ACN prospect ended in calamity as Boroffice, Abayomi, Omodara, Abraham others join PDP

Prof. Ajayi Boroffice endorses Olusola Oke

RANK of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Ondo State was heavily depleted yesterday as many governorship aspirants on the platform of the party dumped it for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The aspirants included Mr Saka Lawal, Chief Jamiu Ekungba, supporters of Dr Tunji Abayomi and Prof Robert Ajayi Boroffice, Hon Thompson Otito Atikase, Dr Olaiya Oni, immediate past Chairman of Labour Party (LP), former Commissioner for Transport, Otunba Omoniyi Omodara, and the Director-General of Dr Segun Abraham Campaign Organisation, Alhaji Abbas Aidi.

A section of a formidable group within the ACN, the Sunshine Liberation Forum (SLF), also dumped the party over what they termed as the imposition of Mr Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) as the candidate of the party.

At a press conference addressed by the Chairman of the PDP, Ebenezer Alabi at the NUJ Press Centre, Akure, where the new entrants were presented to journalists, members and supporters of the ACN stormed the venue to register their support for their leaders.

Olusola Oke and Saka Lawa

To guarantee equal political power sharing in the state, Alabi said an agreement has been reached with stakeholders that there would be no second term for any governor in the state.

To make this agreement work, he said the position of governor has been zoned to the Southern Senatorial District for four years only, thereafter to the North and later to the Central for its own four years.

He said: “This tripartite arrangement is designed to put in place a multi-dimensional approach aimed at rescuing our state from debauchery, nepotism, outlandish projects, poverty of ideas on policy issues, crass opportunism and outright managerial crisis that we are currently subjected to”.

The press conference was attended by supporters and leaders of the PDP, including its governorship candidate, Chief Olusola Oke.

Alabi said the decision of the aspirants and other leaders to join hands with the PDP was to ensure that the party was victorious on October 20.

The PDP chairman, who described the new entrants into the party as partners in the quest to salvage the state, said they represent a group of concerned members of the ACN, saying “their presence forcefully signifies their desire and absolute readiness to join hands with the PDP to wrestle this state from the clutches of the Mimiko administration”.

He disclosed that other partners would soon follow the trend in a patriotic zeal to put in place concerted actions geared towards a renewal of orderliness in the state, noting: “The declining fortunes of the state as regards depreciating infrastructure, poorer healthcare delivery, declining standard of education, stunted industrial growth, declining agricultural productivity and large scale unemployment would be addressed by the PDP government”.

The PDP Chairman expressed regret that the state that is endowed with enormous human and natural resources with potential to make life more abundant for the people could be wallowing in poverty, stating that the development necessitated the position of the PDP and its partners that the ship of state under the LP is not only adrift but steadily sinking and that it is a common responsibility to rescue the state from the abyss and reposition it.

Meanwhile, Governor Olusegun Mimiko has reiterated his commitment to enhance equity, fairness, and justice in the distribution and execution of urban renewal projects to re – create a habitable and functional city in the state.

He disclosed this in Akure, stating that the government will continue to carry out active approach for the urban development in the state.

He stressed that more urban renewal projects will be executed across the state to better the lives of the people.

Corroborating the governor’s position, Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Igbekele Daodu, an architect, described urban renewal as putting a new life into the badly developed and dysfunctional urban centres, adding that provision of facilities that are lacking to make cities aesthetically balance is of necessity to the people.

He said: “It is this craze for balance, order and urban equilibrium that brought about the active urban renewal construction cities ongoing all through Ondo State”.

He noted that the government has put in place three phases of urban renewal programmes to ensure proper implementation; the institutional stage, Ondo State Government Urban Development Policy and strategies for implementing the various studies and programmes.

Daodu explained that the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development has carried out Urban Renewal Studies in Akinnawonu/Ade Super Neighbourhood, Ondo; Aratunsin/Tutugbua/Arisoyin Community, Akure; Bagudu community. Okitipupa; Ilotin/Esure Community, Akure; Owogorioye/Afuusi and Okedogbon Community, Owo; and Okeagbe Community, Ikare Akoko

The commissioner affirmed that the Urban Renewal Institutional body (the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development), Policy Document and Strategies will further adopt appropriate and workable planning strategies that will combat improper land use which will facilitate urban transformation and restructuring going on in the state.