Ondo Poll:Aiyedatiwa,Aggrieved Aspirants Close Ranks

        Mohammed Shosanya

All Progressives Congress(APC) governors in Southwest and national leaders of the party on Sunday brokered peace between Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and all aggrieved governorship aspirants on the platform of the party to guarantee victory for the party on November 16 gubernatorial election in the state.

Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Dapo Abiodun and Abiodun Oyebanji, National Chairman of the APC, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, the National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Bashiru and Southwest National Vice Chairman, Hon. Isaac Kekemeke, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele and a number of the aggrieved governorship aspirants on the platform of the party in Ondo State gathered at The Dome, Alagbaka, Akure, Ondo

At the peace meeting,the National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Ganduje, said it is important to reconcile all aggrieved members of the party so the party could win the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

Ganduje implored all the aggrieved members to sheath their swords and work as a team to ensure victory in the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

Speaking after the meeting,Ganduje explained that the convergence of the leaders of the party was to reconcile all aggrieved members so that they could win the governorship election.

He expressed confidence that APC would come out victorious at the November 16 gubernatorial election because all the chieftains and members of the party would work together as a family.

He added:”Our target is to win the election, our mission is to give assurance that the party is solidly behind you. All stakeholders have put hands together to ensure successful election.

“We are so encouraged by the unity, solidarity, vigour especially when we invited all those aspirants who contested. We are to encourage, energise you, support you and to ensure that this election is a task that must be done”

He appealed to the gubernatorial aspirants,saying: “We cannot say you lost the election but it’s a win-win situation for all of us and those aspirants who have already said they are behind the party’s candidate.

“Apart from those who contested the primary, the problem we have had been solved with assurance from all the aggrieved quarters. We are expecting 90 percent in the election, make sure you know those who are supposed to vote in your units and ensure they are mobilised to come out for the election.

“We assure you that Tinubu is the best we have and we must deliver a 100 percent in favour of APC in this election and in the South West region. We assure you we are strategising to take over the two other states in this region”

Governor Sanwo-Olu,who is the Southwest coordinator,implored all the aggrieved members on the need to unite and go to the poll in unity.

He said: “The South West APC leaders meeting was successful. What we have to do is to let you know that the entire APC leadership is solidly behind you and you could have gone through turbulent time or have differences in opinions and ideas and after all these, it is important for us to come together as a family again. That’s the essence of being here today.

“We have come here as a happy family,  as APC family, we have come here to strengthen the party and none of you will be left behind,  nobody will be taken for granted as all of you are important, strategic and critical in the delivery of our election on November 16.

“We have acknowledged yesterday Ondo state, we are acknowledging today’s Ondo state, and the future is bright for Ondo state.

“This our in-house meeting is to embrace all of us, is to beg all of us and for all for us to agree to put whatever we have behind us. What is ahead of us is greater than what is behind us and that’s forward ever, backward never.

“The future is bright for Ondo State. We must agree. We can’t get any leadership support other than this . For me it is to congratulate all of us. I am happy for the turnout. If we come together,we will win.

“We are going out for an election, we need everyone in this election, that is why I brought everyone together, to come and appeal to you. More than 85 percent of the votes we must get”.

Speaking,Ekiti State Governor, Abiodun Oyebanji urged the members to work together and ensure APC retains Ondo State.

He said: “November 16 election is a deciding moment in the history of our state, the victory is achievable. We have a duty to ensure the achievement of Akeredolu is not reversed.

“We have a duty to keep Ondo State in the progressives circle. Coming second is not an option. We must retain APC in power.”

The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, urged the party to integrate all the aggrieved members in order to foster the needed unity ahead of the forthcoming election.

“I want to say that the true heroes are the aspirants. I beg you in the name of God. This is actually the President’s election.  Make them (aggrieved aspirants) relevant, integrate them. This reconciliation continues after the election because, the PDP doesn’t have a candidate, after the election, he (Agboola Ajayi) is still coming back” Bamidele said.

Also speaking,one of the aggrieved  aspirants, Chief Olusola Oke, SAN, assured that all the 16 aspirants have agreed to work for Governor Lucky  Aiyedatiwa to ensure that the opposition party does not take over the state.

He said: “All the 16 aspirants have resolved to settle and agree to work with the candidate of our party.We believe that we should not allow the state to slip into opposition.”

Another prominent aspirant,Wale Akinterinwa stated that APC must win the forthcoming governorship election in the state, promising that all within the reach of the all aggrieved aspirants would deployed to ensure victory for APC.

He said: “It is in our best interest, and self interest that Ondo State must not fall into the hands of any other party except APC.

“No matter whatever that might have happened in the past, it must be allow to go and let’s join hands for the future.  The truth is that whatever that has happened has happened.

“What must happen in this state come November 16 is that Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa must win the election. We must put all resources together to ensure that the results of that election will be far better than the expectations of our leaders.

“We will close ranks, we will appeal to one another and I can assure you that we will have cause to rejoice. I remain in the party and I can never leave APC,  I am part of the progressives and it is too late now to quit.”

In his reply,Governor Aiyedatiwa thanked the party leaders and all the stakeholders for their show of love, unity and commitment.

He said: “I am grateful for the show of solidarity from every corner of our party. Our administration has laid the groundwork for sustainable development, and we cannot afford to let that progress slip away. This election is about moving Ondo forward, and with your unwavering support, we will achieve that.

“We are working to improve infrastructure, enhance security, and create more opportunities for every citizen. With our united front, I have no doubt that we will deliver a resounding victory come November 16.”