Ondo PDP, APC trade words over campaign venue

The Ondo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has alleged that the All Progressives Congress-led state government denied its members permission to a venue to start their campaign ahead of the November 16 governorship election.

The opposition party said it had earlier applied for the usage of the popular Democracy Park, Akure, the state capital, for the kick-off of its campaign slated for October 15, 2024, but it was later denied by the state government.

This was contained in a statement issued on Saturday, by the Special Adviser on  Media and Publicity of the PDP Campaign Organisation, Mr Ayo Fadaka.

The statement was titled “Our campaign flag off and Aiyedatiwa’s pettiness.”
The party, in the statement, however, declared that despite the denial, it would still go ahead to start its campaign next week.

The statement read, “We wish to bring to the notice of the good people of Ondo State that our campaign flagoff is slated for October 15, 2024. Given the above, we applied to the government for the use of the Democracy Park, the usual arena that mandatorily hosts such events and the Aiyedatiwa administration has decided to deny the PDP the use of the park, the first time any administration will prosecute such a cheap and petty goal.

“To say we did not anticipate this pedestrian action, will only indicate that we have not taken deep cognisance of the indecorous approach of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to governance.
“We recall that in years late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu was in power, not once was any political party denied use of public space. That was a statesman, now Ondo State is unlucky to have a worse variant in its saddle, this degeneracy must be taken care of.

“We, however, declare that we are going to hold our campaign flag-off in Akure, as people from across the state and nation will grace the event. We regret whatever inconvenience our gathering may have and apologise in advance,  however please note that the irresponsibility of the pedestrian government is the cause.”
The main opposition party in the state declared that it was ready for the forthcoming election and would defeat the incumbent and take over the government.

In a reaction, the state Director of Media and Publicity, Mr Steve Otaloro, described the allegation of the PDP as untrue and mischievous.

He claimed that Aiyedatiwa did not have direct dealings with the management of the park and could not stop anybody from using it.

Otaloro said, “This allegation is not only false but also mischievous. Governor Aiyedatiwa does not have direct dealings with the management of Democracy Park, and as such, he cannot unilaterally deny any individual or organisation access to the facility. The governor is committed to upholding the principles of fairness and justice, and he would not engage in petty politics.

“It’s essential to note that the use of public facilities like Democracy Park is guided by established rules and regulations. If the PDP has fulfilled all requirements, including payment and paperwork, there’s no basis for denial. We urge the PDP to verify their claims and provide evidence of payment and approval.”
According to Otaloro, the allegation was a desperate attempt to score cheap political points against the governor who is also the candidate of the APC in the forthcoming poll.

“Governor Aiyedatiwa’s administration has consistently demonstrated its commitment to good governance, transparency, and accountability. We will not be distracted by frivolous allegations and will continue to focus on delivering dividends of democracy to the people of Ondo State.

“We advise the PDP to focus on issue-based campaigning rather than spreading falsehoods and misinformation. The people of Ondo State deserve better,” he added.