Ogun guber: PDP may dump OBJ’s candidate

It is not yet Uhuru for the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State. General Adetunji Olurin as the party leadership may have concluded plans to replace him with another candidate this week.

Daily Sun reliably gathered that concerted efforts are being made by the national headquarters of the party to withdraw his nomination ticket forllowing what they described as alleged unpopularity of the former military governor of the old Oyo State.

The step followed last week’s visit by the former Chairman of the BoT of the party, Chief Tony Anenih and the National Secretary of the Party, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje to the state Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel.

It was further learnt that chieftains of the PDP in Yewa, particularly those from Ilaro where Olurin hails from formally complained to Anenih and others that Olurin as a governorship candidate could not ensure victory for the party as he is not popular.
Based on this and other complaints from the state governor, Otunba Daniel, the leadership of the party was said to have been convinced that the only thing that could make them win the state was to field Mr. Gboyega Nasir Isiaka as its standard-bearer and the party is moving swiftly towards actualising this.

“The leadership of our party appears to have listened to words of reasons from chieftains and members of our dear party on the implication of allowing a political neophyte to be its govenrorhsip candidate in the state and are leaving no stone unturned to reverse their mistake,” a chieftain of the party told Daily Sun yesterday.

The source also added that the party’s national headquarters was not happy with the rejection of a purported list by President Goodluck Jonathan by the President Olusegun Obasanjo’s faction in the state. In the peace list Daily Sun learnt that Governor Daniel was given the governorship candidate, (Gboyega Isiaka), while Obasanjo’s camp was allowed to produce the deputy as well as 10 members of the state House of Assembly and eight out of the nine members of the Federal House of Representatives.

For peace to reign in the state and ensure the victory of the PDP in the forthcoming general elections, the Presidency was said to have ditched Hon. Lola Abiola-Edewor, the daughter of the late winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, Bashorun Moshood Abiola. Instead, the daughter of the former President, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello was given a clean slate to return to the Senate for the Ogun Central Senatorial along with Governor Daniel for the Ogun East Senatorial and Chief Waliu Taiwo for the Ogun West Senatorial District.

The Secretary of the state harmonised executives, Alhaji Semiu Sodipo when contacted on telephone yesterday described the list as a figment of the imagination of the other faction. According to him, there was nothing like that. “As I am talking to you, I have not seen such a list from President Goodluck Jonathan even though I have heard of such. I think it is the handiwork of the other faction’’
Similarly, the Chairman of the Harmonized group, Bashorun Dayo Soremi who also described the information as false said the former President and the Chairman Board of Trustees of the PDP, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, did not tear a purported peace list supposedly sent by President Goodluck Jonathan.

His words: “We wish to state categorically that there were no two lists of candidates in Ogun PDP other than the one submitted by the harmonised executives and approved by the national leadership of our party. The list containing our party’s flag bearers have been submitted and accepted by INEC. The only alteration we made was the accommodation of Rt. Hon. Dimeji Bankole, as directed by President Goodluck Jonathan.”

Soremi expressed happiness over the reaction of people to the Olurin/Oladunjoye governorship ticket since it was confirmed with the presentation of flag in Ibadan last Tuesday. “I can tell you that even, opposition parties in Ogun State are already imploding since the ticket was announced,” he added.
Soremi urged party faithful not to be deceived by people who have already made open their intention to defect and had since directed their followers to defect.

-Sun

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Posted by admin on Feb 13 2011. Filed under Ogun, State News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry