A former Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Agboola Ajayi, has clinched the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s ticket for the November 16, 2024 governorship election in the Sunshine State.
Ajayi, a former deputy governor during the first tenure of the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, trounced six other aspirants to get the PDP’s ticket.
He was declared winner of the indirect primary held at the International Culture and Events Centre in Akure on Thursday.
Ajayi trounced Bamidele Akingboye, Adeolu Akinwumi, Sola Ebiseeni, John Mafo, Kolade Akinjo and Bosun Arebuwa.
Of the total valid votes of 619, Ajayi polled 264, followed by Akinjo who got 157 votes and Ebiseeni who scored 99 votes.
Ajayi would lock horns with other candidates including Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa who recently secured the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for the November 16, 2024 election in the state.
Ajayi left the APC after a fallout with Akeredolu in 2021. He was Ondo deputy governor between February 2017 and February 2021. Ajayi later went to Zenith Labour Party and became the party’s governorship candidate in the 2020 election in the state. He competed against Akeredolu but lost.
Interestingly, Aiyedatiwa was also a former deputy governor of Ondo State, but during the second term of Akeredolu. Aiyedatiwa was sworn in last December after his principal’s death.