…Why I stepped down for Oke — AD candidate; Youths endorse Jegede

By Dayo Johnson

ONE of the governorship aspirants that participated in the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship primaries in Ondo State, Tayo Alasoadura, yesterday, said he was disappointed at aggrieved aspirants, who rejected the conduct of the primaries.

Alasoadura, at a press briefing in Akure, said: “We have embarrassed ourselves and brought our national leaders into ridicule as a result of our actions and utterances in pursuance of personal ambitions.”

“The Ondo State chapter of our party has had more than enough of internal bickering. The crises, we believe should no longer be allowed to fester if we are truly progressive-minded politicians. Now is the time to sink our differences and move forward as a united family to win the November 2016 governorship election for our party by supporting the candidature of Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu by all true democrats.”

Why I stepped down for Oke — AD candidate

Meanwhile, a former governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mr Olusola Oke, who defected to Alliance for Democracy, AD, last weekend reportedly met a brick wall as the candidate of the party, Akin Olowookere kicked against his entry into the party.

Olowookere, who emerged as the AD governorship candidate more than a month ago and the party executives in the state accused Oke of not following due process in joining the party.

But the intervention of national leaders of the party  pacified the candidate to step down for Oke and his name has thereafter been formally forwarded to INEC for replacement.

Reports had it that while he met with national leaders of the AD of his intention to move to the party the executives at the state level raised eyebrow that they were not carried along.

Also, the party’s governorship candidate, Mr Olowokere reportedly said he heard of the defection of Oke on the state radio and television.

He reportedly kicked and insisted that he would not relinquish the position for a “stranger.” Olowokere, in his reaction said he had no plan to prevent the substitution of his name with that of Oke as the party’s candidate.

He said: “my stand on the issue is that the due process must be followed and all members of the party carried along.”

Youths endorse Jegede

In a related development, an umbrella body for all Youths in Ondo State, Orange Youth Network, OYNET, has  adopted the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate, Mr Eyitayo Jegede, SAN.

The youths, at a public lecture to mark the 62nd birthday of governor Olusegun Mimiko, in Akure, said that having weighed all the governorship contestants, it found that only Jegede merited a clean bill of health.

Director-General of OYNET, Mr. Kayode Ajulo, said: “We the youths of Ondo State have affirmed the candidature of Mr. Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, because of his inherent leadership qualities, focus and honesty.