Eyitayo Jegede, PDP aspirant, Ondo State
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, he explained that it is also for this reason that there have been a lot of conspiracy against him.
“When you have a bright chance like myself and things are looking up for you, they all gang up and conspire. They want to diminish your chance but it’s not going to happen,” Jegede said.
In response to reports that he has pleaded to team up with the Zenith Labour Party, he said “not me”.
“Maybe they themselves. But I don’t know who is planting these fake stories you have everywhere”.
He also addressed speculations over his chances at winning since his former principal officer and former governor of the state, Olusegun Mimiko, who once supported his political ambitions has now defected to the ZLP.
According to him, even with Mimiko’s support in 2016, he did not win. He, however, puts his trust solely in God and his loyal supporters.
“Dr. Mimiko belongs to the platform of the Zenith Labour Party and I belong to the PDP. I contested election in 2016 under the PDP platform and I failed. Dr. Mimiko was with me and so many other people.
“This year 2020, I’m with God. God is with me, the market women are with me, the students are with me and I’m comfortable with that,” he said.
Speaking further, Jegede explained that in 2016, the odds were against him as he was given the go-ahead by the court to contest only two days before the elections.
Consequently, he said he only had one day to campaign and hence, he decided to allow democracy take its cause by not challenging his loss.
The PDP candidate, however, noted that now the people of Ondo State have experienced the Akeredolu administration and the choice is theirs to decide if they want to continue with it.
According to Jegede, before Akeredolu came into office in 2016, tuition fees were not more than N35,000. But immediately the governor came in, tuition fees skyrocketed to between N150,000 and N200,000.
Beyond that, he stated that health care for pregnant women was once free but “pregnant women now have to pay through their noses”.
“I chose not to challenge the elections and yes we have learn our lessons since then,” he added.
The PDP candidate also addressed the issue of security, saying he was attacked by ‘hoodlums’ who escort the governor.
“Why should hoodlums be following a governor?,” Jegede asked, as he reiterated that it can only be because they are threatened by his chance.
