Ahead of the governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC), women under the auspices of O’Datiwa Partners have thrown their weight behind the governorship ambition of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State.
The Coordinator of the group in Irele local government area of the state, Mrs. Omorinola Akinduro-Olanipekun, made this known at the inauguration of members of the group in Ode-Irele in Irele Local government said the group was rooting for the governor to ensure continuity of his commendable efforts.
According to her, the essence of the convergence was to strategize on how to ensure massive victory for Governor Aiyedatiwa, with the support and help of all citizens of the State
Akinduro-Olanipekun a former Senior Special Assistant to the State government said they were in the local government area to inaugurate and declare support for Aiyedatiwa.
Her words “we are here today to inaugurate our O’Datiwa Women Group for Irele local government and our aims is to declare our followership for the sitting governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, that we Irele women are set to give him our total support, we are set to follow him this time around to the promise land.
“We are set to mobilize our women, local government to support him and thereafter by November 16th, that we are going to have the governorship election we are still going to come out en-mass and mobilize our people to give him our support.
“Lucky Aiyedatiwa is from the team of our late governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and today we have another governor from that team, that they should support team, they should give him the chance and we know that he is going to perform well.”
Former chairman of Irele local government Olusegun Ajimotokin said the APC structures in the local government are with the governor to secure APC’s ticket and eventually win the governorship election.
Ajimotokin said; “We are here to mobilise our people for our Governor; that we in Irele local government are for him, we are blessed in APC to have numerous resourceful persons and great personality that we cannot find in another state and if we have about 15 people contesting for a position that shows that we have intellectual people in this state.
“We want to tell the whole world that despite the high quality aspirants that we have, there is need to stand behind our incumbent governor, Aiyedatiwa to pick the ticket of our party, APC in the forthcoming governorship primary election.
“The reason is that Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa has been a very patience deputy governor who was very loyal and diligent on duty with his boss, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu. If you look at the level of commitment, dedication, loyalty that he has given to his boss you will know that there is need for the people of Ondo state to compensate him.
“Not just a foolish compensation but a very valid compensation because he has been in governance with our late governor, they started so many projects together, and he had not been found wanting at anytime during the three years and above they have spent, such person needs to be supported to continue the affairs of the state and all we need to do is to support him to continue.
“We all need to come back to our local government areas and tell our people that they should support our governor because he knew the road already.”
One of the leaders, O’Datiwa Partners Prof Simidele Odimayo said the rationale behind the convergence was to mobilise and strategise for the victory of Governor Aiyedatiwa at the primary poll to be the candidate of the APC.
Odimayo said; “We have come here today to celebrate Aiyedatiwa because he is the governor and governor to be. He is a person of excellent character, he is a man that is well known for decorum, very cool, calm and collected.
“Even the late governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu acknowledged him as a person to succeed him and that is the will of the man that is late so that he (Aiyedatiwa) can continue with his lovely programmes.
“Aiyedatiwa has committed himself to the goodwill, to the welfare of the people by paying outstanding salaries, pension arrears, gratuity that are there for long, we have seen that he is a man that is also ordained by God because when the battle was fears God demonstrated that he is with him by making him to be able to succeed his good master to whom he is loyal to.
“We want to tell him that we are fully in his support, the whole Irele local government we have come together to give him our support to say that we have endorsed him, he is the candidate of the party.
“Aiyedatiwa is the person to vote for because he is the person that has good characters and excellent behavior and our late governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has endorsed him.”
