Prefererence to APC’s physical infrastructure thrust – VON DG
The Director-General, Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr Osita Okechukwu, has congratulated Gov. Oluwarotimi Ekeredolu on his re-election as governor of Ondo State.
He said that the governor’s victory showed that Nigerians preferred what he termed “APC’s physical thrust” to that of the PDP’s “stomach infrastructure hand-outs”.
Okechukwu, a member of APC National Campaign Council for Ondo State Governorship Election, stated this in a congratulatory message to Akeredolu on Sunday.
The APC stalwart, opined that the victories of Governors Akeredolu and Godwin Obaseki, defined APC’s ideology of preference for physical infrastructure to the stomach infrastructure of the PDP.
He said the message was on behalf of the APC National Campaign Council led by the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwolu to Akeredolu for winning the Ondo governorship polls.
“For us in the APC, Akeredolu’s victory and that of Godwin Obaseki, both products of APC in the last four years, have in no small measure defined our ideology – preference of devoting much more resources to physical infrastructural development.
“We, in the ruling party, did not harbour any fears of APC not winning Ondo State.
“That Akeredolu and Obaseki share a lot in common.
“One, they devoted much more resources in the past four years to physical infrastructural development than stomach infrastructure. This is why some elites are antagonistic to both,’’ he said.
Okechukwu also congratulated the people of both states for buying into APC’s ideology of preference for physical infrastructural development.
The VON boss said: “Indeed this is our hallmark in most APC states and the Federal Government.
“Our traducers envy infrastructural development ongoing in Lagos, Kaduna, Borno and other APC states as well as the uncommon Buhari’s agrarian revolution, power and railways infrastructure,” the statement said.
Okechukwu said they were happy with the outcome of the two elections, pointing out that both showed that Nigerians were gradually coming to terms with physical infrastructure that generates prosperity and enduring happiness as against the hand-outs from the opposition.
“For those, who because of the collapse of communism, assume that there is no difference between the APC and PDP ideologically, Obaseki and Akeredolu’s victories are eye-openers on the emerging ideological difference between the two political parties.
He claimed that the “PDP is sharing the money while APC is investing the money.”
Buhari congratulates
President Muhammadu Buhari has rejoiced with Rotimi Akeredolu on his re-election as Governor of Ondo State for another four-year term.
In a congratulatory message by his spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, in Abuja on Sunday, Buhari lauded the resounding victory of the governor at the election held on Saturday.
He believed that the votes garnered “show that one good turn surely deserves another.”
The president thanked the people of Ondo State for keeping faith with their governor and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He noted that “the people know the person and party that truly serves them, and have spoken in clear voice and unmistakable terms.”
Buhari appreciated the electorate in the state for comporting themselves decently and in order, and for exhibiting conduct that indicates that the country is making progress in its electoral behavior.
He also gave kudos to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for organizing credible, free and fair election, and to security agencies which ensured that orderliness was enthroned and maintained.
The president urged Akeredolu to be humble and magnanimous in victory, and serve the people of Ondo State even better than how he did in the first term.
”When you serve with heart and might, the people respond in like manner, and we can easily get to where we are headed as a country,” he added.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had on Sunday declared Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner of the governorship election held on Saturday in Ondo State.
Prof. Abel Olayinka, the Returning Officer of INEC, who is also the Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, said that Akeredolu got 292,830 votes to defeat Eyitayo Jegede of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who got 195,791 votes, while Ajayi Agboola of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) got 69,127 votes.
APC national applauds Ondo State electorate
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has applauded the people of Ondo State for coming out enmasse to re-elect Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu, the state’s incumbent governor for a second term in office.
The party in a statement issued by Mr Yekini Nabena, its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, on Sunday in Abuja said it would continue to ensure that the will of the people prevailed at all elections.
“As a party, we thank the Ondo State electorate for voting for good governance, industrialisation, security, empowerment and general welfare of the state.
“We will continue to advocate for and support safe, free and credible elections that guarantee that valid votes count and the people’s will prevail,” he said.
Nabena thanked President Muhammadu Buhari as leader of the party and Gov. Mai Mala Buni as Chairman of its Caretaker and Extra-Ordinary National Convention Planning Committee for supporting Akeredolu, the party’s governorship candidate at the election.
“We also recognise and appreciate the tireless efforts of the Ondo State APC Reconciliation Committee chaired by the Governor of Niger State Abubakar Bello and the APC Ondo State Governorship National Campaign Council chaired by the Governor of Lagos State Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
“Gov. Akeredolu’s re-election is indeed testament to the inclusiveness, genuine reconciliation and peace the Gov. Mai Mala Buni-led APC Caretaker Committee has ensured among party ranks in Ondo and other chapters of the party in general,” Nabena said.
The APC spokesman added that there was no vanquished now that the Ondo State governorship election was concluded and the people had decided.
He said what was needed now, was the general support for Gov. Akeredolu as he continued his work to return the state to its deserved and progressive standing among states in the country.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), declared Akeredolu as winner of the Ondo State governorship election haven scored the highest number of votes among the 17 candidates that contested the election.
INEC returning officer, Prof. Abel Olayinka of the University of Ibadan while declaring the results, said Akeredolu won the election with 292,830 votes.
He said Akeredolu won the election in no fewer than two-third of the 18 Local Government Areas of the state as required by law.
According to him, Akeredolu defeated his two main contenders at the election, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDPs) candidate Eyitayo Jegede who polled 195,791 votes at the election.
The Ondo deputy governor Agboola Ajaji, who contested the election with him on the ticket of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) polled 69,127 at the election.
