Ondo State Governor, Lucky Ayedatiwa, on Friday, asked those trying to get him disqualified from the forthcoming governorship election to have a rethink.
According to him, the Government House in Alagbaka has no vacancy to accommodate them.
Ayedatiwa disclosed this after the screening of the State’s All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirants at the Party’s National Secretariat in Abuja.
He said: “You see, we are all indigenes of Ondo state and we are all qualified to run to be the Governor of Ondo state, but there is a sitting governor, no vacancy. That’s what I am saying that I have the structures; the people and the competence.
“Within the few months that I assumed office they have seen clearly that this is the best man of the job. Yes because of the peace in the state and some of the programmes that have been rolled out to the people.”
Noting that the issues raised regarding his high school certificate were borne out of ignorance, the Governor said evidence abound, indicating that he did not forge any of his certificates.
“Screening is one of the exercises that must be done among the processes that the aspirants have to go through. Mine has just been done this morning and all documents that were submitted have to be verified and questions asked where some were not too clear to the screening committee.
“Questions were asked and answered and at the end of the day, I have been cleared that there are no issues. Especially the issue that has to do with certificate for which a petition was written, that has now been put to rest. My certificates are genuine and authentic. I think it is just a kind of mischief by some other aspirants who find me to be an aspirant to beat trying to look for a way to discredit my person but that has been verified and put to rest,” he said.
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However, one of the aspirants, Chief Olusola Oke who spoke with journalists after his screening, dismissed the Governor’s declaration that there was no vacancy in Government House.
He said; “It is an aphorism from all incumbent persons. I heard this one in Lagos when Ambode was there. Ambode said ‘no vacancy’, he had to leave when he needed to leave. It is a statement of wish and desire by the governor and it is a statement that is intended to undermine a democratic exercise. If we are going to primaries and the people will have to determine, how would anybody have the guts to say there is no vacancy? There is no vacancy between now and February next year, no doubt, but after February, his one year term will be exhausted and then there will be a vacancy.
“I don’t intend to take over from him before the expiration of his one year in office. So, the essence of this exercise is that there will be vacancy after one year term, and that he or somebody else will occupy the seat. Having regard to my wide contact with the people, I believe that I am succeeding him”.
Responding also to the Governor’s comments, the Senator representing Ondo South, Jimoh Ibrahim, described Aiyedatiwa as “a joker.”
He said, “He’s joking. It is a big joke. He can’t continue in government with P8, P7. The governor is joking, big joke, huge joke he is cracking with you. He is out of that place by the time we finish primary next week, he is gone and there is nothing virtually he can do about it.
“I don’t normally go against people, to me, clear everybody, let them go for primary, let the electorate determine. I have won election as senator; I won in six of the six local government areas, 65 of the 66 wards, 111,677 votes against Agboola Ajayi 60,000 votes.
“There is no vacancy between now and February next year, no doubt, but after February, his one year term will be exhausted and then there’ll be a vacancy.”
