The gubernatorial aspirations of Chief Olusola Nehemiah Ebiseni yesterday received a major boost from Akure South as he met with stakeholders ahead of the forthcoming Ondo State primary election.
Addressing the delegates, Chief Ebiseni said he had acquired the status of a foremost Akure indigene, having lived in the city more than 20 years of his adult life, where he practices law, raised his children, who all attended schools in the city.
He traced his political relationship with the Akure people to the early 1991 when, as the Chairman of the former Ilaje/Ese Odo Local Government, he was the Coordinator of the Presidential campaigns of Chief Olu Falae in his Council area, a role he also repeated in 1999 during the 1999 Presidential campaigns of the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and foremost Akure indigene. Ebiseni further recalled that he was also persuaded in 2006 on the ground of zoning, by his leaders in the Afenifere, to step down for Architect Agbesua, an Akure indigene, whom he eventually deputised as the gubernatorial candidate of the Democratic Peoples Alliance.
The three times Commissioner for Environment and Mineral Resources in the State recalled his contributions to the development of the State and the capital city of Akure in particular, which earned Akure the status of the cleanest capital city in the South West, and massive channelisation of the Ala River which saved the city from perennial flooding.
Having learnt at the feet of giants in the 30 years of service to the State, Ebiseni who was also a delegate of the South West at the 2014 National Conference, promised to leverage on his experience to develop the economy of the State, including enhancing the status of Akure as a most befitting State capital.
Reacting on behalf of other leaders and delegates, Ambassador Omolade Oluwateru, a former Deputy Governor and member of the Board of Trustees of the party, described Ebiseni as a brilliant and thoroughbred grassroots politician with superb credentials to lead the State at this time. He sued for peace and cooperation among the aspirants of the party. Chief Oluwaterun noted that the decision of the party to pick the State Chairman from the northern senatorial District, will work victory for the party as it was during the Agagu era.
Corroborating Ambassador Oluwateru’s view, independent observers noted that the only time PDP had won gubernatorial election in the State was when the party Chairman was Alhaji Alli Olanusi from the North, Oluwateru as Deputy Governor from the Central and Dr. Olusegun Agagu, from the South, as Governor, a scenario similar to what is playing out presently.
