Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
Ondo Deputy Governor and governorship candidate of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Agboola Ajayi, has alleged plot by Governor Rotimi Akeredolu to frustrate the flag off of his campaign rally.
Ajayi claimed that Governor Akeredolu was frustrating efforts of his party to hold its campaign rally in Akure by introducing different policies that never existed in the state.
Special Adviser to the deputy governor 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.
Sowore said: “Office of the deputy governor and candidate of the ZLP, Ajayi, is again constrained to draw the attention of the public, particularly, the people of Ondo State to the growing intolerance and undemocratic temperament of Governor Akeredolu towards the people’s choice as the October 10 governorship election approaches.
“Let it be known that the ZLP applied for the usage of the MKO Abiola Democracy Park, Akure to flag off its campaign rally. After the successful completion of all due processes, the agency responsible, acting on the instruction of the governor deliberately hiked the price from the original N5 million, which the venue was given out to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for its rally on Saturday, September 12.
“Even at that, the ZLP was ready to pay the N11 million charged but the official in charge disappeared. It then became clear that Governor Akeredolu was ready to frustrate ZLP. This is a condemnable act.
“It is disheartening that Governor Akeredolu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, can preside over a government that would deny ZLP the use of any public facility, especially the Democracy Park built under the visionary leadership of former governor Olusegun Mimiko, who is the ZLP national leader.
“We, therefore, call on 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.
“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,” Sowore said.