… as leaders lobby Jegede to make him running mate
THE Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Agboola Ajayi, has said he will remain in the Peoples Democratic Party, in spite of his loss at the last primary election of the party, held on Wednesday.
Ajayi polled 657 votes to lose the governorship ticket to Eyitayo Jegede, who was also PDP’s governorship candidate in the previous election.
Jegede, a former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Ondo State, won the keenly contested primary election with 888 votes.
While stating the Deputy Governor’s decision to remain in PDP in a statement on Friday, the Agboola Ajayi Campaign Organisation said, “He (Agboola Ajayi) proved that he is a grassroots politician by polling 657 votes, coming second in a contest amongst seven other aspirants, barely 30 days after rejoining the PDP.
“This is why commendations kept pouring in from the state and even from outside the state. It was a great performance, a great day for him and democracy.”
“We are equally using this medium to state unequivocally that, PDP remains our party and we, therefore, want all our supporters to remain loyal to the party as we work towards the way forward,” he stressed.
Ajayi had, after the primary election, said that he had contested against different forces.
There were also allegations early on Wednesday that his supporters were involved in thumb printing of ballot papers before the election.
Meanwhile, some party leaders were said to be mounting pressure on Jegede to consider picking the Deputy Governor as his running mate.
They based their suggestion on the fact that the two could combine their strengths to defend the incumbent Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.
