I’ve told Aiyedatiwa I’m running for APC ticket, says Oke

Agovernorship aspirant in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, Chief Olusola Oke, has said he has told Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa that he is running for the APC ticket.

He declared that 2024 was appointed by God for him to emerge as governor.

This year’s election will be the fourth time Oke will be making attempt to govern the state.

In 2012, Chief Oke was a candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In 2016, he left the PDP to contest on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and in 2020; he lost the APC primary to the late former Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.

Oke said he knew Ondo State people desired his services.

He, however, said he would not defect from the APC if he lost the primary election.

Oke, who spoke at a media parley in Akure, said he would prefer an indirect form of party primary and would not kick against any mode of primary picked by the party’s leadership.

He said: “The death of Governor Akeredolu caused elevation and de-elevation, parity and disparity in the politics and governance of Ondo State. But the truth of the matter is that what will influence the leadership is who can do the job.

“Before the late Akeredolu travelled out, I met him in Ibadan to brief him on my aspiration and desire to succeed him and when I came back to this state, I went straight to Lucky Aiyedatiwa to brief him too that I would be running for the position of governor and he told me that it didn’t come to him as a breaking news. That he knew I had been on this and that I am very serious about it. But he (Aiyedatiwa) has not briefed me about his own ambition.”

“But let me say that my vision to govern Ondo State is for an appointed time.

“Ondo State needs a leader with vision, direction, a leader with a sense of commitment, not coming to fill any gap, but to serve the people and what I’m looking for now is legacy because whether we like it or not, Ondo State is in its state of war at this moment and it needs a dogged and government fighter with a mission, direction and vision who will be able to change the narrative of our dear state.

“I believe that government can open opportunity towards tapping our mineral resources, which will even generate employment that will reduce criminality in our society and even generate income for our people. So the state is in its total state of collapse.

“I had all my education in the rural area. I am a part of the people, I understand their suffering, I had suffered a lot with them, my involvement in the recent accident had nothing to do other than bad road. So having suffered with them, I belief I am the right man for the job.”