Four key issues wey fit decide who go win Ondo state govnorship election 2024

On Saturday 16 November 2024, ova two million registered voters go come out for Ondo state to vote for who go be dia govnor for di next four years.

Dis election dey significant for di kain of situations wey surround am and how ready di pipo for Ondo state dey to cast dia votes.

Ondo state, wey also dey known as di sunshine state go witness voting battle for 3,933 polling units, 203 wards, and 18 local govnment areas wit a total of 2,053,061 registered voters out of di 5,316,603 population.

For 16 November 2024, millions of voters for Ondo state southwestern Nigeria go head out to cast dia votes for di govnorship election wey go happun across di 18 local govment areas for di state.

But e get some factors wey di voters get for mind to make dia decison of who go be dia next govnor.

BBC Pidgin chook eye inside some key issues wey voters dey use look how di Ondo state govnorship election go be as sabi pipo don narrow am down to a two horse race between di All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Battle of two deputies

Two of di top candidates for di Ondo state govnorship race na former deputies of one man - di late Govnor Rotimi Akeredolu.

Agboola Ajayi of di Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Lucky Aiyedatiwa of di ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) na former deputies to Akeredolu bifor im death - at separate terms.

Ajayi be deputy to Akeredolu for di first term of di late govnor from 2017 bifor serious gbege happun between dem for 2020.

Na wetin make dem go apart be dat wey be say by di 2020 govnorship election, di two of dem face each oda for ballot.

For many pipo, di race of who go occupy di Alagbaka Government House go dey very tight as each of di candidates get dia own area of advantage.

Also, di journey no go easy as some katakata and gbege don happun between di major candidates and dia supporters bifor.

Afta di political fall out of Akeredolu and Ajayi for 2020, dem swear-in Akeredolu and Aiyedatiwa as govnor and deputy, afta dem win di 2020 govnorship election.

Aiyedatiwa bin later become acting govnor during di sickness of late govnor Akeredolu bifor e later become govnor wen im boss die.

Dis two deputies go head to di poll on Saturday wit hope to become govnor of Ondo state for di next four years.

Na how dis candidates use dia popularity go determine how voters go turn up for dem.

Economy

According to data from National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Ondo state get a multidimensional poverty rate of 27%.

E mean say dem rank Ondo state among states wey no too get poverty problem. But sabi pipo go struggle to translate di date to di reality of di masses on ground.

All di candidates dey promise to beta di economy for Ondo state but who go fit deliver wetin di voters want?

Both Ajayi and Aiyedatiwa say dem go pay pass di N70,000 minimum wage to all di workers for di state.

Voters go wan go with di candidate dem feel say go fit make life beta for dem on Saturday.

For 2017, students of di state owned university witness a sudden increase for dia tuition fee from around N25,000 to over N100,000.

Tori say di hike make some students to dropout while big protest bin hit di state capital Akure for three days.

Dis situation affect plenti parents wey still dey try to make ends means.

Sabi pipo say wetin go make di difference na govnor wey go make standard of living easy for di pipo of Ondo state.

Dis na anoda factor wey di voters go also dey look as dem head to di ballot to elect new govnor.

Insecurity

For debate, both Ajayi and Aiyedatiwa don tackle diasef ontop di issue of insecurity.

For June 2022, one sad incident wey still dey fresh for di memory of victims and families bin happun - Di Owo church attack wia pipo die. Na jaguda pipo carry out dis deadly attack, dem enta di catholic church for Owo during service shooting and killing pipo.

Issue of security na one wey go stand out for di pipo of Ondo state.

Former Govnor Akeredolu bin dey hard on di activities of Fulani herdsmen for di state wey even lead to di ban on open grazing for di state.

Any govnor wey go come out for Ondo state must stand firm on di issue of security. One reason na sake of di boundary between di state and Edo wia jaguda pipo dey try enta from.

Places like Okeluse and Akoko local govment don witness serious attacks and kidnapping for dat area.

Na wen Ajayi be deputy, na im late Akeredolu form di local security outfit 'Amotekun'.

For di same manner, Aiyedatiwa agree say e support state policing and e go make sure say im no go use issue of security play for Ondo state.

Both di APC and PDP candidates get security as one dia major campaign promises.

Oda candidates like Mimiko of ZLP also insecurity as a priority for im plans.

Meanwhile, di pipo of Ondo state go wan go wit pesin wey get beta plan to secure di state from attacks and kidnappings.

Agriculture

Pesin go dey wonder why state like Ondo no get plenti industries or agricultural producing companies.

Ondo state get access to large farmlands and also rivers wit plenti fishes but past govnors neva too invest for dis area.

Di top two candidates say dem go encourage agriculture by supporting farmers for di state.

During one debate by Channels TV, Ajayi say e go build cocoa processing factories for di state while Aiyedatiwa say im administration dey do well to grow agriculture business for di state.

Interestingly, di top opposition parties get candidates wey come from di riverine areas of di state, but how dis go transform to beta result for di state - na wetin di pipo go dey hope for.

A good number of residents for Ondo state na either farmers, fish farmers or business pipo wey dey deal in agriculture.

E mean say pipo from Ilaje, Ikale, Ondo, Akoko, Akure, Idanre, Owo and everi oda place for Ondo state go dey hope for a govnor wey go take dia agriculture business serious without plenti taxes.