Ondo 2020: Akeredolu pleads with Tinubu not to make video broadcast on governorship election

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the October 10 election in the state, including the party leadership, have become scared of the episode in Edo State after the campaign appeal of the APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in which he told the people of Edo State in a broadcast to reject Governor Godwin Obaseki  of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)  and vote Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the APC in the September 19 election.

Sources disclosed that the Ondo State governor and APC leaders in the state have been gripped by fear that Ondo people may have similar response if Tinubu makes such broadcast few days to the election. They were said to be concerned that the broadcast contributed immensely to the defeat of the APC and its candidate in Edo State, having deepened the sentiments of “Edo is not Lagos.”

Governor Akeredolu was, therefore, said to have pleaded with Tinubu not to make any broadcast towards the Saturday governorship election. The governor and party leaders were said to fear that such broadcast may be counter-productive and may dampen the chances of APC winning the election. They   had preferred going into the election based on the campaign appeals they have made to the people, including the accountability of the governor’s achievements across the state in his first tenure.

The governor had expressed confidence that the people of the state would return him for a second tenure considering the visible achievements he made in the term that is about to elapse. He reiterated that he does not want an occurrence of “Ondo is not Lagos”.

However, Tinubu was part of the opening campaign of APC in Ondo State where he stated the need to vote for APC. He had urged the governor to nail the PDP in a coffin in the belief that PDP is dead in Ondo State.