The Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, on Monday, charged leaders of the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to ensure the forthcoming governorship primaries were free of rancour and peaceful.
He also urged all aspirants to be peaceful in their conduct ahead of the primaries and the governorship election.
Mr Aiyedatiwa gave the charge when he held a maiden interactive session with party stakeholders from the 18 local government areas of the State.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has scheduled the Ondo governorship primaries for April, while the governorship election will be held on 16 November this year.
Mr Aiyedatiwa’s tenure will end on 25 February 2025.
He called on contending forces within the party to end all hostilities and come together to move the party and the State forward.
“It is important for me to tell you that as leaders of our party, we must put behind the events of the last few months and come together as one big family for the progress of the APC and the development of our dear State,” he said.
“The events of the last few months” had to do with the fierce conflict with the party and the state cabinet occasioned by the absence and ill-health of the late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.
Impeachment plots were hatched against Mr Aiyedatiwa, who was then the deputy governor.
However, the death of Mr Akeredolu brought the fights to an end, as Mr Aiyedatiwa was sworn in as the substantive governor.
“To me, what happened in the past was just politics. It was not a fight, it was not a battle; it was mere politics and I can say that I did not take any offence. The most important thing is to remain as one big family.
“There is the need to make our party stronger and that necessitated the idea of this enlarged stakeholders meeting to bring everybody on board. Our party leaders and members are critical stakeholders that we cannot afford to neglect,” he said.
The governor thanked President Bola Tinubu for showing keen interest in the peace and development of the State.
Speaking earlier, the State Chairman of the APC, Ade Adetimehin, commended the Governor for the timely engagement of party stakeholders and stressed that party leaders must put the past behind them to foster unity ahead of the coming governorship election.
Those present at the meeting included members of the State House of Assembly, led by the Speaker, Olamide Oladiji; members of the State Executive Council, led by the Secretary to the State Government, Oladuni Odu; former deputy governors, Ali Olanusi and Lasisi Oluboyo; former state chairman of the party, Sola Iji; former SSG, Sunday Abegunde; member of the House of Representatives, Biola Makinde; Segun Ojo, Jamiu Ekungba, and Jumoke Anifowoshe, among others.
Although Mr Aiyedatiwa is constitutionally qualified to contest the governorship, he has yet to officially declare his intention.
