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The candidate of the All Progressives Congress and incumbent Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, was, on Sunday night, accused of drawing more than N1.2bn every month as security votes.
A security vote is a monthly allowance allocated to the 36 states in Nigeria for the sole purpose of funding security expenditures in each domain.
The allegation was made by his closest rival and counterpart in the Peoples Democratic Party, Agboola Ajayi, during the keenly contested governorship election debate organised in the state.
The debate was organised by Channels Television in partnership with the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room and the United Kingdom International Development.
The Ondo governorship election has been scheduled to be held on November 16, with 2.053 million registered voters expected to participate.
Although the Independent National Electoral Commission had published a list of 17 parties and candidates for the poll, Sunday’s debate was narrowed to the two leading political gladiators.
Incidentally, both Aiyedatiwa and Agboola shared a common history, having been deputies to the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu during his first and second term in office, respectively.
Ajayi lamented that there was insecurity in the state, adding that “farmers can no longer go to farm, people are being killed, and nobody can travel freely. We should not play politics with security. Who wants to come and invest here to be killed? All these are happening when my brother (Aiyedatiwa) is collecting N1.2bn as security votes and has nothing to show for it. He should what to do with security.”
When asked to react to the alleged N1.2bn he receives monthly, Aiyedatiwa kicked, saying it was a lie concocted by his opponent to embarrass him in public.
He said, “There is nothing like that. I don’t know where he got his figures from. I have never even drawn up to N1.2bn before. It is not true. It is all political lies. Are you the accountant general of the state or commissioner for finance? Are you part of the government?
“You can’t just play politics by coming here (debate) to tell lies to the whole world that somebody is drawing N1.2bn as a security vote. That is a lie from the pit of hell.”
He added, “After the Owo attack, we have to restructure security to ensure that such an incident will never happen in Ondo State again and since then, we have never experienced such.
“So I want to tell you that as of today, Ondo State is regarded as one of the safest and most peaceful states in Nigeria. We have a formation across the state, we created the Amotekun Ranger. They (investors) are coming to Ondo State because the state is safe.”
When asked to reveal or expatiate further on what he receives as a security vote, Aiyedatiwa declined.
“That is a security matter that should not be discussed on this platform,” he stated.
An impatient Ajayi, however, interrupted him abruptly, insisting that such funds were not meant to be hidden from the people of Ondo State.
The PDP candidate also alleged that the governor received a similar humongous amount in the wake of the Edo State governorship election.
“Whatever money the governor is spending is not his personal money. It is Ondo State money.
“If I were him, he should be bold to say ‘Agboola Ajayi is accusing me of N1.2bn. It is a lie. This is my security vote amount for each month. It is not N1.2bn but N2. It is a public fund, and I know what I am saying.”
“As a matter of fact, the month they conducted the Ondo election (September 21), the governor of Ondo State drew more than N1.2bn as a security vote,” he noted.
When asked about the source of the figure he quoted, Ajayi said the information was in the public domain for people to access.
He also insinuated that security votes were not always disbursed immediately to the relevant agencies to sustain the fight against insecurity as expected.
He said, “That is the money he spends. It is in a public document. As a matter of fact, we knew where the money went.
“After exchanging the money, it doesn’t go straight to the security agencies. I was a deputy governor of this state. Please note that.
“Security vote is not meant to be changed like Bureau de Change and kept somewhere. It is to be spent on security to make lives and properties safe in Ondo State.”
When asked to react, the governor stood his ground.
“That is not true. There is a budget provision for everything we spend in government. How can you go outside the government? Let him check the budget. It is there on the Internet.
“You will see the appropriation for security vote and other expenditures (both capital and recurrent). They are there for all to see.
“What he is saying is not true. How can he say on the day of the Edo election, I withdrew more than N1.2bn? Am I the one contesting for an election or what? You don’t use a security vote for an election. You know it yourself.
“I don’t know why you are talking this way in public. By the time people find out some of these lies, it wouldn’t be in your interest because the records are there for people to check.”
Aiyedatiwa also reiterated his position that the PDP was no longer existing in the state, adding that many of their bigwigs had defected to the APC.
Ajayi, however, countered, saying that many APC chieftains were already in the PDP.
Both candidates also disagreed on the minimum wage for workers. While Aiyedatiwa said he had been paying N73,000 minimum wage and the “workers are happy,” Ajayi said he would pay N76,000 if elected and the workers would be happier.
SDP, ADC candidates promise to tackle insecurity
Candidates of the Social Democratic Party, Mr Bamidele Akingboye and his African Democratic Congress counterpart, Mr Myson Nejo, outlined their commitment to tackling insecurity in the state.
Akingboye particularly said it was expedient for the incumbent governor to, as a matter of urgency, establish a 25,000-strong community policing unit to work closely with security agencies and collaborate with the vigilante groups and the state security network agency also known as Amotekun.
The SDP candidate made the call in a statement he issued on Sunday.
Akingboye said, “With dedicated Ondo State police personnel within local communities alongside the Amotekun corps, we can create a more secure environment for residents of the state in order for businesses to thrive.”
He also advocated equipping security agencies with advanced communication gadgets, patrol vehicles and weapons, and addressing underlying issues driving insecurity, such as tensions over land and boundaries across the state.
He stressed the need for geospatial surveillance and mapping as well as creating conducive business environments to reduce attractions for crime.
If elected on November 16, the SDP candidate said he planned to empower citizens and stir interest in skill-based activities, addressing economic and social factors contributing to crime.
The ADC candidate said, if elected, he would invest heavily in security, saying the challenge of kidnapping would be a thing of the past.
He stated this when he visited some towns and villages in the Ilaje Local Government Area of the state.
Nejo also pledged to provide employment for the youth, saying part of the causes of insecurity in society was joblessness.
“Security is critical. I plan to ensure that every major route in Ondo State has strong patrols with police and soldiers strategically placed.
“We’ll invest in better vehicles, even helicopters, to ensure thorough monitoring. This approach aims to stop kidnappings and other crimes.
“Anyone travelling in Ondo should feel safe. There can’t be development where there is insecurity; we would invest heavily in security, agriculture, health and education.
“Ondo State is a blessed state with human and natural resources, which are not well utilized. When we get there, by the grace of God, Ondo people will see the difference,” Nejo said.
