By Jubril Bada

A Real Estate Manager and Farmer, Mr. Oluwatosin Ayeni, has emerged as the gubernatorial candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in the November governorship election in Ondo State.

Ayeni scored 100 votes to beat his main challenger, Professor of Sustainable Development, Professor Ibrahim Ajagunna, who polled 12 votes.

Announcing the result, the Chairman of a 4-man Gubernatorial Primary Election Committee of the party and member of the House of Representatives from Jigawa State, Yusuf Galambi, declared Oluwatosin Ayeni as the winner and candidate of the party, having scored the highest votes cast.

He said a total of 113 delegates were accredited to vote out of a total of 195 delegates that were elected to the state chapter of the party.

According to him, one void vote was recorded in the exercise.

He explained that NNPP is a party of integrity that has resulted in many Nigerians voting for its candidates into various political positions.

While congratulating the candidate for his victory, he noted that there was a winner and no loser in the contest.

The election was conducted in the presence of men of the Nigeria Police Force, State Security Service, officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, and the agents of the two aspirants.

Earlier, the State Chairman of the party, Pastor Peter Olagookun, charged members on unity and on the need to take the bull by the horn for the party to produce the next governor in the state.

Olagookun commended the chairman and members of the election committee for conducting a transparent, free, and fair exercise.

In his acceptance speech, the candidate, Mr. Oluwatosin Ayeni, appreciated members of the committee for the transparent conduct of the exercise.

“This is not a victory for Ayeni, but a victory for the NNPP,” he said.

He called on the party’s members not to relent in propagating NNPP for the people of the state, assuring that Professor Ajagunna will be carried along in all the party’s activities.”