The National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, has again expressed confidence that the ruling party in the state will win the November 16th governorship election in Ondo State with a wide margin.

 

Speaking during the inauguration of the National Campaign Council of the party in Akure, Ondo State capital, on Monday, Ganduje declared that the party will win the forthcoming governorship election in a free and fair contest.

 

Inaugurating the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led 305-member council, Ganduje urged them to swing into action and build a strong synergy with the state and local campaign council.

 

While noting that the members must maintain the state for APC through democratic process, the APC Chairman said President Bola Tinubu hails from the zone, hence the need to show him their respect by winning the forthcoming poll.

 

According to him, “We are here to create an enabling environment so that the election will be free and fair. And the election will be victorious for our party. We appreciate the reform the state governor has introduced. We must support him so that he will continue to provide good governance for the state. He is a lucky man, and he will continue to be lucky.”

 

In his acceptance speech, the Chairman, APC National Campaign Council for Ondo State governorship election and Lagos State governor, assured the party leadership that the committee would win the forthcoming governorship election with nothing less than 80 percent of the total votes.

 

Sanwolu who noted that the party had given him the same assignment in the state twice, pledging that the committee members will do everything within their means constitutionally, and professionally to defeat other political parties in the poll.

 

He said, “The campaign will be issue-based and devoid of insult. We can boldly come out for Governor Aiyedatiwa because he has made us proud within his short period as a governor of the state. We will not disappoint the party and the people of the state. We will win with nothing less than 80 percent of the total votes.”

 

Earlier, the Ondo State governor and the candidate of the party, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, said within the last 10 months in office, he has focused on infrastructural development, public utilities renewal, boosting agricultural production, entrepreneurship and youth development, job creation and security.

 

“We have focused on strengthening governance institutions through fiscal discipline, improved healthcare, access to quality education, and responsible citizenship.

 

“We have shown commitment to social welfare to alleviate the sufferings of our people. We have deliberately created a stronger engagement with our women, too.

 

“We are concerned with leadership with integrity and character. We are not talking about our people; we are talking with them. Remarkably, within our 10 months in the saddle, we have activated the construction of not less than 70km of rural roads to provide access to our farm settlements and villages.

 

“This is in addition to the new 60km city-based roads recently awarded alongside the ongoing roads, bridges, and public building projects initiated and awarded by our administration. It is significant that our workers are happy and well-motivated as we pay their salaries regularly and promptly. We owe no kobo to workers, even as they enjoy their regular promotions.

 

“We have employed workers into critical sectors of the public service, such as health and Internal Revenue Service, while processes at an advanced stage to recruit about 2,000 teachers for public primary and secondary schools. We have supported not less than 500 youths with hundreds of millions of naira in grants and loans as part of start-up kits for their entrepreneurial businesses.

 

“We are supporting our farmers with access to quality funds and finance as well as technology and trade. We are also giving scholarships, bursaries, and financial assistance to students of Ondo State origin in higher institutions across Nigeria.”

 

Other chieftains of the party present at the inauguration include the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun; his Ekiti State counterpart, Governor Biodun Oyebanji, former Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo Agege; National secretary of APC, Sen. Ajibola Basiru, among others.