About 1.5m persons are expected to cast their votes on Saturday, October 10, 2020 to elect the next governor of Ondo State.
Meanwhile, 27 flashpoints have been identified by the security agencies ahead of the election.
Tension is high in the state as political parties, majorly the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), the African Democratic Congress (ADC), are making frantic moves to win the poll.
About 1.5m persons are expected to cast their votes on Saturday, October 10, 2020 to elect the next governor of Ondo State.
Tension is high in the state as political parties, majorly the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), the African Democratic Congress (ADC), are making frantic moves to win the poll.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had cleared a total of 17 candidates to participate in the election.
They are Rotimi Adeleye Akindejoye (Accord Party); Joshua Oluwafemi Adewole (AA); Adeleye Adekunle Peters (AAC); Adelegan Adedapo Oluwaseyi (ADC); Martin Kunle Olateru-Olagbegi (ACP); Governor Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu (APC); Olowoloba Dele (APGA); Aminu Akeem Olanrewaju (APM); Adesanya Olaoluwa (APP) and Okuade Taiwo (LP).
Others are; Ojajuni Joseph Eniola (NNPP); Funmilayo Jenyo Ataunoko (NRM); Eyitayo Olayinka Jegede (PDP); Babatunde Frances Alli (PRP); Fasua Peter Oyeleye (SDP); Phone Forum (YPP) and Agboola Alfred Ajayi (ZLP).
However, 11 of the candidates have stepped down to back Eyitayo Jegede, candidate of the PDP.
Of the 3,009 polling units, 279 are in riverine areas, it was gathered.
Record from the INEC revealed that 343,846 of the 1,822,346 registered voters in the state did not collect their permanent voter’s cards (PVCs), making them ineligible to vote.
This shows that 1,478,460 voters are to decide the fate of contenders.
As it stands, the election is a three-horse race between Akeredolu of APC, Jegede of PDP and Ajayi, the incumbent deputy governor, of the ZLP.
Akeredolu and Jegede are set to slug it out for the second time after the 2016 battle went in favour of the incumbent.
Akeredolu was declared winner with 244, 842 while Jegede polled 150, 380 votes.
On the fate of Governor Akeredolu, it is believed that the contest is dicey and the involvement of his estranged deputy in the race is another game changer.
It is believed that the ZLP, though championed by former Governor Olusegun Mimiko, is relatively unknown when compared to the APC and the PDP.
Pundits said the deputy governor joined the race to play the role of a spoiler.
The three popular candidates, however, hope to capitalise on their strongholds in the 18 local governments of the state.
All eyes are on Akure and Ondo towns, which have the highest concentration of voters.
Jegede hails from Akure, while Akeredolu is an indigene of Owo.
Akure South, which has the highest number of registered voters, followed by Ondo West and Owo respectively, are the three deciding local government areas for the election as previous records show.