The All Progressives Congress has launched a 305-member National Campaign Council to support Governor Aiyedatiwa’s re-election bid in Ondo State.
The council, chaired by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, aims to retain the state for the party.
APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje inaugurated the council, emphasizing the importance of unity and cooperation among party members. He called for healthy competition and law-abiding conduct during the election.
The campaign council comprises executive governors, ministers, and National Assembly members, with Senator Ovie Omo-Agege serving as secretary, according to Nigerian Tribune.
Governor Aiyedatiwa highlighted his administration’s achievements over the past 10 months, citing significant progress in infrastructural development, public utility renewal, agricultural production, entrepreneurship, job creation, and security. Notable projects include the construction of over 70 km of rural roads and 60 km of city-based roads.
The governor’s efforts have also focused on improving healthcare, education, and citizenship, as well as supporting farmers with funding, technology, and trade. Additionally, his administration has provided grants and loans for youths to start businesses and created employment opportunities while paying workers’ salaries regularly.
Governor Sanwo-Olu expressed satisfaction with the committee’s consultation and emphasized the importance of issue-based campaigning.
The APC National Chairman stressed the significance of the election, citing President Bola Tinubu’s connection to the geopolitical zone. He urged members to mobilize support and ensure a free and fair election.
The campaign council’s inauguration boosts the party’s chances, with Governor Aiyedatiwa expressing gratitude to the national leadership. He reaffirmed his commitment to progressive leadership and prioritizing the people’s needs, confident that his administration will continue to deliver meaningful projects and programs for the state’s development.
He said, “The campaign council will swing into action and build a strong synergy with the local campaign council. We have to retain Ondo State for APC through democratic means.
“Also, Mr President is from this geopolitical zone, and in order to show a mark of respect and that we appreciate him, we must ensure homogeneity in this geopolitical zone, and it is a task that must be done through democratic means.
“We urge you to mobilise members of our party to mobilise families in order to ensure that we win this election. We are here to encourage and motivate you to ensure that the election will be free and fair, and by the grace of God, it will be victorious.
“The governor of Ondo State, who is also the incoming governor by the grace of God, we appreciate all the reforms that he has introduced, and we appreciate him continuing with this network of programmes and projects being executed in Ondo State.
“The governor is providing progressive leadership, and progressive leadership is a symbol of progressive ideology. We are here in Ondo State to assure you that this programme will continue and will continue providing the much-needed infrastructural facilities in both urban and rural areas.
Ondo State people are blessed because they have a governor who is a lucky man. He is born a lucky man; he is seriously a lucky man, and he will continue to be a lucky man.”
Sanwo-Olu said, “It is my singular honour to assure all of you that we will do everything within our means, constitutionally and professionally within the norms of any election to ensure a free, fair election and campaign about issues.
“It will not be a campaign on sentiment or abuse but on issues because Aiyedatiwa has made our job simple and easier because, in 305 days, he has a compendium of projects that he has embarked on under his legacy agenda.
“He’s a man; we can go out with our full chest to assure the citizens of Ondo State that more developmental projects will be put in place in the next four years in the state.”
He said, “What we are doing here today is a display of the strength of our will when we work together. It is the evidence of our capability, which, by God’s grace, will produce victory on November 16, 2024.
” The successful journey of our Party in Ondo State to this point is an open book. Everyone who reads it knows it. They know what power our unity, cooperation, and vision can unleash. Other political parties, even our arch opponents, now know what they lack but which we have in abundance.
“We have love, unity, respect, courage, vision, and unwavering commitment to succeed. We have a heart that truly cares for the people and a resilient mind with a winning mentality.”
Aiyedatiwa added, “We are grateful to the people of Ondo State for the exceptional show of love to our party.
” They appreciate our commitment to make life more abundant, more meaningful, more rewarding, and worth living for them. And we do not take their trust for granted.
“This is why throughout our campaigns in the cities, towns, villages, hamlets, door to door and face to face, we have listened carefully to the feedback from their lips to our ears.
“They are words of solidarity and confidence. Words that demonstrate the strong bond we share with our people and the love they have for a leadership that upholds their dignity.
“Our interventions in the last 10 months justify our quest. Within the last 10 months, we have deliberately focused on infrastructural development, public utility renewal, agricultural production increment, entrepreneurship and youth development, job creation, and security.
The governor said, “We have focused on strengthening governance institutions through fiscal discipline, improved healthcare, access to quality education, and responsible citizenship.
“We have shown commitment to social welfare to alleviate the sufferings of our people. We have deliberately created stronger engagement with our women, too. We are concerned with leadership with integrity and character. We are not talking about our people; we are talking with them.
“Remarkably, within our 10 months in the saddle, we have activated the construction of not less than 70 km of rural roads in order to provide access to our farm settlements and villages.
“This is in addition to the new 60km city-based roads recently awarded alongside the ongoing roads, bridges, and public building projects initiated and awarded by our administration.
“It is significant that our workers are happy and well-motivated as we pay their salaries regularly and promptly. We owe no Kobo to workers, even as they enjoy their regular promotions.
“We have employed workers into critical sectors of the public service, such as health and the Internal Revenue Service, while processes are at an advanced stage to recruit about 2,000 teachers for public primary and secondary schools.
Aiyedatiwa said, “We have supported not less than 500 youths with hundreds of million naira grants and loans as part of start-up kits for their entrepreneurial businesses.
“We are supporting our farmers with access to quality funds and finance, as well as technology and trade. We are also giving scholarships, bursaries, and financial assistance to students of Ondo State origin in higher institutions across Nigeria.
“I believe government is about the people. We are resolute and committed to that faith. We have worked hard for the hearts of the people. We are talking to them house to house, door to door, and mouth to ear.
“Above all, we are committed to a peaceful and credible election, where votes count. Ladies and gentlemen, by the grace of God Almighty, come 16th 16, 2024, we shall win. And we shall gather here once again to celebrate our victory. It is the promise of God for His people.
“We are indeed happy and grateful for the inauguration of the campaign council today; we believe it is a big boost, a huge addition to the winning resolve of our progressive party.
“We have no doubt that our strategies would be enhanced, our vitality would be more vigorous, and our bonding with voters would be more decisive.”
