About 1,793,914 eligible voters scattered across the 18 local governments of Ondo State are set to elect their new governor on Saturday (today).
DAILY POST reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had cleared 17 political parties to participate in the exercise.
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are the major contenders in the gubernatorial race.
The Labour Party was projected to be the third force in the election, but the party was weakened by the recent court judgment that disqualified its candidate.
DAILY POST recalls that the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday, disqualified Olusola Ebiseni as the Labour Party candidate for the gubernatorial election.
The judgment was unanimously delivered by the three members of the panel and read out by the chairman of the panel, Justice Adebukola Banjoko.
Justice Banjoko held that, “the appeal marked CA/ABJ/CV/1172/2024 brought by the Labour Party against Chief Olusola Ebiseni and two others is allowed.”
The court asked INEC to reinstate Olorunfemi Festus as the authentic candidate for the election.
Barely 24 hours before the election, the Commission on Friday removed Ebiseni and reinstated Olorunfemi Festus as the Labour Party’s candidate.
Vote buying may mar election
There are indications that the election may be marred by vote buying, as the two major political parties were alleged to have been inducing voters with cash.
The Labour Party youth leader in Ondo State, Hon Samuel Boniface, in an interview with DAILY POST, alleged that some desperate politicians eyeing the party’s structure approached him with a bribe.
Boniface alleged he rejected an over N100 million offer from some bigwigs in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to collapse the LP structure into their party.
He said, “As the state youth leader of the Labour Party, three weeks ago, I was contacted by some PDP stakeholders who asked me to collapse the Labour Party structure into their party.
“They asked me to mention any amount from N100 million, but I declined because I have a goal. I have my own future. I can’t sell my conscience like that.
“I also told them that I will never betray my followers and my party. When I contested for the House of Reps in 2023, they did the same thing to me, but I told them that I would rather lose the election than sell my conscience.”
There are potential threats to the safety of voters in some parts of the state.
On Wednesday, suspected armed thugs reportedly launched an attack on some members of the PDP in Idanre Local Government Area of the state, triggering fear in the area.
At least six persons were hospitalized following the unfortunate incident as PDP fingered the ruling party.
Similarly, there are reports of attacks by thugs in Owo, where over 70 persons were murdered in 2022 by terrorists.
However, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, had deployed over 22,000 men and officers to the state for the effective security of lives and property.
Our correspondent gathered that security operatives are already on the ground and have taken over strategic places to ensure the safety of voters.
Anxiety, tension as 1.7 million voters elect new governor in Ondo
