Ondo Governor Rotimi Akeredolu has expressed optimism he will win the October 10 Governorship election in the local government areas of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Eyitayo Jegede and his deputy Hon Agboola Ajayi
He reiterated the defection of Ajayi to the opposition PDP cannot threaten his victory at the polls.
Akeredolu, who spoke with newsmen at the National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) shortly after meeting with APC Ondo Primary Election Appeal Committee, however admitted that Jegede may be a hard nut to crack.
He was invited by the committee following petitions against his emergence at the July 20 primary election as candidate for the October 10 poll.
Akeredolu said: “Jegede is my friend. We are colleagues and both members of inner bar, I don’t have anything against him and I just prayed that our campaign should be issue based without violence and I know that he knows that it will not be easy for him.
“Yes, it may not be easy for me to win, but by His Grace, I am going to win.
“I can assure that as it was in the beginning, so it shall be now and forever more. We will win this election by the grace of God”.
On threat the deputy’s defection to PDP poses for his re-election, Akeredolu said “it is good radiance to bad rubbish”.
“We thought we could accommodate him at the APC but since he returned to where he truly belongs, it is all well and good.
“I always wish people the best I can. From what I have been told, he has lost the ticket and I pray he won’t jump to another place but if he does, all well and good.
“However, for his sake and as a big brother, I will advise him to stay with Jegede, support him very well.
“He has made a case that he helped me to win, let him help him to win and we will confirm that he is popular.
“What I know is that he is of no importance, he has no hold on any local government.
“I can assure you that come during the election, I will defeat him in his local government and he will never recover from it.
“He is of no influence anywhere and we picked because we felt we have someone from PDP coming to join us.
“We picked him to join us but he felt and tells people that he is deep rooted in the grassroots. Let me advise him again to stay with Jegede and let us see what happens”.
The governor however appealed to all candidates and political parties at the October election to engage in issues based campaign and shun violence.