Osun 2018: PDP Aspirants Insist Primary Election Marred With Irregularities, Call For redress

By Ayobami Agboola, Osogbo

No fewer than seven aspirants who vied for the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) have come out to berate the process of that primary election, held on Saturday, July 14,2018.

The seven, out of the eleven aspirants, including the second runner off, Dr Akin Ogunbiyi, Professor Adeolu Durotoye, among others in a press conference in Osogbo, unanimously demanded that the National Leadership of the party should rescind it’s decision on the nomination of Senator Ademola Adeleke as flag bearer of the party.

They accused the leadership of the party of carrying on with outright impunity unabatedly, contrary to the earlier promise to change the old pattern of operation the party is known for.

They argued that against the figure released by the 5-man electoral panel, in which total votes of 1562 was allotted to Dr Akin Ogunbiyi, the actual figure was 1690.

“Contrary to the promise made by the new leadership of our party, the reign of impunity appears to have continued unabated with the way and manner the primary election in Osun state was conducted.

“The exercise was regrettably marred by gross violations of that Electoral Guidelines issued by the National Working Committee as well as outright manipulation of the results of the election in favour of Senator Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke in a manner suggesting that he was the favoured candidate of some powerful individuals in the top echelon of the PDP.

“We make bold to say that Senator Adeleke did not in fact score the highest number of votes in that primary election, having polled a total number of 1569 as against his major opponent, Dr Akin Ogunbiyi, whose actual votes at the point of sorting was 1690”, they resorted.

They called on the National Working Committee of the PDP to reconsider its stance on the appeal filed by Ogunbiyi who they described as the actual winner of the primary election.

In his remarks, Dr Akin Ogunbiyi expressed hope that his mandate would surely be reclaimed.

Ogunbiyi who said that the only party that can restore the hope of the people of Osun is PDP, said he would not leave the party but would rather joined hands with people of integrity to rebuid the party.

He said: “We are not leaving the party under any guise, we believe in the leadership of the party, we will together fight this cause to uproot the bad government of APC in the state.

Ogunbiyi said, he strongly believed in the abilities of the party leadership in repositioning the party from the era of impunity and allows santity to prevailed

Reacting to the allegation that he was being used the national leader of APC, Senator Bola Tinubu, Ogunbiyi described the allegation as mere politics, saying “I am an international successful businessman that has taken pictures with world leaders.

He, however, appealed to the generality of the people in the state especially his supporters to remain calm as normacy will soon return.