Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
Ondo State Deputy Governor and governorship candidate of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) Mr Agboola Ajayi has raised concerns over an alleged plot by Governor Rotimi Akeredolu to frustrate the launch of his campaign rally.
Ajayi alleged that Governor Akeredolu was frustrating all efforts of his party to hold its campaign rally in Akure by introducing policies that never existed in the State before.
The Special Adviser to the Deputy Governor on Media, Mr 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 governmemt.
Sowore said ‘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 M K O 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 N5 million, 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 #11million 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.
‘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.
‘We, therefore, call on all elder statesmen, religious leaders, lovers of democracy and all discerning minds to advise Governor Akeredolu to tow 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 added.