Ondo PDP, APC ‘fight’ over minimum wage, security votes amount

The governorship candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) on Sunday locked the horn in a debate organised by Channels Television ahead of the election scheduled for November 16.

Among the topics debated were the amount of security votes the state get and minimum wages to be paid to workers.

Aiyedatiwa has been collecting N1.2 billion as monthly security votes for the past ten months, but said the funds failed to reflect any significant improvement in the state’s security situation.

The candidates of the PDP and APC were former governors under the administration of Rotimi Akeredolu, the late state governor.

Read also: Aiyedatiwa destroying Akeredolu’s legacy  of Amotekun – Ajayi

The duo countered each other over the monthly security votes collected by the state. While Ajayi stated that the state gets N1.2bn monthly as security votes, Aiyedatiwa denied the claim.

Ajayi, who had once served as federal lawmaker at the House of Representatives confronted Aiyedatiwa, the incumbent governor, to reveal the exact amount he get monthly, saying “I challenge the governor to make public how much he’s collecting if he says I am lying about the N1.2 billion figure.”

In his response, Aiyedatiwa failed to disclose the monthly security, stating security was a sensitive matter.

He said, “my brother can’t come here and be lying. Is he in government?

“Amotekun can trace crime to its root cause and the corps is ready to transform into a state police.

“There’s nothing like a N1.2 billion security vote. It is a lie from the pit of hell. Security vote is a Security issue and I can’t reveal it.”

While debating on minimum wage, Aiyedatiwa disclosed that workers in the state are happy that his administration was ready to pay N73,000 monthly.

However, the PDP candidate vowed to make the workers in the state happier with payment of N76,000 per month if elected.

“Ondo State workers will be happier when I pay N76,000. I know how administration works better than Aiyedatiwa. I have been a local government chairman, member of the House of Representatives, deputy governor, and acting governor,” Ajayi said.