Two governorship aspirants in the forthcoming governorship election in Ondo state, Hon Mayowa Akinfolarin and Wale Akinterinwa, on Wednesday, said they were still in the race, contrary to a media report about their stepping down for governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa in the contest.
Akinfolarin in a statement signed by the Spokesperson of Mayowa Akinfolarin Campaign Organization, Oluwagbenga Ajongbolo, urged his supporters to ignore the development and described the news as fake.
According to him, the report that he voluntarily stepped down after he was offered $1m by Aiyedatiwa is not only false but unfounded.
Ajongbolo said in a statement that ” The organization would normally ignore these concocted lies by the media henchmen of Mr. Governor, who is desperately harvesting all opportunities to increase his chances and redeem his image amongst party faithful and Ondo State people.
“However, we emphatically debunk the news that Akinfolarin has traded his aspiration for money or in cahoot with Aiyedatiwa.
“For the sake of clarity, Rt. Hon. Mayowa Akinfolarin has not spoken to, seen or interacted in any form with Governor Aiyedatiwa in the past one week.
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“Rt. Hon. Mayowa Akinfolarin has invested his time and funds, mobilized support from friends, families and networks, reached out to the members of the All Progressive Congress(APC) across the 203 wards in the state and committed all available resources to clinching the party’s ticket in Ondo State come Saturday.
“Those spreading these falsehoods and planting negative stories about Akinfolarin on blogs and pages of newspapers are only grasping at the last straw, after all indicators have confirmed party stakeholders, leaders and members, both home and abroad, have rejected Aiyedatiwa.
” It is very irresponsible and uncharitable that such lies would be circulated against Akinfolarin to disrupt his good plans for the people and put in confusion his teeming supporters across the eighteen local government area of Ondo State.
“We, therefore, urge our mobilizers and supporters to remain on the field as we go into the primary this Saturday. This is God’s own project and it shall be completed.
Also speaking, the Wale Akinterinwa’s Programmes Directorate, Sola Ajisafe, has asked members of the public to ignore the rumour flying around in respect of the Saturday primary election as it concerns their principal.
Ajisafe said that “We are aware so many rumours are flying around in respect of the forthcoming Primary election as it concerns our Principal.
“It has become imperative that we encourage you to ignore such rumours. They are from the opposition who are afraid of their impending loss on Saturday.
” It would not be in our own interests to begin to give air to the tales by those who do not wish us well. Their plan is to create doubts in our resolve to be the team that would produce the candidate of our party.
“Let it be known that WA is the candidate to beat in this contest. We have laboured and worked for our impending victory. All of us have resolved to taste the victory and celebrate it together on Saturday”