…as Oke, Ibrahim says it is joke taken too far
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has asked his rivals to perish the thought of unseating him in the quest to occupy Alagbaka House.
Aiyedatiwa who spoke after he was screened at the party national secretariat in Abuja on Friday claimed he is well rooted to emerge victorious in the party primary election scheduled to hold on Saturday , next week.
Expressing optimism that he would be cleared to reclaim his seat, he described those behind the talks that he forged his school certificates as a bunch of mischief makers who are uncomfortable with his popularity with the electorates in the state.
Said he: “Investigation has been conducted, the schools are still there, WAEC office is there where you can actually verify the subject that I took and the year that I graduated and the school,” he said.
“You just need to buy a scratch card and go to the website of WAEC, it will be there – Ikosi High School Iketu and my name will be there with the subjects that I took and the various grades. So it is clear to every body that my certificate is authentic and I actually graduated from that school in 1982.
“I should just advice them to repent and try to go to the field and work. If they are interested in the seat and the seat is not vacant that is why they’re trying to do all that they are doing.”
But Chief Olusola Oke, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) who participated in the exercise called on Aidatiwa not to play to the gallery.
Said he: “It’s 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’s a statement of wish and desire by the governor and it’s 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 gut 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’ll 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’m succeeding him.”
For Senator Jimoh Ibrahim angling for the governorship of the state, Governor Aidatiwa does not have the chance to emerge victorious in the primary election.
He noted: “He’s joking. It is a big joke. He can 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 governments, 65 of the 66 wards, 111,677 votes against Agboola Ajayi 60,000 votes.
“What is the governor talking about. This governor has never won an election, he contested forthe House of Representatives, he didn’t win one local government, just two local governments, he could even win one. He was a pair to Aketi, we didn’t vote for him, we voted for Aketi. But I can assure you, the governor is a huge joker.”
