By Dayo Johnson

THE Alliance for Democracy, AD, Governorship Candidate, Chief Olusola Oke, yesterday, kicked off his campaign in style with a full house, which is a boost to his aspiration.

On a day that the legal action challenging his candidacy was laid to rest, the National Executive Committee, NEC, declared him candidate of the party in the November 26 election. The AD National Legal Adviser, Kehinde Aworele, who with others dragged Oke to court over the manner he emerged as the flagbearer, said at the flag off of the governorship campaign  in Akure that the matter would be withdrawn from court following amicable resolution of the issue.

Aworele and other NEC members at the rally said all is “now well within the party and Oke is our candidate for the coming election. There was a court action based on misunderstanding on the appropriateness of Chief Olusola Oke’s emergence. Because his victory is sure we don’t want some people to go to court after his victory to challenge him.

Olusola Oke,

“This was why I was in court. And the fact that I am here addressing this mammoth crowd, today, shows that there is no more crisis in the party, no cracks within the party, we are one indivisible party. There is no more case in court as we have resolved the issues raised and I can assure you that Olusola Oke will be the next governor of this state.’’

Also speaking, National Leader of the party, Senator Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa, described Oke as one of the inheritors of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who if elected, will ensure robust governance.

“For 13 years, we have been in the wilderness. Now it has pleased God to give us a leader that is capable of putting Ondo back on the right track. If you look at the PDP, it is full of crises, they are at each other’s throats. The APC too is not faring better, they are an amalgam of strange bed fellows, who cannot deliver on their promises.

But we are happy today that the party of Papa Obafemi Awolowo, Adekunle Ajasin and Adebayo Adefarati is here and I want you all to vote for the AD to bring back the lost glory. If you vote for Olusola Oke, he will replicate all those good programmes of old, he will revamp our education, bring back the revival of our agricultural sector, education shall also be brought back to reckoning,” he said.

Earlier,  AD National Chairman, Chief Joseph Avazi, assured that the party is “poised to form the next government given the spontaneous show of love for the party…A new dawn is now breaking in Ondo State and AD is set to bring back the lost glory of the Sunshine State. We have ruled this state before, this is our second coming and we shall not disappoint you.’’

Responding, Oke assured that his administration would improve on the programmes of the incumbent as against the campaign of calumny that he would abolish all the programmes.

“Some people have been on campaigns of calumny against me that I will abandon most of the projects I will meet on ground. I want to assure you all that we are not out to destroy whatever we meet but to build on whatever we meet on ground. Today, Ondo State is undergoing a difficult situation, all our industries are dead and there is want and abject poverty in the land. The priority of my government shall be the good of the people of Ondo State.”