Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has expressed disappointment for losing in the three Local Government Areas that formed the Akure division in the just concluded governorship election in the state.
Akeredolu who stated this during an interview monitored on Channel Television said he was let down by the people of Akure, despite all the developmental projects executed by his administration in the area, but said the people of the area chose to vote against him.
Akeredolu said he was shocked to lose in the three Local Government Areas saying it was unbelievable the people of the area can turn against him, lamenting over the votes against him in the election.
Nigerian Tribune reports the governor claimed that his footprints are more pronounced in the three Local Government Areas than any other places across the state and expected to turn in more votes from the areas.
He said: “When it comes to the issue of winning 15 local governments, it’s just a slight improvement of what I did the last time. The last time I won 14. Talking seriously, I thought I was going to win the 18 local governments.
“I’m shocked at what happened in Akure because I take Akure South, Akure North and Ifedore as one Akure. So, I’m shocked at the development there.
“But I’ll put that behind me. I’ll move forward. I thought I would win in Akure because I worked in those three local governments where people turned against us. But it’s alright with me. We’ll forget it.”
Akeredolu won 15 of the 18 local government areas of the state during the poll to defeat Eyitayo Jegede who hails from the ancient town.
Speaking on his embattled deputy governor, Agboola Ajayi, the governor said he reposed too much confidence in deputy, only for Ajayi to turn around against him.
“The event that commenced this process, like the deputy governor who decided to jump ship. I was shocked too. Although, I got to know it’s going to happen when I saw his movements. I said okay, this man has made up his mind to go.
“I think God answered my prayer, I was praying for him to go and I think he has to go anyway, because you cannot have people who will be there and want to stab you at the back and you want to keep them in the house, no.
“You cannot have a snake under your roof and think you can sleep well. So, it was good we asked the snake to go, so we had to sleep properly.”
He said: “So, that’s taught me a lesson in politics. But it’s not a new thing. It has happened over and over, right here in South West, even in the North, everywhere.
“Look at the case of Baba Awolowo and Akintola, look at Omoboriowo and Ajasin here. So many instances. For me, it’s not something new.”
He said when Ajayi had to leave “I was very happy and I knew this was politics and I was going to face a lot of what I’ll call blackmail because that is their stock in the trade because there are no other things they’re going to throw at us, throw at me, at my wife and children.
“But what I’ll say is that matters like this do repeat itself but it cannot come from the deputy that I’ve chosen now. I have a lot of confidence in him. I don’t see him behaving like the former one.”
Akeredolu polled 292,830 to defeat his closest rival, Eyitayo Jegede of PDP who garnered a total vote of 195,751.
Jegede won three local government areas in Akure division in the election while Ajayi lost in all the 18 local government of the state including his home town in Ese-Odo.
Source: Nigerian Tribune