The governorship candidate of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Hon. Alfred Agboola Ajayi has predicted the defeat of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress(APC) in the governorship election in the state.
Ajayi said the ruling APC has failed the people of the state with the lackluster performance of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu while the PDP has no structure to win election in the state.
Speaking after he received defectors from PDP in Okitipupa Local Government led by a governorship aspirant, Mr Banji Okunomo, former chairman of the local government, Mr Solomon Bitire and hundreds others, Ajayi said the party has breached the zoning arrangement in the state and voters would punish it for it.
Ajayi said the performance of Akeredolu in office in the last three and half years has fallen short of people’s expectations as the governor has personalise government.
Also speaking after receiving APC members led by the party’s secretary in Akure South, Mr Olukayode Abiodun, the Deputy Governor said the people would speak against Akeredolu with their votes in October 10 election because of the failure to meet the yearnings and aspirations of the people.
Ajayi appreciated Okunomo for displaying a high level of patriotism unlike others who he said equate their personal interests with that of the entire zone.
Ajayi said, “PDP and APC are dead in Ondo South. We can postpone burial ceremony, but you cannot wake up the dead political parties.”
Okunomo, in his remark said he resigned his membership of the PDP to join the ZLP also known as third force ahead of the Ondo State governorship election on October 10, 2020 in order to rescue the people from the misrule of Akeredolu’s family.
According to him, he would officially leave the party with over 15,000 members of the PDP across the 18 local governments of Ondo State during a formal declaration to be announced a later.
His words, “I contested with Ajayi in PDP. He was the newest in the PDP race and came second. He contested within three weeks. The youths have the opportunity now to elect one of us.
“We don’t want someone who will increase the school fees. We don’t want a governor who will make life difficult for the people of Ondo State.
“The PDP made the mistake of 2016 by presenting a candidate from a wrong zone. The PDP lost in 2016 and will lose in this election because it failed to look at the local content of zoning.
“It is not that PDP is not a good party but the handlers have mismanaged the fortune of the party.”