Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and three other governorship hopefuls on Thursday participated in a virtual debate organised by BBC News Yoruba and its partners ahead of the state governorship election slated for October 10.
Other candidates present were that of the Peoples Democratic Party Eyitayo Jegede; Dotun Ojon of the Young Progressive Party and Adekunle Adeleye of the African Action Congress.
Candidate of the Zenith Labour Party Deputy Governor Agboola Ajayi was absent at the over two-hour debate.
The candidates spoke on matters bordering on security, education, health and economy.
The YPP candidate criticised the Ondo State Security Network Agency codenamed Operation Amotekun and the law that created it. He argued that “those who started it don’t really understand it.”
He also said if elected he would create an arm within Amotekun corps to address kidnapping.
Akeredolu countered, saying the YPP candidate was ignorant of the law that created the Amotekun Corps.
If elected, Jegede on his part vowed to build police stations and army barracks in the localities notorious for crime in the state.
He also pledged to reduce the tuition paid by students of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko.
In response, Akeredolu said his government had already reduced the tuition, noting that students of the varsity pay the same tuition as their counterparts at the Lagos State University.
