Agboola Ajayi Emerges as Ondo PDP Candidate for Gubernatorial Race

Agboola Ajayi, a former deputy governor of Ondo State, has secured the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial ticket after winning the party’s primary election. The announcement was made by Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, the deputy governor of Bayelsa, who chaired the electoral committee overseeing the polls, on Thursday in Akure, the state capital.

Ajayi won the primary with a decisive 264 votes, beating his closest competitors. Kolade Akinjo, who came second, secured 157 votes, while Olusola Ebiseni came in third with 99 votes.

“By virtue of the results, Ajayi Alfred Agboola, having scored the highest number of votes, is hereby declared the winner of this primary and is returned as the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party for the November 2024 election,” Ewhrudjakpo stated.

Ajayi has a long-standing political career in Ondo State. He previously served as the deputy governor from 2017 to 2021 under the administration of the late Rotimi Akeredolu. Before that, he was a councillor, chairman of the Ese-Odo Local Government Area, and a member of the House of Representatives. He ran for the 2020 governorship election as the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) candidate after leaving the All Progressives Congress (APC) due to irreconcilable differences with his then-principal, Akeredolu.

Ajayi’s victory in the PDP primary marks a significant step in his political journey, positioning him as a strong contender for the upcoming gubernatorial election in November 2024. As the PDP candidate, he is expected to rally support from across the state as he campaigns for the governorship position.