New Telegraph

Ondo poll: Yiaga Africa identifies six LGs as flashpoint

…as Obasanjo, Mimiko meet

An election monitoring group, Yiaga Africa Watching The Vote, has identified at least six Local Government Areas (LGs) in Ondo State as flashpoint during the October 10 governorship election holding in the state. This was contained in its first Pre-Election Observation (PREO) Report made available to newsmen by Communication Officer of the election monitory group, Moshood Isah yesterday in Abuja.

The report which stated that voters’ inducement were reported in six local government areas, also raised concern that the forthcoming election may become a replay of undesirable events, given the attitude of some political gladiators in the state.

It reads: “Whilst INEC has shown commitment and readiness for the election, key contenders and political actors have advanced narratives that forewarn of breakdown of law and order including alleged threats to deploy state and non-state instruments of force and armed violence.

“This could affect the efficiency and credibility of electoral management processes if not curtailed. “Specific cases of voter inducement were reported in Akoko South West, Akure South, Akoko South-East, Akoko North West, Ifedore and Odigbo LGAs. “Akoko South-West, Akure South, Idanre, Owo, Akoko South-East and Ese-Odo are considered hotspots and flashpoint of violence due to the prevalence of pre-election violence.” Meanwhile, former Governor Olusegun Mimiko who is also the National Leader of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) yesterday met with ex- President Olusegun Obasanjo at his hilltop mansion.

The meeting which was held behind closed door was not unconnected with the forthcoming governorship election in the state. According to an impeccable source and chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the meeting was at the behest of Obasanjo on how to sack Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of the All Progressives Congress (APC). It was gathered that the meeting was attended by some prominent leaders across party divide within southwest to strategize over the move and to prevail on Mimiko to allow the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Eyitayo Jegede to collapse its structure into ZLP.

“The feelers from the field for the PDP, is not a good one. Apart from Akure where Jegede hails from, which LG can he boast of winning? “The only two PDP House of Assembly members are working for Agboola, ditto for all his co-contestants in the primaries and party chieftains who are working underneath for the ZLP.

“Ajayi is the only candidate from the south, a region that whose clamour is nothing but a governor having spent just 6 years under late Olusegun Agagu, Jegede is from the central which enjoyed 8 years under mimiko and the north has spent a commutative 12 years under Adekunle Ajasin, Adebayo Adefarati and the incumbent, Rotimi Akeredolu,” the source said.

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