Contrary to the speculation making the round ahead of the April 20 Ondo State governorship election, one of the governorship aspirants, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim has said that the presidency did not anoint any aspirant.
To him, anointing any aspirant ahead of the primary election was draconian and against the tenets of democracy.
Ibrahim disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja after submitting his nomination and expression of interest forms at the party secretariat.
He expressed optimism that he was going to win the next election, saying he has a movement that was set up, adding that they have collected data of over 400,000.
Ibrahim stated: “It is stupid to say you are looking for endorsement. The Presidency did not endorse anybody. Politics is about democracy, democracy is about numbers. Somebody sitting down to endorse you is military. It can’t be possible. You can never get into this office by endorsement. Was Asiwaju endorsed by Buhari? When we did the primary…at the end of the day Asiwaju won the election without any endorsement from anybody.”
“Was Asiwaju endorsed, at the end of the day, he won the election with no endorsement from anybody. If you believe it is your turn, it is your turn. As I am leaving here by Monday, I am paying 140 million naira to the party for 100,000 delegates membership form.
“My focus when I become governor is to ensure that one; the Bitumen $47 billion seated in Agbabu is extracted. I brought the current Bitumen bill before the National Assembly and we are now on the third reading of that bill so that we can have a law backing Bitumen.
“So why Bitumen arrangements have been failing is because we don’t have law guiding that.”
The lawmaker also stressed that he has no agreement with Olusola Oke to step down his governorship ambition.
When asked if he was threatened by Aiyedatwa, he stated categorically that the governor was not a threat to him.
His words: “When Aketi was alive, politically, he gave my own to me before he went out in the morning. Is it Aiyedatiwa that I will be threatened? Aiyedatiwa is my friend,I have nothing against him, just that he should do his one year and return home. “
The governorship hopeful said he would fortify Amotekun, through the use of technology to dislodge criminals in the state.