is not how modern life should be.”
The state Chairman of ADP, Samuel Oladejo, commended the members of the party for endorsing Akinnodi as the candidate of the party, saying the exercise remains one of the most credible.
We are here to witness the performance of a ceremony highlighting the ADP’s fulfilment of a constitutional requirement, which makes it mandatory for us to pick our governorship candidate
“I congratulate the aspirant who will be affirmed in a short while as our party candidate, Hon. Akinnodi Ayodeji Emmanuel, aka “The Big Fish,” and pray that God almighty will see us through.”
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