A legal practitioner, Mr Myson Nejo, has emerged as the candidate of the African Democratic Congress for the governorship election in Ondo State coming up on November 16, 2024.

In the primary election of the party, held on Friday, in Akure the state capital, Nejo won the poll with a total of 114,911 votes while his co-contender, Chief Dayo Falana scored 9,651 votes.

Earlier, the Chairman of the 2024 ADC Governorship Primary Election Committee in Ondo State, Mr Eyiowuawi Abdulrazak explained that the party adopted a direct mode of primary election to pick its governorship candidate by voting at the 203 wards across the 18 local government areas of the state.

According to him, the total votes cast was 148,700 out of which the winner scored 114,911 votes.

He added that six aspirants initially showed interest in the race but two stepped down.

Reacting to the primary, Nejo commended all members of the party for their support for a fair and credible election that led to his emergence as a flagbearer of the party, promising to ensure good governance in the state if elected in the November 16 election.

He said, “The task of governance of our dear state continues to require the best of hands to tackle the challenges militating against the economic prosperity of the state including insecurity, high rate of unemployment, lack of critical infrastructure and basic social amenities; among other varied problems confronting our state in several other sectors like education, health, energy.

“A democratic society like ours thrives on the rule of law which includes respect for the laws of the land, implementation of the laws of our dear country and state in the business of governance without fear and favour and fundamentally, respect for the judicial process especially the decisions of the Courts.

“If elected as the Governor of Ondo State, we would prioritise adherence to the rule of law especially because the rule of law compliant attitude of any country is a factor that could either make or mar its economic prospects,” he promised.

The ADC candidate also pledged to prioritise education, health, agriculture and security if elected as the governor.

“Quality primary and secondary education would occupy a centre place in our administration if elected as governor. Indeed, the need to put in place quality primary and secondary education to equip our children and teenagers for the challenges of the ever-evolving and technology-driven world of the 21st century cannot be over-emphasised.

“In addition, our administration would ensure the provision of resources for the development and acquisition of technology-related skills by young school leavers, this we believe will equip our young people for their future both academically and otherwise,” he stated.