President Muhammadu Buhari has endorsed Governor Rotimi Akeredolu for the Ondo State Governorship election slated for Oct. 10.

NAN reports that the National Caretaker Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mai Mala Buni, confirmed the endorsement after he presented the candidate to the president at the State House on Friday in Abuja.

Speaking to State House correspondents after the endorsement, Buni expressed optimism that the APC candidate would win the October governorship poll in Ondo.

He said:

“We are here today to present our candidate to the President being the leader of the party.

“That has always been the practice. We cannot kickstart our campaign without his endorsement.

“The President promptly endorsed him and commended him for his efforts in the last four years, the President is aware of this transformation and development that he has been able to bring to Ondo State in the last four years.

“APC is the only party that can win an election in Ondo not only because APC is the only party but because the Governor there has performed and the people of Ondo are seeing for themselves and have agreed that yes, he is the only man they can trust for the next four years.

“So, the President has endorsed him and that is what we have been looking for; his blessing, his endorsement, his encouragement and support and we have gotten that already.”

Reacting, Akeredolu, said he was pleased with the President’s endorsement, adding that he would be doing much more for the people of Ondo, if re-elected.

“Let me start by informing you that the President, in giving us his blessings, made one expression.

“He said this time around, he is more comfortable because four years ago he had to be there with us.

I know that he has been to the state twice and he has seen a few of our facilities and has inaugurated a few of the things we have put in place.