The Ondo State PDP governorship candidate, Agboola Ajayi, says the state and its people have not fared well under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last eight years.

At a media parley on Friday in Lagos, Mr Ajayi said Governor Lucky Ayedatiwa, the APC governorship candidate for the November 16 gubernatorial election, had yet to deliver on promises.

Mr Ajayi, a former deputy governor in the state, said the welfare and safety of the people were the primary objective of governance.

“Any political party that deviates from this avowed principle of governance will definitely get it wrong and become a liability to the people. I have a clear vision of how to make it work,” said Mr Ajayi.

He said late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu left many problems behind, and they had worsened under Mr Ayedatiwa, his deputy.

Expressing disappointment in the conduct and outcome of the September 21 governorship election in Edo, Mr Ajayi said democracy would not thrive where a simple election exercise turned to imposition.

He urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to allow the people’s vote to count in the forthcoming election in Ondo.

Mr Ajayi said his administration would focus on modern infrastructure, efficient transportation, vibrant marine and blue economy, striving agriculture, robust industrialisation, quality education and affordable health care.

Te governorship aspirant said his vision would capture comprehensive human development, adequate security, and other components of fundamental objectives and direct principles of state policy as captured in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

“We will rescue the state from the shackles of poverty, oppression, deprivation and insecurity and set them on the path of sustainable development so that the sun will shine again in the state,” he said.

Mr Ajayi said primary and secondary education would be fully free, and tuition in tertiary institutions would be reduced by 30 per cent.

“We shall address this ugly trend in the health sector by providing at least one primary health centre in each of the 203 wards in the state, which will be staffed with trained and dedicated medical personnel.

“We will pay attention to rehabilitation of roads, construction of waterways, provision of rural and urban electrification, enhancement and improvement in clean and pipe borne water delivery for the benefit of our people,” he said.

“I can assure you, our four-year government would be like  12 years,” he said.

The PDP chairman in Ondo State, Bakita Bello, said the party had bounced back and had received many defectors from the ruling APC to win the election. 

(NAN)