The Ondo state governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has debunked the claim that he received N1.2 billion as security vote every month.
The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the November 16 gubernatorial election in the state, Agboola Ajayi, had made the claim and alleged that Aiyedatiwa was doing nothing with the huge security vote.
Aiyedatiwa is the standard bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the coming election.
The two candidates spoke on Sunday at the governorship debate organised by Channels Television at the International and Cultural Event Centre, Akure, the state capital.
Sixteen political parties are participating in the election but the debate was restricted to the candidates of APC and PDP.
Ajayi, who is a former deputy governor of the state, said there was no notable improvement in the security situation of the state despite that Aiyedatiwa was collecting N1.2bn as security vote every month.
He said: “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 and be killed? All these are happening when my brother is collecting N1.2bn as security votes and has nothing to show for it.”
But Governor Aiyedatiwa denied that he was collecting N1.2bn every month, noting that the PDP candidate was not telling the truth.
“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 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.”
“The budget is being published. It is on the net. You will see the appropriation for security votes and other expenditures, both capital and recurrent,” the governor said.
Ajayi also accused Aiyedatiwa of destroying the Amotekun security outfit established by the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, lamenting that the agency had deteriorated under the incumbent governor.
However, the governor denied Ajayi’s claim and said he had been strengthening the security outfit since he came into the office, promising to strengthen it further if reelected.
On minimum wage, Aiyedatiwa said his administration had made the state workers happy by paying N73,000, but Ajayi promised to make the workers happier by paying N76,000 if elected.
Ajayi said: “Ondo State workers will be happier when I pay N76,000. I know how administration works better than Aiyedatiwa. I have been a local government chairman, member of the House of Representatives, Deputy Governor and Acting Governor.”