Ondo State Governor, Mr Lucky Ayedatiwa has asked those trying to get him disqualified from the forthcoming Governorship election to have a rethink, declaring that there is no vacancy in the Government House in Alagbaka.
Ayedatiwa spoke on Friday after he emerged from the screening of Ondo state All Progressives Congress APC governorship aspirants at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja.
Noting that the issues raised regarding his high school certificate were borne out of ignorance, the governor said evidences abound, indicating that he did not forge any of his certificates.
He said; "Screening is one of the exercises that has to be done among the processes that the aspirants have to go through. Mine has just been done this morning and all documents that were submitted have to be verified and questions asked where some are not too clear to the screening committee. Questions were asked and answered and at the end of the day, I have been cleared that there are no issues. Especially the issue that has to do with certificate that a petition was written, today that has been put to rest. My certificates are genuine and authentic. I think is just a kind of mischief by some other aspirants who find me to be an aspirant to beat trying to look for a way to discredit my person but that has been verified and put to rest.
"I think the issue really regarding that was a school they claim was established in 1980 and how come I was able to write my WASSCE in 1982. If you are a student of history, you will recall that in 1979, when the Governor of Lagos State at the time Lateef Jakande became Governor of Lagos State most private schools were taken over and schools were built for the communities. And Ikosi High school that I attended is one of the schools that were built by the regime of Lateef Jakande for the 1980. So, it is on record that the school was established in 1980 and at that time I was already in Form '3' in a private school, New Nation is in Ikosi while Royal Comprehensive High School is Ajegunle Ikorodu very close to Ketu. So all of us were moved both New Nation and Royal Comprehensive High School and some other schools that were affected with flood we were all moved into Ikosi High School Ketu that was built by the government and that was how we wrote our WASSCE in 1982 because we were in the first set. I was in Form '3' at the time, it used to be five years not now that you have six years for Secondary school. So their question, the petitioner is how can a school be established in 1980 and we have a first set in 1982 that the first set supposed to be in 1985 but he didn't take time to look at the history. So investigation has been conducted, the schools are still there, WAEC office is there where you can actually verify the subject that I took and the year that I graduated and the school. You just need to buy a scratch card and go to the website of WAEC, it will be there - Ikosi High School Iketu and my name will be there with the subjects that I took and the various grades. So it is clear to every body that my certificate is authentic and I actually graduated from that school in 1982.
"I should just advice them (my opponents) to repent and try to go to the field and work. If they are interested in the seat and the seat is not vacant that is why they're trying to do all that they are doing".
There's vacancy, says Oke
However, one of teg aspirants, Chief Olusola Oke who spoke with journalist after his screening, dismissed the governor's declaration that there was another vacancy in Government House.
He said; "It is an aphorism from all incumbent persons. I heard this one in Lagos when Ambode was there. Ambode said 'no vacancy', he had to leave when he needed to leave. It is a statement of wish and desire by the governor and it is a statement that is intended to undermine a democratic exercise. If we are going to primaries and the people will have to determine, how would anybody have the guts to say there is no vacancy?
"There is no vacancy between now and February next year, no doubt, but after February, his one year term will be exhausted and then there will be a vacancy.
"I don't intend to take over from him before the expiration of his one year in office. So, the essence of this exercise is that there will be vacancy after one year term, and that he or somebody else will occupy the seat. Having regard to my wide contact with the people, I believe that I am succeeding him".
Earlier, APC Deputy National Organizing Secretary, Nze Chidi Duru who spoke during the inauguration of Screening and Appeal Committees for the State governorship primary election urged the screening committee to "undertake the exercise with necessary diligence, discipline, of course, friendliness, that the work requires".
He explained that the work of the appeal committee only starts when the screening committee has finished its work.
"It is important that when they finish their work within the timeframe allowed, they can hand over their report, not just the documents, you hand over your report. For us the secretariat, we will also help you to midwife most of the things that will be required and then hand it over to the appeal committee that will start their work tomorrow (Saturday), when they complete their work, we can then get the clearance otherwise, to the candidates", he stated.
The screening which began on Friday morning is expected to end at about 10pm of same day.
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