Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, representing Ondo South, has announced his readiness to vie for the upcoming gubernatorial election in Ondo state.
He believes that the passing of former governor Rotimi Akeredolu may bolster his prospects of clinching the governorship.
Expressing confidence, Ibrahim asserted that there wouldn’t be any imposition of candidates from the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress and the Presidency.
Speaking in Akure on Thursday, he stated his belief that Bola Tinubu would ensure a transparent primary process, allowing the most deserving candidate to emerge.
He said, “I’m declaring my intention to run for the governorship election of Ondo State. Among the contestants, I am the oldest. I have contested elections twice in my lifetime, one of which I contested for governorship position in 2003, and none of these contestants was on that ballot.
“The President will never say that we should go and work for the incumbent governor. He can only appeal that maybe he prefers one person if you can prefer him and if you cannot, go and do your election. So the President cannot say that I have taken this person so all of you should go and sit down. Even Buhari who is very clueless about anything can never do that.”
READ ALSO: Ekiti School Children Kidnap: Ondo Amotekun Deploys 100 Personnel, Apprehends 31 Suspects
The APC gubernatorial hopeful emphasized that the passing of former Governor Rotimi Akeredolu would not hinder his prospects but could instead bolster his likelihood of success in both the primary and general elections.
“Maybe the death of Aketi has enhanced my chances because Aketi is a human being, he can be subjectively objective at the last minute. But now that he is no more, that possibility is written off completely. So whoever is there, wants to run for governor will meet me at the field.
“So Aketi’s death doesn’t affect my chances at all, but it would rather enhance my chances to win the governorship position of this state. So we are working seriously to win this election,” Ibrahim stressed.
He emphasized that the economy and security stood as fundamental priorities within his state programs. He highlighted the necessity of equipping the state Security Network Agency, commonly known as Amotekun, with cutting-edge technology to enhance its ability to effectively combat criminal activities.
“My programmes are very straightforward; we are to create moral efficiency and moral knowledge and make the body more efficient. We must also map Ondo State borders for a security network and then ensure that we will never have any cases of kidnapping, by making Amotekun a classic unique security outfit that will come with a good strategy to challenge any security issues in our state.
“So one of the areas we are looking at is to ensure that everybody in Ondo State can go to sleep with their eyes closed and that’s top most of our priority. Mapping every systems, the tactical operations of Amotekun have to come more distinct into technology, I want an Amotekun that is Information Technology informed because I have PhD in war, ” he stressed
As the state’s primary elections for political parties approach, numerous aspirants from the APC have expressed their interest in the competition. Among them, alongside Jimoh Ibrahim, are notable figures such as the incumbent governor, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the former Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Wale Akinterinwa, a former Member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Mayowa Akinfolarin, the former Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Oladunni Odu (the sole female aspirant), a former APC governorship hopeful, Chief Olusola Oke, Dr. Paul Akintelure, Brig-Gen Olamide Ohunyeye (retd), and others. Akeredolu, aged 67, passed away in December 2023 while receiving treatment for prostate cancer in a German hospital.
Born on July 21, 1956, Akeredolu pursued Law at Obafemi Awolowo University (formerly University of Ife), graduating in 1977 and subsequently being called to the bar in 1978.
Following his demise, the then-acting Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa was sworn in as the substantive governor of the state on the same day.
Prior to his passing, Akeredolu had delegated authority to Aiyedatiwa through a letter to the state House of Assembly on December 13, 2023, as he prepared to embark on medical leave in Germany.
This development ensued after Tinubu intervened in the crisis arising from Akeredolu’s failure to hand over power to his deputy upon his return to the country from Germany in September. #Ondo