Hope of the Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) to provide a sole candidate for the July 16 governorship election in the state seems to have been in the balance as the party held parallel primaries to elect its governorship candidate.
The two factions within the party held their primaries at different locations to pick their candidates in the exercises.
The Sunday Bisi-led faction where an aspirant, Ademola Adeleke belongs to, held its own primary election at the stadium while Mr Wale Ojo, where an aspirant, Mr Dotun Babayemi, belongs to, held its own at the WOCDIF event centre in the town
Voting activities in the two different venues went on peacefully as every participant observed the rules and regulations of the exercise without molestations.
Delegates from the 332 wards in the 30 local government areas of the state who turned up for the exercises organised themselves on a single line of different queues under observation of INEC officials, security operatives and other Electoral officers who attended the activities.
Those seen at the Wale Ojo faction were a member of the PDP Board of Trustees, Shuaib Oyedokun; former governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; Prince Dotun Babayemi, Senator Olu Alabi, Dele Adeleke, Erelu Olusola Obada, former deputy governor in the state, among others
The presence of heavy security operatives was recorded at the two events and these involved policemen, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Department of State Services, Amotekun Corps, among others.
Also, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Olawale Olokode visited the two venues where the exercises took place to ensure orderliness and safety of people.
Meanwhile, at the end of the exercise at the Wale Ojo faction, Dotun Babayemi who polled 1,781 votes emerged as factional candidate of the party.
While announcing the result, Returning Officer, Adelani Ajanaku and electoral officer, Abioye Musibau gave the breakdown as: Total votes 1,907, void votes, 27, valid votes 1,880, Omirin, 6, Ogunbiyi 23, Fatai Akinbade 28, Dele Adeleke 32 and Dotun Babayemi 1,781 who was declared the winner.
While announcing the result of Sunday Bisi camp, the returning officer, Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewurujakpo, announced Ademola Adeleke as winner in the election.
He gave the breakdown as Adeleke (1887), Dele Adeleke (1), Fatai Akinbade ( Nil), Dotun Babayemi (Nil), Akin Ogunbiyi (Nil), Sanya Omirin (4), invalid votes (24) and he put the number of total accreditation votes as 1916.
Speaking after the exercise, the state chairman of the governorship primary committee of the party said that the state election held at the stadium is the only authentic election describing other election held else where as kangaroo which can never hold water.
Meanwhile, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has issued a certificate of return to Ademola Adeleke, as the winner of the party’s governorship primary election.
But Dotun Babayemi has said presentation of certificate of return to Ademola Adeleke was not the end of the journey over the matter.
Babayemi, in an interview, said “Presentation of certificate of return by the NWC is part of the electoral process. The process does not finish with this.
“It is an ongoing process. The electoral journey doesn’t end until a right candidate is sworn in. We have our party internal mechanism. Even though the NWC has taken this action, there is a NEC. This is not the end of journey.”
In another development, All Progressives Congress in Osun state has said the Peoples Democratic Party should expect a defeat during the July 16 gubernatorial election in the state.
This was contained in a statement issued by Osun’s APC Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, Kunle Oyatomi, who said PDP has made Osun APC job easier, as neither Senator Ademola Adeleke nor Prince Dotun Babayemi, who both picked its governorship ticket could withstand its candidate, Adegboyega Oyetola.
The party said none of the factional candidates could compete or be a threat to Oyetola’s re-election.
The statement read in part, “None of PDP’s factional candidates jostling for the governor’s seat has political value to make any serious impact in the race against the people’s governor. Put together, governor Gboyega Oyetola will defeat both of them to emerge victorious in the election.”
