The representative for Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency in Ondo State, Hon. Donald Ojogo, along with prominent leaders of the All Progressives Congress in the council area, have rallied behind Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa for the upcoming governorship election on November 16, 2024.
The call for support was made during a recent meeting held in Akure, the state capital.
Ojogo, addressing the gathering, emphasized the critical importance of the election for both the state and the national APC. “What we will need to do is embark on a very vigorous mobilisation and campaign for the governor and for the party because it is clear that this election is not an election that is solely that of Aiyedatiwa. We are going into this election with the aim of establishing a point and making a point ahead of 2027,” Ojogo said.
He underlined that this election is not just about Aiyedatiwa but also a test for the APC at the national level, especially given that it is President Bola Tinubu’s geopolitical zone. “This is Mr. President’s geopolitical zone, and it is going to be the first election that will take place, so it is a litmus test. If we fail, it will appear that APC national has also failed, and we cannot afford to fail APC national. We will not fail, Mr. President,” Ojogo declared.
Ojogo also mentioned the possibility of President Tinubu running for a second term and stressed the importance of reestablishing APC’s dominance in Ondo State as a strategic move for future elections. “I’m not saying Mr. President is running for a second term; I do not have the mandate to speak on his behalf, but it is most likely he runs for a second term. And if he considers it, then it means that we must ensure we replant APC in Ondo State ahead of 2027,” he stated.
Acknowledging his previous support for another candidate before the primaries, Ojogo emphasized party unity, saying, “I didn’t support the governor from the beginning before the primaries; I supported another candidate, but once the party has said that this is the candidate we want, we must all fall in line and support the candidate of the party. The candidate of the party is my candidate, their candidate, and our candidate, so we can’t do otherwise.”
During the meeting, Akin Sowore, the state Commissioner for Lands, assured that Ese-Odo Local Government would lead in the number of votes for Aiyedatiwa. “It is our collective resolve in Ese-Odo Local Government to vote for Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa to return as Governor of Ondo State. In Ese-Odo Local Government, with the creme of leaders here and the large followership that has attended this meeting with the directive and instruction, we can’t expect anything less than 80 percent from Ese-Odo Local Government, which of course is good for our party,” Sowore said.
Hon. Allen Oluwatoyin, the House of Assembly member for the council area, echoed the sentiment of unanimous support for Governor Aiyedatiwa. “The council area have jointly decided to support the election of Governor Aiyedatiwa, adding that the votes that would come from them would be massive,” Oluwatoyin stated. He urged the people to continue mobilizing support for the governor.
Ajabra Atili, the Deputy Party Chairman, also committed to delivering 80 percent of the votes for Aiyedatiwa. “The governor has done creditably well and deserved to return,” Atili said.
Elizabeth Douye, the Woman Leader of the party in the council, affirmed that the entire council area would work towards the success of Governor Aiyedatiwa’s re-election. “We have agreed that all of us are going to work for Mr. Governor,” Douye concluded.
As the November 16 election approaches, the APC leadership in Ilaje/Ese-Odo is mobilizing resources and support to secure a victory for Governor Aiyedatiwa and strengthen the party’s position in Ondo State.