A governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress in Ondo State, Mr Olaniran Olanusi, has described the state governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as the best among other aspirants of the party jostling for the ticket of the party ahead of the primary coming up in April.
Speaking with journalists in Supare Akoko, Akoko South-West Local Government Area of the state on Sunday, Olanusi said none of the aspirants can stop Aiyedatiwa from being the next governor of the state.
He said, “It is Lucky Aiyedatiwa against the rest, they only ganged up against the best candidate, against the best hand and let the fact be stated, I don’t see them (aspirants) emerging, I don’t see anyone of the posing a threat to Aiyedatiwa aspiration. I feel no aspirant is a threat, Aiyedatiwa is a moving train, you can see the rate at which people are joining his camp, the little time he has spent in office, he has been able to endear himself to the heart of the people through his promises and his pragmatic approach at which he does his things.
“These things are evidence and we can all see it, it’s obvious, we can attest to it that the governor is at work, Aiyedatiwa is working and people are getting happier. It is normal in politics to have several forces come up, but the truth be told, people are coming on board on a daily basis to join Lucky Aiyedatiwa movement because of his ideology and because of the people’s belief in him and his governance, So I can say that Lucky would be sworn in at the end of the whole issue.
” We can see from the budget that he meant well for the workers, he meant well for the people of Ondo State, he will focus on human capital and that is what Nigeria needs at the moment with the economic hardship we are facing, he has emotional intelligence, he has compassion for his people, he really wants to work and deliver and I’m sure he would.”
On the forthcoming primary of the party, Olanusi, who is the son of a former deputy governor of the state Alhaji Ali Olanusi, expressed optimism that the national leadership of the APC would conduct a free and fair exercise
“APC is a party of true democrats, I don’t see myself advising the national chairman because everywhere we have primaries, it has always been on a level-plain ground, there have always been fairness, justice, and equity in our party. So that is what I believe will play out in Ondo State while electing the candidate of the party” he stated
The Independent National Electoral Commission has fixed April 16, 2024, for the governorship primary, while the main election is coming up in November this year. To this end, many members of the ruling party have been coming out to declare their intention to clinch the ticket of the party. Governor Aiyedatiwa is among the aspirants.
Other contestants of the APC ticket ahead of the April primary include a former Commissioner for Finance, Mr Wale Akinterinwa, a former Member of the House of Representatives Mr Mayowa Akinfolarin, the former Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Oladunni Odu, the former Special Adviser to the governor on Health, Prof Francis Faduyile, a former governorship aspirant of the APC, Chief Olusola Oke and Mr Gbenga Edema, Dr Jimoh Ibrahim, Jimi Odimayo, Dr Paul Akintelure, Brig-Gen Olamide Ohunyeye among others.