Ondo PDP Candidate Slams Governor Aiyedatiwa for “Destroying Amotekun Legacy”
By Matthew Eloyi
With the Ondo State governorship election fast approaching, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Agboola Ajayi, has criticised incumbent Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa over what he claims is a severe decline in state security.
Ajayi accused Aiyedatiwa of neglecting the Amotekun Security Corps, the regional security outfit established by the late governor Rotimi Akeredolu to combat kidnapping and other crimes in the South-West.
Speaking during a debate hosted by Channels Television on Sunday, and monitored by our correspondent (Matthew Eloyi), Ajayi highlighted the deteriorating security situation under the current administration, stating, “What we have put in now in Ondo State (Amotekun) under the late governor, not just us but the entire South-West region… we said what can we do? I must give it to our late boss; he had the courage and boldness to establish Amotekun, which is more or less a state police arrangement. But unfortunately these days, that legacy is almost destroyed by the incumbent governor.”
Ajayi, who served as deputy governor during Akeredolu’s first term, argued that Aiyedatiwa has failed to enhance Amotekun’s capabilities due to a lack of understanding of the security outfit’s origins.
He promised that if elected, he would revitalise Amotekun with modern security equipment to make it competitive with global standards.
In response, Governor Aiyedatiwa, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, refuted Ajayi’s claims, asserting that he has indeed bolstered the Amotekun Security Corps and plans to enhance it further if re-elected.
He maintained that Ondo State is now among the safest and most peaceful states in Nigeria.
Ajayi, however, challenged this view, citing high-profile kidnappings and violence against traditional leaders as evidence of rising insecurity.
“A state where Obas and prominent people are constantly kidnapped cannot be said to be safe,” Ajayi argued.
“A state where Oba has been killed, a state where Obas were kidnapped, a state where the late daughter of Fasoranti was killed. Another embarrassing thing is that Olufon of Ifon was killed gruesomely by unknown persons, up until this moment no single person was arrested,” he added.
As the November 16 election nears, security remains a central issue in the campaign, with Ajayi emphasising his commitment to restoring and enhancing the Amotekun legacy if given the mandate to lead.