FORMER Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Agboola Ajayi, has been named the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the Sunshine State governorship election on November 16, 2024.
Ajayi, during the first term of the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, defeated six other candidates to win the PDP ticket.
He was declared the winner of the indirect primary held today at the International Culture and Events Centre in Akure.
Ajayi emerged winner defeating Bamidele Akingboye, Adeolu Akinwumi, Sola Ebiseeni, John Mafo, Kolade Akinjo, and Bosun Arebuwa.
Ajayi received 264 of the 619 valid votes, followed by Akinjo (157 votes) and Ebiseeni (99 votes).
Ajayi would face off against other candidates, including Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who just clinched the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for the November 16, 2024 election in the state.
In 2021, Ajayi left the APC due to a fall out with Akeredolu. He served as Ondo’s deputy governor from February 2017 to February 2021 and later joined the Zenith Labour Party and ran for governor in the state’s 2020 election competing against Akeredolu and losing.
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.