From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Aspirants contesting next weekend’s All Progressives Congress (APC) Ondo State governorship primary election have attacked Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, for warning them against wasting their time and resources when there is no vacancy in the State’s Government House.
Frontline aspirants, particularly Olusola Oke and the Senator representing Ondo South senatorial district, Jimoh Ibrahim, among others in their responses fumed over what they described as undemocratic utterances from the incumbent governor.
Fielding questions from newsmen after undergoing through the screening exercise at the APC National Secretariat on Friday, Oke jokingly said that the governor must be referring to the obvious that there is no vacancy between now and February next year.
Describing it a statement to undermine democratic exercise, Oke said: “It is an aphorism from all incumbent persons. I heard similar comment in Lagos when Ambode was there. Ambode said “no vacancy”, he had to leave when he needed to leave. It’s a statement of wish and desire by the governor and it’s a statement that is intended to undermine a democratic exercise. If we are going to primaries and the people will have to determine, how would anybody have the gut to say there is no vacancy?”
Equally responding during an interaction with newsmen, Jimoh Ibrahim, fumed: “He is joking. It is a big joke. He can’t continue in government with P8, P7. The governor is joking, big joke, huge joke he is cracking with you. He is out of that place by the time we finish primary next week, he is gone and there is nothing virtually he can do about it.
“I don’t normally go against people, to me, clear everybody, let them go for primary, let the electorate determine. I have won election as Senator, I won in six of the six local government, 65 of the 66 wards, 111,677 votes against Agboola Ajayi 60,000 votes.
“What is the governor talking about? This governor has never won an election. He contested for the House of Representatives, he didn’t win one local government, just two local governments, he could even win one. He was a pair to Aketi, we didn’t vote for him, we voted for Aketi. But I can assure you, the governor is a huge joker,” he said.