...Osun PDP Jostles to Unseat APC

...Osun PDP Jostles to Unseat APC

Governor Rauf Aregbesola

With the governorship election slated to hold in Osun State later this year, the Peoples Democratic Party, though riddled with intra-party crisis, is bent on dislodging the ruling All Progressives Congress, writes Yinka Kolawole

As the gubernatorial election in Osun approaches, the state is currently witnessing the emergence of aspirants to wrest power from the incumbent governor, Rauf Aregbesola, in no less than seven months’ time. Although the political parties involved are the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), it is evident that the main contender is the PDP which has witnessed many aspirants indicating interest to contest the election on its platform.

Paving the Way for PDP Aspirants
The Osun state chapter of the PDP had said only three of its members have so far signified their intention to contest the gubernatorial election on its platform. Chairman of the party in the state, Gani Olaoluwa, who stated this in Osogbo, said a former House of Representatives member, Hon. Oluwole Oke, from Obokun; a former Senator who was also a former minister, Senator Olasunkanmi Akinlabi from Ayedaade local government; and a former deputy governor and former chairman, Senate committee on appropriation, Senator Iyiola Omisore, from Ife East local government, have so far shown interest in contesting.

According to him, the extended executive meeting of the party had put December 31st 2013 as the deadline for anyone wishing to contest under the party to get the intention form for 5million naira and, that it was only the trio that have fulfilled the condition.

No Preferred Candidate
As a measure for the PDP to effectively face the APC, it said it had no preferred candidate. Olaoluwa recently contended that the party had no preferred candidate as candidates of the party will be chosen strictly by the party’s constitution.
Speaking with THISDAY on the rumour that the party must have favoured Senator Iyiola Omisore in the coming governorship election in the state, the chairman said the party was determined to organise an open ballot system for all the aspirants of the party in the state.

Describing the attitude of some people as political enemies of the PDP, Olaoluwa opined that the party remains indivisible, warning that nobody should create crisis within the party as the party is fully ready to wrest power from Governor Aregbesola.
He was confident that any candidate that emerges would defeat Aregbesola hands down, promising that PDP would follow the rule of law because “we have materials that can beat Aregbesola”.

Aspirants Step Down for Omisore
As the race gathers momentum, it was said that eight PDP aspirants in Osun State had indicated their loyalty to Omisore to ensure his victory. His director of media and strategy who was also a former gubernatorial aspirant, Mr Diran Odeyemi, who dropped the hint in Osogbo while briefing the press on Senator Omisore’s readiness to contest, said all the aspirants have given their consent to give full support because he was the only one that could face Aregbesola.

On whether his boss possesses the clout to match Aregbesola, Odeyemi said Omisore has been in the Senate for eight years; as well as being a former deputy governor in the state. He said the factor as well as the fact that Aregbesola had stepped on toes with the demolition of houses and merger of schools, the election is PDP’s to lose.

A Note of Warning
As the Aspirants took their intentions forms at N5million each, two of them both spoke on their views. The former Minister of Youth Development, Akinlabi, warned the Osun state chapter of the PDP not to impose any candidate for election in the state.
Akinlabi, who is also a governorship aspirant of the party, gave the warning while addressing party faithful shortly after picking the form in Osogbo. He contended that any attempt to impose a candidate on the people may result in calamity, thereby jeopardising the chances of the party in next year's governorship election.

The second aspirant, a former member of the House of Representatives from Oriade-Obokun federal constituency of Osun State, Oluwole-Oke who was in the House of Representative for eight years, was the Chairman House Committee on Defence.
While obtaining the intention form at the PDP secretariat in Osogbo, Oluwole-Oke said he was committed to his ambition to contest the 2014 governorship election with the incumbent governor and expressed hope that he would defeat Aregbesola.

Oluwole-Oke pointed out that he has all the criteria to serve as governor of Osun State and urged the PDP to give him the ticket of the party to contest with Aregbesola. He said his people from Ijesaland where Aregbesola also hails have assured him of their support if the PDP gives him the ticket.

But Ola-Oluwa has continued to assure party supporters and the contenders that the PDP would not impose any aspirant but make sure that the selection process is free and fair, promising that the candidate of the party would emerge through a primary election.
It is certain that the PDP in Osun is not taking with kid’s gloves, the coming election in Osun and appears to be giving its best to realising its dreams.