By Ayomide Otitoju
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, the Southwest leader of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has declared that the party will persist in its protests until the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Ondo State, Mrs. Babalola Oluwatoyin, is removed. Makinde made this statement during the flag-off of the PDP’s campaign in Akure ahead of the upcoming governorship election in November.
The campaign rally took place along the busy Oba Adesida-Oyemekun Road, as the party was denied access to Democracy Park for the event. Addressing party members, Makinde urged them to actively engage voters and secure their support for the PDP.
Former Ebonyi State Governor Sam Egwu, representing the PDP Board of Trustees Chairman, Adolphus Wabara, echoed concerns about the fairness of recent elections. He described last month’s governorship election in Edo State as fraudulent and cautioned that the PDP would not allow a similar situation in Ondo State. Egwu called on President Bola Tinubu to ensure a free and fair election.
Bala Mohammed, Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, vowed that the party would resist any attempts to turn Nigeria into a one-party state. He urged supporters to remain united and vigilant until the PDP candidate, Agboola Ajayi, is elected as governor. “The party is one. There is no faction, no division. Nobody should deceive you into creating problems. We want change in this country,” Mohammed said.
National Chairman of the PDP, Ambassador Iliya Umar Damagun, emphasized that the upcoming election was an opportunity for the people of Ondo to “pay the APC back in its own coin” and bring about meaningful change. He encouraged voters to seize the chance to change the narrative and address issues such as hunger in the state. Damagun expressed confidence in the party’s candidate, Agboola Ajayi, who he said would deliver the dividends of democracy.
Ajayi, in his remarks, reiterated the call for the removal of the Ondo REC, insisting that she could not be impartial. “Ondo REC must leave. We do not want a crisis. She cannot be fair,” Ajayi stated. He concluded by assuring the people of his commitment to peace and progress, adding, “Ondo State does not need any crisis.”
