•Says ‘Ondo no be Edo’
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, Tuesday told his estranged Deputy, Hon. Agboola Ajayi to resign from his position if he has any honour.
Recall that the Deputy Governor dumped the All Progressives Congress, APC, and contested the just-concluded September 10 governorship elections in the state on the platform of the Zenith Labour Party, ZLP against Akeredolu, who was the APC standard-bearer.
Speaking to State House correspondents after being presented to President Muhammadu Buhari by the APC Caretaker Committee Chairman and Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni in Abuja, Akeredolu called on the deputy governor to vacate the post.
He said even if Ajayi does not resign, his days were numbered as a new administration will soon be sworn-in, adding however that if the deputy governor shows contrite, he was ready to receive him with open arms.
Fielding question on his comment before the election that he had enemy for life, he said, “All those things are political statements. Do I want to have enemies for life? I say no. Now that God has done it, he has proven to everybody that He is God, so who am I to keep enemies for life. They are welcome any day, there is no problem. I don’t have enemies for life any longer.”
On how he would cope living with the deputy that ran against him in the election, he said, “Well I am sure as journalists; all of you would have watched that film, “Living with an Enemy”. There is a way you will live with your enemy and there is no problem, I have now that we have drubbed him sufficiently well, he will probably be able to come back and at least apologize for his sins, if he is contrite, there is no problem.
“God has given us victory who am I to harbour enmity against anybody, it is not necessary. So if he comes back, if he has honour anyway, he should resign and leave as Deputy Governor if he has honour. But if he decides not to if opportunities are there, I am sure the party will take a decision on him because he is no longer in our party, he has gone to another party.
“He has been in three parties within a month, wonderful man. From APC to PDP, from PDP to ZLP, he is a wonderful man. So, for me, I have nothing against him but I can tell you, we will be able to live with him if he wants to remain that way. If he stays back in his ZLP, we will live with him. It will soon fly off, the days he is thinking that is long is not long, and his days are numbered. Another journey will start in February.”
Also asked what President Buhari told him at the meeting, he said, “He didn’t ask me to tell you, leave that to us. We had a father to son, son to father discussion, he is our president, he is our leader. It’s a leader to members/followers discussion, so he didn’t ask me to tell you what he told me.”
On their mission at the Presidential Villa, he said that they came to see the President and that the APC Caretaker Committee Chairman and Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni presented the Certificates of Return issued to him and the deputy governor-elect, Lucky Ayedatiwa to President Buhari
Governor Akeredolu, who was accompanied by the Chairman, APC Caretaker Committee, Chairman of the Campaign Council and Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF and governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum, PGF, Atiku Abubakar and the Governor of Jigawa State, Abubakar Badaru, said that the APC governors played a very prominent role in the Ondo election.
“All of us went to the battle in unity. And it is clear to us that when we are united, no force can move us. APC is a very strong force. We are a strong party in this country. So, we have gone to prove in Ondo that Ondo is not Edo. They were dreaming.
“Now, they must have woken from their slumber. Ondo is not Edo. We have proven that. This is only possible with all of us working together, all the governors, the Bagudus of this world, the Badarus of this world, Fayemis of this world, Sanwo-Olus of this world, the Yahaya Bellos of this world, all of us went there to fight a good battle.
“And I’m sure Mr President was happy. He also states that when we are united, we will always win. And it’s proof. All of us have decided that we will continue to be united. And all aspirants with me in Ondo did tremendously well. All worked together to make us win.
“This is a win that will ensure continuity, it’s a win that will make sure that all of us, the APC family is well received.”
