By Levinus Nwabughiogu
President Muhammadu  Buhari has formally endorsed Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, as the governorship candidate of the APC.

This was made known by Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State, who unveiled the candidate before the president in his office at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

“Mr. President is a loyal party man so he is answerable, to the party, although being the president of Nigeria. He has also confirmed that he has seen the candidate and is also praying for a successful election in Ondo state,” Lalong said.

It will be recalled that controversy trailed the primary election that produced Akeredolu as the National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu preferred Mr. Segun Abraham to him.

Rotimi-Akeredolu

Speaking to State House Correspondents in his capacity as chairman of the APC campaign committee for Ondo election, after a meeting with the president, Governor Lalong said the president has accepted Akeredolu as APC candidate, boasting that APC would win the election.

He said: “A few weeks ago, I was given the responsibility of leading the campaign, on behalf of the National Executive Committee, for the Ondo election. And the candidate, since his election at the primaries, has not come to be presented to the leader of our party, that is Mr President. So, today we came in with the candidate and to confirm to the president that APC has only one candidate unlike other parties that are fighting over who is their candidate. We have only one candidate and that candidate is Chief Akeredolu Rotimi, SAN.

“Today again, we are going into Ondo. All the mistakes we made in other states we have corrected them. We are seeing a very smooth election, not only a smooth election but also the credibility of the candidate itself is something worth selling. We know definitely we are going to win the election.’’

Also speaking, Akeredolu said that victory would be theirs in the election. Reminded that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu was not happy with his candidacy, Akeredolu said all the issues between them had been resolved.

He said: “I don’t have any rift with him. Since the primaries you would see that as leaders of the party, he has not said anything about it. He has accepted the primaries and we are moving on. So, I don’t have any rift with him at all and we are moving on.”

On the protest over PDP candidate, he said: “I can assure you I would have been happier facing both of them together. If Eyitayo Jegede was chosen as candidate and Ibrahim as his deputy, I will still win. In fact, Jegede happens to be a friend, Ibrahim too. Jimoh Ibrahim went to Ife. So, we have known ourselves for long. I have no fear about both of them. We know that we are going to win this election and I have no doubt.”

On the security issues of security in state, Akeredolu called on the security agencies to beef up security to prevent miscreants from taking control of the state. “What the party said in Ondo state is that we were calling on the security apparatus of the state to be up and doing so that they don’t allow miscreants to take over because for instance as a governor you encourage lawlessness or people in the guise of protest because what the PDP has is a problem within the party. That should not lead to demonstration outside and you know that people are not demonstrating for any reason but because they have been more or less paid to come and do it.

“What we said is don’t allow miscreants to be out it could lead to, nobody can control the end of such demonstration. So, it’s not that we are afraid but we fear for the life and property of the people of Ondo state”, he said.