Hottestgistnaija.com
After weeks of deliberations and speculations, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) yesterday endorsed former President of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, as its candidate for the October 22 governorship election in Ondo State. The endorsement which took place at 3 am in the Ikoyi home of ACN’s national leader, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, followed several hours of meeting.
Following his selection, Akeredolu will be presented to the other 46 aspirants of the party today at the Governor’s Lodge on Isaac John Street, Ikeja, Lagos, where the party will equally solicit their support for the legal practitioner who was once the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Ondo State.
The party has also decided to formalise Akeredolu’s candidature by organising a primary in Ondo State next week, where he will be declared winner after which his name will be forwarded to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Naijahottestgist also learnt that some of the leading aspirants in the race, including Senator Ajayi Borrofice, who currently represents Ondo North senatorial district in the Senate, Dr. Olu Agunloye and Dr. Tunji Abayomi had been duly informed that Akeredolu would fly the party’s ticket at the forthcoming poll.
Naijahottestgist checks revealed that in deciding on Akeredolu, several factors were put into consideration, which included the edge that Akoko area in the state has over Owo.
It was gathered that since the governorship ticket had been zoned to Ondo North which comprises Akoko and Owo, the party felt it would only be fair to give the governorship ticket to Owo because Akoko has produced the incumbent deputy governor, Alhaji Ali Olanusi, the senator representing the district, Boroffice, as well as the incumbent deputy speaker.
According to a source, the party settled for Akeredolu because of its conviction that being a former president of the NBA, he has all that it takes to win the governorship election, adding that he is also brilliant and has leveraged on the NBA presidency to extend his contacts at the local and international level.
we also learnt that besides his professional background, Akeredolu is believed to possess the mettle to confront the incumbent governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, who is considered a tactical and formidable politician.
we also learnt that some judges, including the suspended President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Isa Salami, prevailed on the ACN leadership to favour Akeredolu as its candidate
