Why I didn’t challenge Akeredolu’s victory —Jegede

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the November 26, 2016 governorship election in Ondo State, Mr Eyitayo Jegede, has said he did not to challenge the outcome of the poll in order to move the state forward.

Jegede, who stated this in a statement in Akure,the state capital to felicitate with Christians at Christmas, said that despite the glaring conspiracy against him during the process that culminated in the poll, he resolved not to challenge the outcome of the election.

He stated that though the result was not as he expected, he had to accept it in the spirit of sportsmanship, hence his congratulatory message to the governor-elect, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu.

He said: “We were in the contest, neither for self-seeking nor pettiness, but for service and value. Despite the noted and obvious infractions against our mandate, it is now time to move on. Tomorrow is another day.”

Jegede expressed appreciation to the state governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko; the PDP national leadership under Senator Ahmed Markafi; the Ondo State executive committee of the party, led by Chief Clement Faboyede; residents of the state, and lovers of democracy, who had taken interest in the affairs of the state in recent times, as well as the Judiciary, religious leaders and opinion moulders.

He appealed to PDP faithful to “remain steadfast as we endure the trying times that might lie ahead,” adding that he was “confident that we will, in due course, bounce back to reckoning with God and the people on our side.”

Jegede, however, charged Christians to see Christmas beyond the annual commemoration and reflect on its lessons of love, sacrifice, sharing and redemption.

He expressed optimism that the coming year would herald good tidings for the people, because “We must learn from Christmas the imperative of love, even for adherents of other religions as this is how to promote peace and development.”