PDP ticket: Hope rises for Bankole

Posted by admin House, Latest Politics, Legislature Tuesday, February 8th, 2011

The faction of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State led by the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Chief Jubril Martins-Kuye, may present the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, as its candidate for the Abeokuta Federal Constituency, THE PUNCH learnt on Tuesday.

The faction’s Acting Secretary, Alhaji Semiu Sodipo, told one of our correspondents in Abeokuta that arrangements had been concluded to accept Bankole. Sodipo said Bankole would replace Segun Alawode, whose name was submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The acting secretary stated that Alawode had agreed to step down for Bankole, adding that the speaker had held consultations with the party. He said both parties had made ‘good progress’ in the discussions, adding, “We have spoken with the person there before (Alawode) and he has agreed to step down for him.”

When asked how the group would compensate Alawode, he said the party would later act at the right time. Martins-Kuye’s group and Governor Gbenga Daniel’s faction held parallel primaries in the state last month.

Bankole emerged the PDP House of Representatives candidate for Abeokuta Constituency from Daniel’s faction. A Federal High Court in Abuja two weeks ago restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission and the PDP from accepting the list of candidates in Daniel’s group.

In the list of candidates released by INEC on Monday, Bakole’s name was missing as the commission did not accept the Daniel faction’s list.

-Punchwp_posts