With less than one week left to the Ondo State governorship candidates, there are indications that the poll may witness low turnout of voters. That is no thanks to the current economic quagmire. This is even as the leading candidates have embarked on mudslinging in order to sway the hearts of the electorates. Sunday Telegraph’s sources in Akure confided in the newspaper that both the incumbent, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the All Progressives Congress (APC) flagbearer and his major challenger, Agboola Ajayi of the opposition People Democratic Party (PDP), are throwing everything into the Saturday, November 16 contest.

Also, supporters of both sides have engaged in proxy fights on behalf of their candidates. A source knowledgeable in politics of the Sunshine State, said that in all elections, even in the US, like in Ondo State, there is also the dirty angle. The Source said: “One of the main candidates and his supporters are making a major issue out of the martial status of the incumbent and one of their campaign strategies is to paint him as somebody, who cannot manage his martial situation and asking that such a person should not be trusted with the management of the state. “But the supporters of the incumbent are countering them, saying that the man held his own as deputy governor, held his own as acting governor and even as governor. The ‘disagreement’ with his wife has not in any way impacted his service to the state. “Some of his own supporters are also saying that the candidate of the other party, who is also somebody that is cantankerous and has poor management of people.” Another source said: ” This is to be expected because in a political race, you try to paint your opponent in a bad light.” Also, a non – governmental organisation organized a live debate on Channels TV for the candidates of the APC, PDP only. This did not go down well with the other candidates, who were very disappointed. They made their disappointments known, particularly, the candidate of the LP, Ebiseeni, and other candidates, who said they felt that was marginalization. They said that those who put the debate together did not do well. Further, Sunday Telegraph gathered that both two leading candidates are mapping out strategies to outwit one another, “especially because we know that EFCC would deploy observers that would try to prevent vote buying,” the Source said. Of course there are what they call “arrangements” to ensure that they find a way into the hearts of the populace.” The governor has been making the rounds, the candidate of the other party too has been making the rounds with promises and then the governor has also been making the rounds with projects, thinking that it would sway the hearts of the electorate.” These notwithstanding, observers of the politics of the state said: “You should not expect any major upsets but then in politics anything can happen. But it is going to be a close race.