Candidate of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) in the forthcoming October 10 governorship election in Ondo State, Agboola Ajayi, has alleged that his boss, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu was frustrating all efforts of his party to hold its campaign rally in Akure.
Ajayi, who is the deputy governor of the state, said his boss, Akeredolu had introduced policies that never existed in the state before in order not to allow him kick start his campaign rally at the state capital.
The state governor, has however, denied the allegation, describing it as tissue of lies.
Recall that the ruling APC and PDP have kick-started their campaign rallies while ZLP is about to flag-off its own.
The deputy governor, who had raised concerns over an alleged plot by Akeredolu to frustrate the launch of his campaign rally, said, “It is disheartening that Governor Akeredolu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, can preside over a government that would deny the ZLP the use of any public facility especially the Democracy Park built under the visionary leadership of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, who is the national leader of the ZLP.”
The deputy governor, through his Special Adviser on Media, Allen Sowore, alleged that the state government failed to release the Democracy Park to the party for the conduct of its rally despite adhering to all laid down rules of the government.
“The Office of the Ondo State Deputy Governor and candidate of the ZLP, Agboola Ajayi is again constrained to draw the attention of the general public, particularly, the good people of Ondo State to the growing intolerance and undemocratic temperament of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu towards the people’s choice as the October 10 governorship election approaches.
‘Let it be known that the Zenith Labour Party applied for the usage of the MKO Abiola Democracy Park, Akure, to flag off its campaign rally. After the successful completion of all due process, the agency responsible, acting on the instruction of Ondo State governor deliberately hiked the price from the original N5million, which the venue was given out to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for its own rally on Saturday, 12th September, 2020.
‘Even at that, the ZLP was ready to pay the N11million charged but the official in charge disappeared. It then became clear that Governor Akeredolu was ready to frustrate the ZLP. This is a condemnable act.”
According to him, “Ondo State belongs to all of us and nobody should use the mere privilege of leadership to ruin our prestige as the state of courageous and enlightened people.
“We, therefore, call on all elder statesmen, religious leaders, lovers of democracy and all discerning minds to advise Governor Akeredolu to toe the path of honour and desist from undemocratic and perfidious acts,” Sowore said.
But Tobi Ogunleye, special adviser to the governor on transport, who spoke with BusinessDay on the allegation, said: “The allegation started on the premises of lies because the issue of N11million did not in anywhere arise. That is number one lie; please ask them to give you the authentic story.
“Even the issue of negotiation is not within my purview. So, they should not shift this lie to me; I take exception to blackmail.”
