Ondo deputy governor loses out as Jegede wins PDP primary

Former attorney-general and commissioner for justice in Ondo State, Eyitayo Jegede, has won the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary election for the October 10, 2020 guber poll.

Eight aspirants – Jegede, Banji Okunomo, Bode Ayorinde, Boluwaji Kunlere, Sola Ebiseni, Godday Erewa, Eddy Olafeso and the state deputy governor, Agboola Ajayi – participated in the election.

Jegede polled 888 votes to clinch the party’s governorship ticket and slug it out again with Akeredolu of the ruling All Progressives Congress in the governorship election. Ajayi emerged the second runner-up with 657 votes.

The winner was the party’s candidate in the 2016 governorship election but defeated by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and incumbent governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.

The chairman of the primary election committee and governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, while kicking off the election said: “It is our expectation that this Ondo State primary election will be seamless at the time it is completed. We hope to see that the Ondo State chapter of the PDP elects a widely acceptable flagbearer.”

According to him, the candidate should be able to make the ‘umbrella’ stronger and win the upcoming governorship election in October.

Ugwuanyi disclosed that the aspirants were properly screened for the election and made to sign a peace pact.

“We are in agreement on strict adherence to electoral guidelines on the conduct of a credible, free and fair gubernatorial primary election in Ondo.

“We also agreed to observe the protocols laid down by National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) for prevention of Covid-19 transmission,” he said.