I am not a stooge of Governor Olusegun Mimiko says Eyitayo Jegede SAN

A governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ondo State, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede, has said he is not a stooge of Governor Olusegun Mimiko.
Jegede, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said the state would profit from his dedication to service, passion and wealth of experience.
Speaking at a news conference in Lagos, on Wednesday, Jegede, who is the immediate past Ondo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, said he was going to concentrate on the economy if elected governor in the election slated for November 26, 2016.


“I am not a stooge of Governor Olusegun Mimiko. You must give it to the governor; he has taken Ondo State to an entirely new level never witnessed in the history of the state – with the Mother and Child health care initiative, the road networks, the mega schools, market constructions, agricultural investments, workers’ welfare, security, among others.
“He is a medical doctor and an astute politician. I am a lawyer with the passion and the desire to develop Ondo State through service. I am not a stooge to the governor. This allegation is the handiwork of my opponents who are already scared of my acceptability across the state.”
Jegede assured that his focus if elected would be to scale up the economy of the state.
He said, “I came into the Mimiko government from the inception in 2009 up till when I resigned in July and with all sense of decency, I was actively involved in the achievements of the government.
“My priority if elected would be the economy. Dr. Mimiko has done so well in the areas of healthcare delivery, urban renewal and education. So, I will sustain that momentum and at the same time concentrate on revamping the economy of the state, without necessarily overburdening the people,” he added.
Reacting to the claims that his ambition would disrupt the zoning arrangement among the three zones of the state, Jegede said zoning had never been a consideration for electing governors in the state.
 “Elections in Ondo state are never won on the basis of zoning but on merit. Argument about zoning is being planted and spread by small people who don’t believe in merit. It is an argument that is deceptive and should be discountenanced by those who want the best for the state. Competence, efficiency and integrity should be the requirements and those are what I am offering,” he said.
Jegede, who hails from Akure, the state capital said, “My governorship ambition is not an ethnic agenda, it is an Ondo State agenda. The real voters don’t know zoning; it is a contraption of some politicians who are afraid of merit. I see myself basically as somebody from Ondo State, somebody interested to serve. The argument against me is that I come from the central zone and that I am not a politician.
“But rather than be a minus, those are my strengths because integrity and merit are going to count. I have these and I am bringing them on board in the interest of the generality of the entire people of Ondo State.