Mr Ade Adetimehin, the Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, says the party will not condone the use of thuggery within its fold in the state coming governorship election.
Adetimehin made this disclosure on Friday in Akure while playing host to a team of political observers from the United States Consulate General office in Lagos,
The chairman said, “a party that is diligently serving the people, and positively affecting the economy, has no business resorting to violence to win an election”.
He assured the guests that the party would ensure a free and transparent governorship primary for all aspirants.
Adetimehin said that the APC, as the only party with a viable presence in all the 203 wards of the state, would enjoy “a smooth ride to victory” at the election.
“Why would you need to encourage thuggery in an election you are sure is going to be a walk-over for your party?
“We won’t encourage thuggery; we will rather sell our candidate to the people of Ondo State by reminding them of all we have been doing for them with the mandate they gave us. We don’t believe in violence,” he stated.
Adetimehin noted that there was no governorship aspirant of the party, who had visited the state working committee of the party to indicate his gubernatorial intention.
He lauded Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu for transforming the state economy with a focus on road construction.
Adetimehin also lauded the state civil servants for their hard work and focus, saying the APC-led administration would not have been able to achieve all it did without the cooperation of the engine room.
“We agreed before the election then that we would not owe workers their salaries.
“Almost three years down the line, we have not only been faithful to that but we have gone further to pay six of the seven months’ salaries we inherited,” he said.
Earlier, Jillian Itharat, the leader of the team and a political officer at the consulate, said that the team was covering political development in the South West of Nigeria.
Itharat explained that the team was in the state to familiarise with political parties and acquire good knowledge of the situation on ground ahead of the election.
