Hon Ajayi Agboola, a former deputy governor of Ondo state, has won the ongoing People’s Democratic Party governorship primary election in the state.
He polled 264 votes of the 621 votes cast during the contest.
Ajayi will fly the party’s banner in the November 16 governorship election in the state.
Hon Kolade Akinjo, a former member of the House of Representatives, came in second place with 157 votes, while Chief Sola Ebiseni, former Secretary General of the Pan Yoruba Socio-Political Group, Afenifere, finished third with 99 votes.
Other results revealed that Akinwummi Adeolu received 64 votes, Chief Bamidele Akingboye received 24 votes, former information and orientation commissioner John Ola Mafo received 9 votes, and a financial expert Bosun Arebuwa received 2 votes.
621 delegates across the 18 council areas of the state, elected Ajayi during the contest held at the International Culture and Events Centre (The Dome), Akure.
Attempt to impeach Ajayi during the crisis between him and the late Akeredolu failed.
Ajayi, it would be recalled joined the PDP after leaving the APC following an irreconcilable difference with the late governor, Rotimi Akeredolu who is the APC candidate.
Recall, that Ajayi, contested the PDP primaries and lost to Mr. Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, who became the party’s flagbearer in the election.
Ajayi later dumped the PDP and picked the ticket of the Zenith Labour Party ZLP, to contest the 2020 governorship election and emerged the party’s candidate but lost to the late governor Rotimi Akeredolu
He returned to PDP with Mimiko after the former governor defected to PDP from ZLP
We’ll win Ondo back in November- Election Committee chairman.
The chairman of the 7-man Primary Election Committee and the Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo had earlier promise the aspirants free fair, credible election.
Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, speaking with newsmen before the commencement of the primary election in Akure, said that the aspirants are in high spirits and have promised to work together for whoever emerged as the party’s candidate.
” We are prepared and the aspirants are in high spirits and they have assured me that they would agree to work together for whoever emerged as the candidate.
“The problem of our party is how to get the power back from the APC that had been taken power from us for the past eight years.
“I have gotten commitment of all the aspirants that they would abide by the outcome and we are going to make it transparent as possible.
“You may be aware of my record that I was the one conducted the primaries in Osun state and we won in Osun and I’m here again to conduct the Ondo state and by the grace of God, we are going to win because the sun of the last year is still the same of this year, so the rain will fall and the farmers would have good harvest.”
Declaring Ajayi the winner of the election, the chairman of the committee, Ewhrudjakpo, said that 621 voters were accredited, 619 valid votes while two votes were valid.
He said that Ajayi, having scored the highest votes becomes the candidate of the party in the November 16 governorship election in the state.
No victory, no vanquish, it’s victory for all of us.
Ajayi, in his acceptance speech, dedicated his victory to the party.
He thanked the committee for a transparent process.
The candidate said that ” no winner , no vanquish, it’s victory for all of us in PDP.
Ajayi, commended his co- contestants and appealed to them to join hands with him to rescue the state for backwardness.