Aiyedatiwa Knows He Can’t Win Ondo Guber Election

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Olusola Oke has made a claim against the Ondo State Governor, Lucky Ayiedatiwa.

Oke claimed that Ayiedatiwa knows that he won’t win the November 16 governorship election.

Oke is one of the 16 aspirants jostling for the All Progressives Congress governorship ticket in the South West state.

Speaking with reporters after being cleared by the APC screening committee on Friday, Oke said Ayiedatiwa will hand over to him in 2025 after he wins the governorship election.

Oke also faulted Aiyedatiwa over his ‘no vacancy in Government House,’ statement, saying that the governor knows he has only one year left for him to leave.

He said, “The essence of this exercise is to ensure there will be vacancy after one year term. After that, somebody else will occupy the seat. With regard to my wide contact with the people, I believe that I’m succeeding him. The phrase ‘No vacancy’ is an aphorism from all incumbent persons. I have heard this even in Lagos when Ambode was there.

“Ambode also said ‘no vacancy’, but he had to leave when he needed to leave. It is a statement of wish and desire by the governor, and it is a statement that is intended to undermine a democratic exercise. If we are going to primary and the people will have to determine, how would anybody have the guts 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.”

Speaking further, Oke praised members of the screening committee for diligently executing their duties.

He added: “They have done their job the way they ought to do it. I had no reason to anticipate even before the screening that anything would come up. I am a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and I have no certificates issued. Their own is merely to confirm what we have claimed. I’ve been a member of the National Assembly. They won’t deny me that. I’ve been a national officer of a political party, and they will not dispute that.

“So everything that I’ve given in my forms is true to the facts. I know no screening committee can disqualify that in the first place. But they’ve done their job thoroughly diligently, and I like that.”