Ondo poll: Akeredolu, Jegede lock horns, Ajayi shuns debate

Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and three other governorship hopefuls on Thursday participated in a virtual debate organised by the BBC News Yoruba and its partners ahead of the state governorship election slated for October 10.

Other candidates present are the Peoples Democratic Party’s Eyitayo Jegede; Dotun Ojon of the Young Progressive Party and Adekunle Adeleye of the African Action Congress.

The candidate of the Zenith Labour Party Deputy Governor Agboola Ajayi, who is the state’s deputy governor, was absent at the debate.

The candidates dwelled extensively on issues of security, education, health and economy.

The YPP candidate criticised the Ondo State Security Network Agency, Operation Amotekun, and the law that created it, adding, “Those who started it did not really understand it.”

He also said if elected he would create an arm within Amotekun corps to address kidnapping.

But Akeredolu said the YPP candidate was ignorant of the law that created the Amotekun Corps.

Jegede, in his submission, promised to build police stations and army barracks in the localities notorious for crime in the state.

He also pledged to reduce the tuition being paid by students of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko.

Responding to this, Akeredolu said his government had already reduced the tuition, noting that students of the university were paying the same tuition as their counterparts at the Lagos State University.