President Muhammadu Buhari has endorsed Governor Rotimi Akeredolu as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming governorship election in Ondo State.
He gave his approval on Friday when he met with the governor who visited him at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
While the meeting was ongoing, President Buhari presented the APC flag to Governor Akeredolu, as a sign of his endorsement.
He urged members of the ruling party to work diligently and ensure fairness in electoral processes, in their bid to return the APC’s governorship candidate for a second term in office.
The President noted that the reconciliation process in the state branch of the party had provided a solid ground for an easier clear victory for the candidate than he achieved in his first term.
He assured Governor Akeredolu of the party’s full support but stressed that a peaceful and fair election that reflects the will of the people must be uppermost.
President Buhari also urged party supporters not to get carried away with the election at a time when the country was fighting COVID-19 and adhere to the regulations of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and protocols of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
He described the party’s mechanism for resolving differences among aggrieved members as most effective.
The President also stated that the mechanism would be sustained to strengthen relationships and project the objectives of the APC as people-focused and development-oriented.
Governor Akeredolu was presented to the President by the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the APC, Mai Mala Buni, who is also the governor of Yobe State.
The meeting also had in attendance Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and his Plateau State counterpart, Governor Simon Lalong, who respectively serve as the chairman and deputy chairman of the party’s National Campaign Council for the Ondo State Governorship Election.
INEC had fixed October 10 to conduct the governorship election across the wards in all local government areas of the state
Speaking to State House correspondents after the endorsement, Buni expressed optimism that the APC candidate would win the October governorship poll in Ondo.
He said: “We are here today to present our candidate to the President being the leader of the party.
“That has always been the practice. We cannot kickstart our campaign without his endorsement.
“The President promptly endorsed him and commended him for his efforts in the last four years, the President is aware of this transformation and development that he has been able to bring to Ondo State in the last four years.
“So, the President has endorsed him and that is what we have been looking for; his blessing, his endorsement, his encouragement and support and we have gotten that already.”
Reacting, Akeredolu, said he was pleased with the President’s endorsement, adding that he would be doing much more for the people of Ondo, if re-elected.
“Let me start by informing you that the President, in giving us his blessings, made one expression.
“He said this time around, he is more comfortable because four years ago he had to be there with us.
I know that he has been to the state twice and he has seen a few of our facilities and has inaugurated a few of the things we have put in place.
