As members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) go out to the polls to elect the party flag bearer in the November 2024 Ondo State governorship election, the odds seem to favour the incumbent governor, Lucky Ayiedatiwa.
Independent investigation in the 203 wards of the 18 local government areas of the state where the direct shadow elections will hold showed that the governor is favoured to pick the party’s ticket ahead of the other 15 aspirants.
Aside the modest achievements recorded by Ayiedatiwa in the last few months of his administration, the support base of the governor, which include the traditional institution, the civil service, artisans, students and party members spread across the 18 local government areas where party members are rooting for continuity.
From the 171,922 financially updated and revalidated members that are voting today, investigation and findings showed that over 65 per cents of eligible voters are rooting for the incumbent governor.
The claim of payment of N100m by Sen. Jimoh Ibrahim, one of the leading aspirants for mandatory dues of party members which covers less than 40,000 party members on the revalidated register, may not see the federal lawmaker through in picking the party’s ticket.
An online story with the picture of President Bola Tinubu and Olusola Alexander Oke (SAN) dipcting Villa endorsement that trended during the week was found to be a concortion and a propaganda stunt that failed to fly beyond the realms of the social media.
A dependable source in the presidency dismissed the report when contacted.
“This is politics. Anybody can snap pictures with the President, that does not and should not be taken as endorsement,” our source offered
In the same vein our investigation showed that the dream of one time Commissioner for Finance, Wale Akinterinwa of picking the APC ticket may also end up unfulfilled.
The die is cast, party members are ready and victory is beckoning on Lucky Orimisan Ayiedatiwa to continue build on the the good foundation his able boss, late Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu laid for a more prosperous Ondo State.