Their Major Appeals As Street Talks Identify 4 Main Candidates In Ondo Guber

Ahead of the November 16, 2024, Ondo State gubernatorial election, the four main candidates have been identified according to the word on the streets.

In no particular order, they are Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the incumbent governor.

Street talks say his chances are buoyed by the drive to secure a full term. A former Deputy Governor, he was sworn in as a replacement following the demise of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu in December 2023.

He is banking on the allure of continuity as an outgoing ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC) governor, and the significant strides he has made within his short term to secure the support of voters. Despite this, he is not leaving anything to chance as he engages in an intensive campaign, leveraging the statewide grassroots structure of his party to connect with voters.

His appointment of more women to his campaign council has greatly helped his efforts ahead of the election.

Agboola Ajayi, the flagbearer of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), is a former Deputy Governor of Ondo State.

He goes into the election with a strong support base in southern Ondo and connections within the ruling APC and another rival party, the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

He was the gubernatorial candidate of the ZLP in the 2020 Ondo State gubernatorial election after he failed to secure the PDP ticket.

Agboola has adopted a contrasting approach to traditional large-scale rally campaigns in the 2024 election, with very intentional positioning of his party as responsive to grassroots needs.

Although the start of his campaign has been somewhat slow, he has devoted more resources to one-on-one voter engagement and appears to be making appreciable gains ahead of November 16, according to word on the streets.

Social Democratic Party (SDP) gubernatorial candidate Akingboye Benson Bamidele is attracting support for his reform-focused agenda, emphasizing sustainable development.

His well-known philanthropic initiatives and community engagement have given strong momentum to his campaign. These efforts have helped establish his image as heavily interested in grassroots-oriented governance.

It has also boosted his standing on the streets that Bamidele has been adopted as the candidate of choice by aggrieved political players in other parties, including the APC.

The face of the Labour Party (LP) in the Ondo State gubernatorial election, Ayodele Festus Olorunfemi, has a fighting chance according to street talk.

A unionist who is seen as a breath of fresh air in mainstream politics, Olorunfemi’s appeal is largely attributed to his pro-labor advocacy. He has effectively resonated with a significant number of voters seeking alternative leadership outside the traditional APC-PDP setup, according to keen watchers of events.

Findings reveal that the gubernatorial race is proving to be very competitive, with each candidate leveraging unique backgrounds and strategies in passionate bids to win on November 16.