Governorship election will be my last in Ondo —Akeredolu

Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, said on Tuesday next weekend’s governorship election would be his last in the state.

The governor, who disclosed while signing a peace accord alongside the candidates of other parties in the election, urged his opponents to ensure a peaceful election on Saturday.

The forum which was put together by the National Peace Committee (NPC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure a violence-free election was attended by Akeredolu, his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rival, Eyitayo Jegede and the state Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi, who is carrying the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) flag in the election.

He said: “This won’t be our first election, at least for me. This will be the third time around that I will be contesting in the state. And this will be the third and last time that I will be contesting an election in Ondo State.

“We went through elections in the last two occasions, all of us operating as brothers. I cannot recollect any violence in those two elections. But if we have one or two issues here and there, it is not to say that Ondo people are violent. Ondo State people, maybe learning from experience, have refused to be involved in violence. Elections here have always been peaceful.

“I can assure you that the election slated for Saturday will be peaceful for as long as our security agencies are there. Our people are not the one that can confront civil defence talkless of the police or soldiers. Ondo State people are peace-loving people.

“I will also still address the people on the need to avoid violence. A number of us who are contesting in the election talk to each other because we are colleagues.”