Akure – Mr. Oluwole Monehin, Special Assistant to Gov. Olusegun Mimiko on Civil Society Matter, has commended the people of Ondo State for keeping faith in the Eyi/Mafo governorship ticket.

He was reacting to Court of Appeal’s ordering of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to replace Jimoh Ibrahim with Eyitayo Jegede as Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP), governorship candidate in Ondo state

Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Akure on Wednesday, Monehin also lauded the judiciary for rebuilding faith of the masses in the system.

He said he felt relieved that the people would, at last, have the opportunity to express their franchise in the election on Saturday.

According to him, all opportunities and options available to the PDP would be exploited to canvass support for its candidate within the ambit of the law.

“PDP has a very strong structure in Ondo. We believe in our leaders at both ward and unit levels.

“We believe that this combination is what we have in the last seven years to give quality leadership to the good people of Ondo state.

“We are absolutely confident that we will win the election, even if we have less than 24 hours to campaign.

“We still have all it takes to win comfortably in the Nov. 26governorship election”, Monehin said.

Mr Adeyemi Alao, governorship candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), described the court’s verdict as a welcome development.

Alao noted that it was a court’s decision which nobody could alter and must be adhered to strictly.

He, however, added that the verdict would not change anything, saying that the election must hold on Nov.26.

NAN recalls that INEC, on Oct. 27, substituted Jegede with Jimoh Ibrahim as ordered by Federal High Court in Abuja.

Mr Moses Ayibiowu, governorship candidate of the National Unity Party (NUP) in the state, also described the judgment as a welcome development and in line with democracy.

“Today’s verdict is a sign that government obeys the rule of law. What is left now is for INEC to implement the court order and replace Jimoh Ibrahim with Eyitayo Jegede as PDP flag bearer.

“The election should not be postponed. It cannot be postponed just because of an internal crisis of a party. The process is still within confines of the law.

“There is no morality and no law to justify any postponement of the election’’, he said.