The Governor of Ondo State, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, will today (Thursday) submit his Nomination and Expression of Interest forms as a governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has fixed November 16 for the Ondo State governorship election.
The governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Ebenezer Adeniyan, told The According on Wednesday that his principal would be in Abuja today to submit his forms, signifying his readiness for the April 20 APC governorship primary in Ondo State.
Adeniyan said, “The governor will tomorrow submit his Expression of Interest and Nomination forms ahead of the coming governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress.
“The governor, who will be accompanied by political stakeholders from Ondo State, will submit the forms at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja.”
The Ondo APC has fixed April 20 for its governorship primary while the National Working Committee of the party has set up a nine-man committee headed by Mr Emma Eneukwu to oversee the exercise.
Apart from Aiyedatiwa, no fewer than 15 chieftains of the party have indicated their intention to contest for the governorship ticket.
Some of the frontline aspirants who had obtained the forms include a former member of the House of Representatives, Mr Mayowa Akinfolarin; a former Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Prof Francis Faduyile; a former governorship aspirant of the APC, Chief Olusola Oke; Mr Gbenga Edema, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, Brig Gen. Olamide Ohunyeye, among others
However, the ruling party has yet to disclose the mode of primary, whether it is going to be direct, indirect or consensus primary.
Meanwhile, the state government, on Wednesday, advised the civil servants to get involved in partisan politics.
The state Head of Service, Mr Bayo Philip, gave the warning on Wednesday at the flag-off of the 2024 promotion exercise for civil servants in the state.
Philip said civil servants should not get involved in election campaigns under any guise.
He said, “I want to advise you, in your respective desk, you must not deliver short and you must not deliver late. Whatever you are to do must not be short of quality and must not be done late. Do your job as a patriotic civil servant that you are.
“I must also tell you, this is an election year. Do your job. You are civil servants and have nothing to do with partisan politics. Engage your mind more than you engage your mouth.”
The Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, is one of the strong contenders in the upcoming poll.
On the promotion of the workers, the HoS said no fewer than 4,200 workers, who are due for promotion, would be promoted, saying Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa had approved the promotion of all deserving workers with attendant financial benefits.
Philip, who appreciated the governor for the gesture, urged the beneficiaries to reciprocate by putting in their best in their service delivery, saying “To whom much is giving, much is expected.”
He also enjoined the workers to sustain the integrity of the service, “using the newly distilled approach ‘Don’t deliver short, don’t deliver late.”
