The Peoples Democratic Party branch in Ondo State has claimed that the administration, led by the All Progressives Congress, has refused to allow them to launch their campaign in advance of the November 16 governorship election.

PDP said that the state government had previously rejected its request to use Democracy Park in Akure, the state capital, for its October 15, 2024 campaign.

This was said in a statement released on Saturday by Mr. Ayo Fadaka, the PDP Campaign Organization’s Special Advisor on Media and Publicity.

The party, however, vowed that it would nonetheless go ahead and launch its campaign the next week, even in the face of the denial.

“We would like to notify the good people of Ondo State that our campaign kickoff is scheduled for October 15, 2024,” the message stated.

In light of the aforementioned, we asked to the government to utilise Democracy Park, the typical venue that is required to organise such rallies. The Aiyedatiwa administration chose to refuse the PDP access to the park, marking the first time that an administration has pursued such a baseless and insignificant objective.

Saying that we were unaware of this petty move would only prove that we haven’t given Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s uncivilised style of governing enough thought.

The PDP’s accusation was deemed “false and mischievous” by the state director of media and publicity, Mr. Steve Otaloro, in his response.

This accusation is playful in addition to being untrue. Since Governor Aiyedatiwa is not directly involved in Democracy Park’s operation, he is unable to arbitrarily deny any person or group admission to the site.

“The governor would not participate in small-time politics and is dedicated to maintaining the values of justice and fairness. It’s important to remember that there are set laws and regulations that govern how people utilise public spaces like Democracy Park.

“There is no reason for a refusal if the PDP has complied with all criteria, including money and documentation. We implore the PDP to confirm their assertions and offer proof of permission and payment,” stated Otaloro.