By: Oluwatosin Adesola
The Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) has insisted that there is no going on the candidacy and victory of its governorship candidate and ondo state deputy governor, Agboola Ajayi to win the October 10 election in the state ahead of other contestants like the incumbent Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of APC and the PDP governorship candidate, Eyitayo Jegede.
The party reiterated the commitment of its leaders and members including former governor Olusegun Mimiko to the Agboola Ajayi candidacy, urging the public to disregard any report to the contrary.
The ZLP in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Felix Olatunde, said reports of such kinds are as concocted and circulated by opposition elements now in fear of the established popularity of the party and its candidate.
“For the umpteenth time, the Zenith Labour Party wishes to state that our leader, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, is busy working to rally local and national support for our party the Zenith Labour Party and our candidate, Hon Agboola Ajayi and will not succumb to any pressure, real or imagined to support any other candidate as reported in The Nation Newspaper of Friday, 25th September, 2020,” the statement reads.
“Also, our candidate is busy engaging and debating his plans and programmes with electorates across the state with the single focus of winning the October 10, 2020 election and removing through the ballots the outgoing Akeredolu-led government.”
Olatunde said the ZLP has “no intention to collapse its structure in favour of any other party or work for any other party.”
“Obviously reacting to the report which referenced no source within the party for the speculated pressure on Mimiko to support the PDP candidate, the statement said: “We welcome all who may wish to join us to work for the election of Agboola Ajayi as Governor of Ondo State.
“We restate the above as a result of the consistent falsehood being pushed into the media by the PDP and APC in Ondo State to weaken our unity and create doubts in the hearts of the electorates.
“We, in particular, say that the story in The Nation Newspaper with the headline “More pressure on Mimiko to dump Ajayi” is false in its entirety.
“Again, Mimiko is working to rally local and national support for our candidate, who obviously has become the strongest to oust the underperforming government of Rotimi Akeredolu SAN.”
Olatunde who said the campaign train of the party will be moving to Ose and Akoko South East Local Governments Areas this Friday, asked “party members and supporters to remain unrelenting in mobilising more supports and canvassing for votes for the AgboolaGboye ticket,” urging them to disregard confusing media reports planted by the desperate opposition.