Ahead of the November 16 governorship election in Ondo state, the main opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP, has said that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC, was in panic over losing the election.
However, the APC has dismissed the PDP claim as gibberish, insisting that the governor would win the poll with ease.
PDP Publicity Secretary, Hon Kennedy Peretei, said: “As the Ondo election approaches the Zero Hour, those who said the election was a walk-over for them have been unable to have sound sleep, slipping into a ‘panic mode.’ A good number of them, who initially proclaimed that they are ‘Lucky’ are singing a new song, based on the realities they encountered on the field.
“The comfort of their offices from where they proclaimed being ‘Lucky’ are the exact opposite of the streets in which hunger and lack, walk in all four legs.
“The electorate sent the signal wherever the campaign train of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa visited that there is pain in the land, orchestrated by the All Progressives Congress, Aiyedatiwa’s party. In their confusion, the National Chairman of APC, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, in one breath, said the Edo ‘Template’ will be applied in Ondo State. In another, he said, the APC does not need to rig the Ondo election to win.
“This was the first sign that the APC national leadership has come to terms with the reality that nobody can rig the November 16 election, and they are not as lucky as they hitherto assumed.
“Having failed to convince the people why they should trust him with their mandate, some frightening measures were taken.
“Because they were not all well thought out, they all fell flat on their backs. The 416 political appointees, carefully selected from the 203 Electoral Wards were shocked to discover that, for October, 2024, they received no salary alert.
“What is the guarantee that, after losing the election in November, they will be paid? Are these not the same people shouting they are ‘Lucky’? They should know better by now.
“When the alarm that the N73,000 minimum wage was announced at a campaign rally was another promise that would never be met, some people dismissed it. Those workers who went to notify the governor for another term should ask themselves again if indeed, they have been lucky with this Governor.
“After spending 10 months in the race, it is his programmes and projects that should have done the campaigns for Governor Aiyedatiwa. Instead, he is recruiting campaignists to lie to Ondo State people, as if we are blind and deaf.
“Out of fear of losing the election, the Commandant of Amotekun Corps, Adetunji Adeleye was nominated to head a 25-member security committee of the campaigns. Instead of apologizing to the people, the Spokesman of the Aiyedatiwa Campaign denied that such was ever proposed. How can anybody trust people who lie so shamelessly in this manner? Those who think Ondo State is lucky with this kind of administration should pinch themselves to be sure that they are not dreaming.
VANGUARD