The gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Agboola Ajayi, on Tuesday, presented his certificate of return for emerging as the party’s standard-bearer in the forthcoming Ondo State governorship election.
Acting national chairman of the main opposition party, Ambassador Iliya Damagun, presented it to him during a ceremony at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja.
Ajayi praised the process of his emergence as rancour-free and promised to work with other stakeholders to deliver the state to the PDP.
The gubernatorial candidate, who is a former deputy governor of the state, expressed optimism that the PDP will win Ondo State in the election scheduled for November this year.
Speaking to journalists after receiving the certificate, Ajayi said as a former deputy governor under the All Progressives Congress (APC), who is now the PDP candidate, he has an advantage over his opponents.
He affirmed that very soon, leaders of the APC in Ondo State will join him in the PDP.
He added: “That in itself is an advantage to the PDP. I have friends all over the place, I have friends in PDP, I have friends in APC.
“Just give us few weeks and you will see how leaders from APC will troop back to PDP because they have confidence in me, they know my character, they know my capacity and ability that I can deliver. So, that is an advantage to the party and we are going to explore it.”
Ajayi also noted that he has the backing of his former rivals for the PDP ticket, saying: “All my co-contestants have embraced ourselves and I have visited all of them. About three of them are airborne coming to Abuja because the flight was altered because of bad weather. All of us are on board and I can assure you that we are working together.”
On the report of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa already spending huge sums of money and whether he can match his financial muscle during the campaign, he said: “I can assure you that the masses are waiting for accountability on the APC government.
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“We are not surprised on the looting of the treasury. Ondo people are conscious of what they know and it is their state and at the appropriate time, they will give them back. They should be able to account.
“Let me tell you, the reward of every politician is election and the people are waiting to reject them. They cannot continue to waste taxpayers’ money and our commonwealth. They will give an account of everything.
“PDP is not a party that buys vote. We only tell them our programme and manifesto, they will look at it and they will know that we have better programmes.
“As a matter of fact, two of us were former deputy governors, we served the same master but the people know who has capacity, who has character, who has experience, who has intelligence, who can handle the job very well and I can assure you that I am the person.
“Forget about money. It does not play any part in Nigerian politics. They will choose the right person and that right person is me.”
Noting that the PDP conducted a transparent primary election in Ondo State, the governorship candidate thanked party and delegates for the confidence reposed in him.
“We just concluded a very transparent, seamless exercise. I thank you, I thank the party, I thank everyone and the elders and the delegates of Ondo state for this confidence they reposed on me. By the grace of God, we still hope for victory by the grace of God,” Ajayi stated.
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