By Kolawole Ojebisi
Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has given reasons why the party’s candidate, Lucky Ayedatiwa, must retain power as governor of Ondo State in the forthcoming governorship election slated for November16, 2024.
Ganduje noted that it would be an oddity for a party other than that of the president to be ruling one of the states in the Southwest region where the president hails from.
The former Kano State governor stressed that homogeneity of the party ruling the southwest region will encourage the president.
Ganduje who deployed a metaphor heavy on couture noted that for an outfit to be attractive the top and trousers must be complementary.
He spoke in Akure at the inauguration of the 305-member National Campaign Council for the November 16 governorship election in Ondo state.
“Ondo state will have to maintain this state for APC through democratic means. Also, Mr. President is from this geopolitical zone, in order to show our strength and appreciate him, this zone by the grace of God will be homogeneous in terms of party followership and governorship.
“How can your trousers be different from your agbada? It’s not attractive. It is not fashionable. Therefore, opportunity is now with your political zone, and the needful has to be done through democratic means.” Ganduje said.
The APC Chairman also said Tinubu is doing a great job and working to make sure the current economic hardship facing the people comes to an end.
Ganduje, who said Tinubu has introduced life-changing reforms that make the nation’s economic stronger, said the President deserves more support in the South West.
“President Bola Tinubu is doing a good job for this country. He has introduced reforms in order to make our institution strong for the social and economic development of this country. We respect and honour him,” the APC national chairman said.
He maintained since Tinubu hails from the South West region, he has to be encouraged with the victory of the APC in the upcoming election.
He asked the members of the National Campaign Council of the APC, headed by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, to ensure a strong synergy and support by also making sure the party retains power in Ondo state.
“We urge you to mobilise members of our party to ensure that we win this election. We are here to encourage you, mobilise you, and encourage you. We are here to create an enabling environment so that the election will be free and fair. The election will be smooth, and by the grace of God, it will be victorious for our great party,” he said.
Speaking, Sanwo-Olu said the party will embark on issue-based campaign devoid of sentiment and abuse to win the election.
He added that Governor Aiyedatiwa, who is also the candidate of the APC in the election, has already made the job of the campaign council easier with the numerous projects initiated in the state by his administration.
“It will not be a campaign on sentiment or abuse but on issues because his excellency, Lucky Aiyedatiwa has made our job easier in the last 305 days. He has the compendium of projects that he has embarked on in his agenda for the people of the state.”
“I want to assure the citizens of Ondo state that they have not seen anything yet, they will still enjoy more dividence of democracy better than what they got four years ago. So, it is an honour and privilege to lead our party’s national campaign council,” he said.
This is the second time Ganduje will be speaking on the forthcoming Ondo governorship elections.
While speaking last week on the election, APC National Chairman said his party would wrest the reins of power from the opposition party ruling in the Southwest region.
Ganduje, however, said he would keep the APC’s strategy for conquering the whole southwest under wraps.
This statement was heavily condemned by many Nigerians, particularly those in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which is the main opposition party in the southwest.
The PDP said Ganduje’s comment reeked of totalitarianism stressing that it violated the ethos of democracy.
