Chief Olusola Oke SAN has been described as the most suitable among other aspirants to ensure victory for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming governorship election in Ondo State.
Chief Benson Enikuomehin, a legal practitioner and former representative of the state on the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), stated this during a media parley in Lagos.
He further said the ruling party in the state would be making the greatest mistake of its life, if it decided to give the governorship ticket to the incumbent, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
The governorship election will hold in Ondo State on Saturday, 16 November, 2024, just as the state APC governorship candidate is expected to emerge on Saturday, April 20.
The Ondo APC leadership had announced, earlier this week, that it has adopted direct option for the governorship primary.
Enikuomehin threw his weight behind Oke ahead of the APC governorship primary in the state, saying he is the most qualified candidate for the post.
Speaking during the media interaction on Thursday, the Ondo APC stalwart further described the governorship aspirant as a courageous who has the ability to take Ondo State out of the woods.
Enikuomehin further said, sentiment apart, Olusola Oke will do a good job as the next governor of the state, given his antecedent, age, tenacity of purpose and temerity.
“We should go back and look for someone who has the courage and ability to do so.
“Let us remove sentiment. We are looking for somebody who will do a good job. We are talking about the person who has the age and the temerity.
“Of all these persons, Olusola Oke is the only one who is not holding government office. He has been financing his projects and financing them well. Every other person has to fall back on the resources of the state,” he said.
Enikuomehin, a Senior Special Assistant to the late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, further said the APC will be making a great mistake if its leadership gives the ticket to Governor Aiyedatiwa.
He said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will only capitalise on such a mistake and present a candidate from the Ondo South Senatorial District that may have the opportunity to complete two terms of eight years in office.
“Ondo South, if allowed to take charge, is to have eight years unbroken by the convention of former Governors Olusegun Mimiko to Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and now.
“But Ondo Central is playing a game to support the incumbent and this is because Aiyedatiwa, by the Constitution of Nigeria as at now, can only contest one more election.
“And by the law, when you are sworn in to take over the remainder of the tenure of your boss, you can only contest for one more election.
“Therefore if Aiyedatiwa is supported and wins, then Ondo Central will say ‘it is now our turn’. So, that means four years is shortchanged and gone.
“That is why you see a good number of them coming out and canvassing, not because of the love for the man but because they will see it as their turn and they will have it quickly.
“That is why keen watchers of events are saying ‘don’t disrupt this procedure’. Mr Aiyedatiwa is a gentleman but will the people of Ondo South not be shortchanged? That is fundamental,” he said.
Enikuomehin also counseled the Ondo APC leadership to beware of the banana peels, noting that the PDP will surely leverage on any slip from the ruling party to bounce back into reckoning in the state.
“For the APC, the banana peel is on the ground. A decision in that respect will enable the PDP to say it wants eight years and is available to present its candidate from the South and people can be very sentimental,” he warned.
