AS governor Rotimi Akeredolu boasted that he would again win the party’s governorship ticket, the aggrieved party leaders in the Unity Group yesterday kick started the process of picking a consensus candidate amongst them.

” lf there is an election that is devoid of shenanigans, l will win hands down” Akeredolu declared.

No fewer than seven aspirants in the group are eyeing the seat to slug it out with the incumbent governor.

The party’s primary will hold in July while election proper has been fixed for October 10 this year by the lndependent National Electoral Commission INEC

Governor Akeredolu said in Akure that he” has accepted the calls of the people from various quarters and backgrounds that he should contest for another term in office.

According to him” l am particularly moved by the magnitude of 4+4 signs that numerous people of the state have been displaying.

He declared that those interested in the governorship seat in the Unity group are of no match to him.

Akeredolu said ” we will meet at the primaries. They are no match to me. I will win the primaries. We have delivered and the people on our side are more than those with them.

” They should congratulate me after winning and also join our government and if they win I will also congratulate them.

Meanwhile, the group of aggrieved leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress has constituted a “7-man Candidate Emergence Committee” to pick a consensus candidate that will face Akeredolu in the party’s primaries.

The governorship aspirants in the group  include, Senator Ajayi Boroffice, Chief Olusola Oke, Dr Segun Abraham, Ife Oyedele, Bukola Adetula, Banji Ayiloge, Jimi Odimayo and Kazeem Olanrewaju

Chairman of the Unity Forum and former deputy governor, Alhaji Ali Olanusi while inuagurating the committee charged them “to regard their emergence as a call to duty especially now that Ondo state needs to stop the torrent of capital flight that has allegedly crippled small and cottage businesses.

A statement by the group said ” ss a follow up to the resolution of the leadership of the APC Unity Group, Ondo state, the group has constituted a Candidate Emergence Committee.

“At its meeting held recently in Akure, the leadership of the group inaugurated a seven man committee with the sole mandate of ensuring that the group produces a single candidate acceptable to all members and leaders of the group.

Senator Yele Omogunwa and Professor Ehindero emerged the Chairman and Secretary of the Committee respectively. Other members of the Committee are, Elder Mike Adeyeye, Ajiroba Boye Adegbemisoye, Prince Solagbade Amodeni, Hon Afe Olowokere and Mrs Iyantan.

The Chairman of the Unity Forum, Alhaji Ali Olanusi charged the committee to regard their emergence as a call to duty especially now that Ondo state needs to stop the torrent of capital flight that has crippled commerce and render many small and cottage businesses idle and unprofitable.

He said the resultant effect is the ravaging poverty that has pervaded our land.

Olanusi advised the committee to do all it can to ensure that it gives the group a candidate acceptable to all.

Meanwhile, the All Progressive Congress in the state has denied postponing its primaries for council elections describing the rumour as untrue, embarrassing, and never emanated from its secretariat.

 The states publicity secretary of the party Alex Kalejaye said that ” the party can affirm that the party had a credible and rancor-free primaries across the eighteen local government areas, early last month, and has since submitted the names of its candidates to the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC), as required by the electoral law.