Less than 24 hours after confirming his ill-health status, Ondo Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu appeared in public at a meeting with candidates of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and other leaders of the party ahead of the forthcoming general elections.
It was his first public appearance since fears were raised over his health status.
Akeredolu, at the meeting held in Akure on Wednesday, January 18, 2023, fixed dates for the flag-off of the party’s senatorial campaign rallies in the State.
Akeredolu fixed January 23 as date for the Ondo South senatorial campaign rally, January 30th for Ondo Central Senatorial district while that of Ondo North would hold on February 6.
He charged the party leaders and members to work hard for the coming elections.
The Governor also confidence the party would emerge victorious at the polls.
Ondo APC chairman Engr. Ade Adetimehin said the party would sustain the successes of the presidential campaign rally.
According to him: “From reports, the rally is adjudged the best. We must keep the tempo going. We have laid our hands on the plough and there is no looking back.
“The Presidential election is going to be ours, the Senate and House of Representatives are also going to be ours. We will win all the House of Assembly seats.
“We must work hard for this election.
Across the organs of the party, people love us because our people love the government. We can’t be pushed aside. We have a dependable and formidable leader.
“Our candidates are the best. We are going to give the best in term of the result. By the time the result is out, we will beat Lagos State. In beating Lagos State, we are talking about the percentage. We will count the total number of voters and the percentage won.
“During the last presidential election, people thought we lost the election, we didn’t lose. Because this state is progressive. There was crisis then, but today the party is United under Governor Akeredolu.”
‘Rigging will be difficult’ – Governor Akeredolu Declares As He Hails INEC
Less than two months to the 2023 elections, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has said it would be difficult to rig the polls because of the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS.
He spoke in his office on Friday, January 13, 2023, when he received in the audience the retiring resident electoral commissioner in the State, Rufus Akeju.
The Governor described the introduction of BVAS as a laudable development in Nigeria’s electoral process.
Akeredolu applauded the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for deploying technology to strengthen the electoral process and reinforce confidence.
He noted that the introduction of technology has made rigging difficult, adding that it would ensure the All Progressives Congress, APC, will emerge victorious in every election.
According to Akeredolu: “I am happy that it’s getting more and more difficult for anybody to influence INEC to rig the election. I have been involved in so many elections, and I keep telling people, the election is difficult to rig.
“It has become more difficult now, because whether we like it or not, INEC has improved on its work over time, and I want to congratulate you and the chairman for the good work you are doing.”
Akeredolu commended the retiring REC because the State never recorded an inconclusive election during his time in the state.
