Former Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Hon. Agboola Alfred Ajayi, and governorship candidate of the 2023 People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship election, has declared interest in the Senatorial district for Ondo South.

Ajayi said his interest in the Senatorial district election was not to complete the tenure of Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, who has been deployed to the United Nations (UN) as Permanent Representative, but to seek a fresh mandate from the people in the 2027 elections.

Addressing the media on Wednesday, Ajayi said he has the pedigree and capacity to represent the six local governments comprising Ilaje, Ese-Odo, Okitipupa, Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo, Irele, and Odigbo.

Also, Ajayi said the zoning arrangement in the Senatorial district favours him as his Ese-Odo local government has not produced a senator since the beginning of the present political dispensation in 1999.

According to him, his decision to contest followed extensive pressure from key stakeholders, traditional rulers, party leaders, and the state leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), including the state governor, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

Before he became the Deputy Governor of Late Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN, Ajayi had served as the Chairman of Ese-Odo local government, and a member of the House of Representatives between 2007 and 201.

Pointedly, he said: “I have traversed the political landscape, from councillor, local government chairman, party secretary, to Deputy Governor and member of the National Assembly. I believe it is time to return and complete the unfinished projects I initiated for our people.”

Speaking on the zoning arrangements in the Senatorial district, Ajayi anchored his ambition on the agitation for zoning within Ondo South, arguing that his local government has yet to produce a senator in the current democratic dispensation.

He maintained that political equity demands that the senatorial slot be ceded to his local government in 2027 just as the zoning arrangement foreclosed an Apoi person of the Ese-Odo to contest the House of Assembly election. He insisted that it is the turn of the Arogbo people to produce the next House of Assembly for the council area.

He said, “Out of the six local governments in Ondo South, mine is the only one that has not produced a senator. By all political calculations and fairness, it is our turn to produce the next senator for the Ondo South Senatorial district.”

Ajayi called for political maturity and continuity in the district, suggesting that the existing arrangement should be respected.
He revealed that he had personally consulted with Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, dismissing claims of a political rift between them.

He added, “I met him one-on-one. He told me himself that I am the most qualified among those aspiring. We are not enemies; political differences do not make us adversaries.”

Ajayi said he is not interested in any impending by-election, stressing that his focus remains firmly on the 2027 general elections, just as he dismissed fears of the imposition of candidates on the party. He insisted that the party has established democratic mechanisms.

According to him, “The party has guidelines, consensus where possible, and if not, primaries. No single individual can impose a candidate. That is not possible in Ondo State.”

The former Deputy Governor also distanced himself from alleged APC factions, describing himself as a neutral stakeholder in the politics of the state.

He said, “I don’t belong to any group. I belong to the party and the people. At my level, I should be a unifying figure, not a factional politician.’

Ajayi stressed that the Senate requires experienced and competent lawmakers, warning against electing candidates without the necessary exposure.

His words: “Senate Is Not for Learners. The Senate is not a place for trial and error. It requires people who understand governance, legislation, and national dynamics.”

Highlighting his past achievements, Ajayi claimed he outperformed many past representatives from the district, citing key infrastructure projects he facilitated.

“Among them, he listed the installation of a 132KV electricity substation that improved power supply in Ondo South, as well as major road and bridge projects linking the region to neighbouring Delta State.

He lamented that many of the projects were abandoned after his tenure.

According to him, “I laid the foundation for major development projects, but they were not completed. That is why I want to return to finish what I started.”