Ondo State deputy governor and candidate of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Agboola Ajayi, has refuted the claim that he had jettisoned his governorship ambition to support the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Ajayi’s chief press secretary, Mr. Babatope Okeowo, said in a statement on Thursday that his boss would never support PDP governorship candidate, Eyitayo Jegede.
Okeowo said a media report that claimed Ajayi would support Jegede in the coming governorship election in the state was planted by Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to discourage his supporters.
“That said publication was coming barely 24 hours after the state government prevented the Deputy Governor the use of government facility for the launch of his campaign showed their sinister motives,” Okeowo said.
“There is no romance between the candidate of ZLP and that of PDP after the governorship primary that produced Eyitayo Jegede as the candidate of PDP.
“There was no offer and rejection of running mate from the PDP leadership or Jegede to Ajayi as insinuated by the fake publication.”
He added that “The said publication has failed to prove any nexus between the two candidates and tried unsuccessfully also to impugn the character of the Deputy Governor.
“We say emphatically that the Deputy Governor is winning the forthcoming governorship election slated for October 10, and he is willing to welcome candidates or other political parties who may wish to support his aspiration to rescue the state from the misrule of Akeredolu’s government.”
Similarly, the ZLP Publicity Secretary, Mr. Felix Olatunde,declared that the party, which is popularly known as the “Third Force” in the October poll was not contemplating any alliance with the PDP candidate.
According to him, “the blatant lie reported by The Nation could at best be a product of the fertile imagination of the author and or his undisclosed source or sources.
“The only alliance we have is with the people of Ondo State to oust Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and the APC from the Government House, Alagbaka, and for this purpose will welcome those who are interested in joining our party in that direction.”
While the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Donald Ojogo, refuted the allegation against the state government, saying: “We are too busy, committed and serious minded to have time for such matters.”
