By Ishaya Ibrahim Acting News Editor, Lagos
Many gladiators are showing interest in the governorship of Ondo State, among them constitutional lawyer, Tunji Abayomi, a fierce fighter in the courtroom.
The election on November 26 will be closely contested between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Outgoing Governor Olusegun Mimiko was elected on the platform of the Labour Party (LP). He switched over to the PDP in 2014, energising the party’s chances at the poll.
Conversely, PDP chieftains displaced by Mimiko’s emergence have moved to the APC to solidify the opposition’s camp.
Abayomi is running on the APC platform alongside Senator Ajayi Borofice; former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Victor Olabamintan, and former Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) President, Rotimi Akeredolu.
Abayomi promised exemplary leadership if elected.
“Everybody will say he will do this and that. But it is not sufficient to say you will do,” he said.
“I think we need to look at the lives of those who are aspiring and see whether by their lives, they have shown examples, have stood for something, are they dependable, are they men and women of integrity, are they compassionate?
“I think these are the issues. And if you could judge me in any of these categories, you will come to a positive rating. I think I will stand out because of many reasons.”
He said Ondo would vote APC because of its leaning to progressive politics.
“Ondo has always been a liberal state in terms of progressive politics. And don’t forget that the man who came (Mimiko), when he came, he came as a liberal politician, he didn’t come as a conservative.
“It was only in recent times when he moved to the PDP that he changed his profile. The second issue is that his governance has gone from satisfaction to serious dissatisfaction.
“When people look at what we have and what has been achieved, it is next to nothing. The state has made a whole lot of money. And what has the money achieved, very little. That is the concern of the people.”
Asked how will cope with the little resources of the state, he explained: “I think it’s a question of responsible management of resources and also to determine the hierarchy of priorities.
“In this nation, we need to avoid two things – waste and corruption. Both of them torment Nigeria. A lot of development programmes are cut short when they should have continued by a new government that comes in.
“In my state, before [Mimiko] came into power, there were quite a number of roads that the last government was working on. When this government came into power, he abandoned them, all the money wasted.
“There was no pothole on Oba Adesida Road, which is the central road in Akure. As a matter of fact, when this idea came up (to reconstruct the road), I was close to the governor then.
“I drove on that road and I came back to tell him that the place is quite okay. The road is smooth. If then the road is smooth, why do you want to destroy materials worth billions of naira?
“It costs so much vast destruction which was unnecessary only for you to replace two lanes with two lanes. Two good lanes with two uncertain lanes.”