The candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) for the November 16, 2024 governorship election in Ondo State, Honourable Gbenga Edema, has expressed confidence in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct an election that will be devoid of rigging which will give his party the victory in the much-anticipated poll.
Edema, who was speaking with Tribune Online in Abuja on the sideline of NNPP’s 7th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, said the people of Ondo State are tired of APC misrule under Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and will give their support to the NNPP through their votes.
He said NNPP has the grassroots support across the 18 local government areas in the state adding that his party is the new bride in Ondo. He added that the people of Ondo State are ready to stand by their votes and will vote for NNPP because both the APC and the PDP have failed and have nothing to offer to the people.
“I don’t have problem with INEC. As far as I’m concerned, INEC cannot manufacture votes. And if people are talking about rigging elections, you can only rig where you’re unpopular. The people of Ondo State want us and they are going to stand by their votes. They have that as their pedigree.
“From 1983 up till date, we’ve found out that Ondo State people will always stand by their votes. And since they want us, they will indeed stand by their votes. I don’t think INEC will be able to do otherwise.
“By the grace of God come 16th November 2024, we are winning with wide margin the governorship election in Ondo State because people are tired of the government in power and unfortunately the other party that would have been the alternative, the PDP, has a lot of baggage they are carrying. So, we are the third alternative and we are winning.
“With the way we are moving now, the people of Ondo State are yearning for us to come. And also the personality that the party has picked is also speaking for us. We actually look at the sentiment of our people in the selection of our candidate.
“For instance, we have picked our deputy governorship candidate from Akure contrary to the belief of some people because we heard that the current governor (Lucky Aiyedatiwa) promised the people of Akure that he was going to pick their son as a running mate but unfortunately he reneged. But we’ve picked an illustrious son of Akure as our deputy governorship candidate. And Akure has the largest single vote in Ondo State and we believe that this will also speak for us.
“The current governor and myself are from the same local government, that is Ilaje Local Government. We also have our inroad in that place. We have our people, our sentiments. We have those people who believe in us. So by and large, we believe we are making progress in the entire 18 local government areas of Ondo State and the results we speak for us by the grace of God on the 16th of November, 2024,” Edema said.
Speaking on the popularity of the NNPP in Ondo State, the governorship candidate said, “Some six months ago you may say maybe we are not as this popular. But today the people of Ondo State are hungry. They don’t like the party in government. They don’t even like the personality of the governor who’s being there for nine months now and nothing has changed.
“So, APC is out of it and PDP that would have been the alternative is also out of it. We are the Third Force. We used to be a dark horse but we are no longer a dark horse as far as Ondo State governorship election is concerned.”
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