Oyo party chieftains, leaders and aspirants have urged the leadership of the party at the state level to resist the temptation of anointing or imposing any candidates on the party as primary elections in Oyo state are being scheduled for May.
There are warnings from the chieftains and leaders of the party against aspirants for senatorial positions, House of Representatives and state Assembly who will emerge as the candidates of the party without the leaders and people’s input in their various local governments which may occasion the party’s failure at the polls, citing Zamfara, Rivers and Bayelsa States as typical examples.
In a bid to position the party well for victory in the 2023 elections, the party faithful contended that credible, rancour-free primaries were a condition to fulfil.
It was gathered that Gov. Makinde has summoned all stakeholders and a few select aspirants to a round table at Government House, Agodi, Ibadan later this evening.
The discussion may centre around adopting Senator Kola Balogun, a serving senator who is also the younger brother of Olubadan of Ibadan land as a mark of honour for the first class monarch.
Out of the four elected House of Representatives members, Hon Ajibola Muraina had since left Makinde’s camp over irreconcilable differences. This has prompted the Governor’s friend, Dr Anthony Adepoju to be the preferred candidate of the governor for Ibarapa Central, Ibarapa North federal constituency. The three other members, Stanley Olajide Odidiomo, Abass Adigun Agboworin and Rt Yemi Taiwo are said to be given return tickets because of their loyalties.
A PDP chieftain from Iseyin local government informed that the meeting with Makinde today would see to addressing consensus candidates, adoption of a mode of primary, among others.
“In prosecuting the 2023 elections in Oyo State, utmost care must be taken by all strata of the party leadership, so that we can avoid the pitfalls which made the party lose in other Southwest states. No doubt, we have a performing governor who is doing excellently well in our dear state. His popularity has increased tremendously among the masses. But imposing some underperforming state lawmakers on some better aspirants who have the capacity and are competent may affect the chances of the party.
“I, therefore, urge all the aspirants to roll up their sleeves and seek for the people’s endorsement, instead of hoping to be beneficiaries of a curious anointment which may spell doom for the party in the next elections.
“For the avoidance of any doubt, some aspirants from Federal Constituencies where there are serving federal lawmakers who are far better than them if allowed to contest the primaries under free and fair conditions have resolved to work with other party stalwarts who desire equity, justice and fairness are ready to work assiduously against any shenanigans that would stand in the way of PDP victory in 2023.
“The aspirants from those federal constituencies have resolved to abide by the decision of Governor Seyi Makinde if he asked them to step down for the serving federal lawmakers and that they will not leave the party instead, they will ensure that the party produce all the senators and all the 14 federal lawmakers in 2023.
“I think the Governor has also promised to give some of them juicy appointments in the next dispensation,” he revealed.
In Ibadan North local government, some party leaders have protested against the exclusion of their names from the stakeholders’ forum to represent the council at the meeting with the governor later today. According to a source, the exclusion of those critical stakeholders was an attempt to foist unpopular candidates on leaders of the party citing instances where the Executive Chairman of the council and party chairman were not allowed to constitute the list.
The sudden resignation of Oyo PDP chieftain, Alhaji Bisi Olopeyan from the party in the heat of controversy around the forthcoming primaries of the party in Oyo is a pointer to the fierce battle among various interest groups, leaders, stakeholders and aspirants jostling to get the tickets of the party at Senatorial Districts, Federal Constituencies and state assembly.
All aspirants, party leaders and elected national and state assembly lawmakers are said to be sharply divided on the mode of primary to adopt to elect the party flag bearers for the 2023 general elections.
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