2022: Osun PDP faction elects Dotun Babayemi as guber candidate

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…as Oyinlola, Oyedokun, Olu Alabi others shun Ademola Adeleke’s primary

Uba Group

BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO

Dotun Babayemi, one of the governorship aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party in Osun State, has emerged winner of the parallel primary conducted at WOCDIF in Osogbo.

While announcing the results, the Returning Officer, Hon. Adelani Ajanaku said Babayemi polled 1,781 votes.

He said though, other aspirants stepped down for him, some delegates voted for them. Ajanaku said total votes cast are 1907, void votes – 27; valid votes – 1880. Sanya Omirin had 16 votes, Akin Ogunbiyi had 23, Fatai Akinbade had 28, Dele Adeleke had 32 while Dotun Babayemi polled 1781.

He therefore declared Babayemi as the winner and candidate of the party for the July 16 governorship election. Babayemi, while delivering his acceptance speech promised not to disappoint the party leaders and members.

“I am indeed also grateful to everyone for the confidence reposed in me, while making a solemn promise never to disappoint you. Today, I promise not to be the candidate of few but a governorship candidate of all.

“Today is not a day of long speeches but a time to make a clarion call to all members of our great party to let bygone be bygone and face the task of winning the governorship election scheduled for July 16 and making it a collective responsibility.

“My victory today is not a victory for Omooba Dotun Babayemi but a victory dedicated to all members of our great party and genuine lovers of democracy. Together, we shall reach the Promised Land.

“The task ahead is humongous but not insurmountable. All hands must therefore be on deck to defeat the ruling-All Progressives Congress in the state with a view to ending the current decay pervading the nooks and crannies of our dear state.

“One does not need to go far from the state capital and other urban centers to see the look of despair on the faces of our people, who are looking up to us to save them from the current disaster imposed on them by the APC maladministration in the state.

“The current maladministration of the APC in the state must come to an end if indeed we are desirous of stalling the current
spate of visible infrastructural decay across the state.

“The state residents and indigenes look up unto us to save them, therefore we must roll-up our sleeves and squarely face
the task of saving our people and unborn generations from the APC maladministration.

“I, Omooba Dotun Babayemi hereby accept to serve as our party’s flag-bearer in the forthcoming governorship election in
Osun State,” he said.

The other faction’s primary was still ongoing as at the time of filing this report.

Two factions of the party held parallel primaries on Tuesday.

As early as 8:30am, delegates, adorned in ‘ankara uniform’ had arrived Osogbo Township Stadium to participate in the primary which was said to have been organised for the camp supporting Senator Ademola Adeleke, one of the two leading aspirants in the party.

Out of the six governorship aspirants who had initially declared their interest in the party’s ticket, four of them, including Alhaji Fatai Akinbade, Sanya Omirin, Dr Akin Ogunbiyi and Dele Adeleke had reportedly stepped down for their consensus candidate, Prince Dotun Babayemi.

A statement issued on behalf of the PDP elders’ caucus, said the elders endorsed Babayemi and that he should be supported by all other aspirants in the race.

The statement signed by the factional chairman of the party, Mr. Wale Ojo, further read, “on behalf of Osun State party executives, BOT members, apex party leaders and the entire members of our party in the state, after a painstaking deliberation of the elders of the party and in preparation for the state congress to elect the gubernatorial candidate of our party slated to hold on 8th march 2022, it was unanimously agreed that Prince Dotun Babayemi should fly the flag of the party in the impending state congress.

“This decision is with the full backing and concurrence of other aspirants in attendance, who are also eminently qualified to occupy the exalted position.”

Meanwhile, the camp supporting Babayemi gathered at WOCDIF in Osogbo as early as 9:00am for its primary. The delegates voted according to their local governments after the primary was declared open by the factional Acting Chairman, Wale Ojo.

Meanwhile, no officer of the national leadership of the party was seen at the venue of the Wale Ojo led faction of the party.

But notable leaders of the party including former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, former Deputy Governor of the state, Erelu Olusola Obada, a member of the PDP Board of Trustees, Alh Shuaib Oyedokun, Senator Olu Alabi, Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipupo and all the other aspirants who stepped down including Mr Dele Adeleke, nephew to Senator Ademola Adeleke were in attendance.

In an interview, a former Commissioner of Osun State Civil Service Commission, Jide Bakare, who spoke at the WOCDIF centre, described their primary as authentic.

‘We are holding authentic primary election here based on the decision of the court which gave a nod to Wards’ executives in the state, the one they are holding at the stadium is illegal,’ he said.

At Osogbo Township Stadium, prominent chieftains of the party including serving political office holders, attended. Among them are a member of the House of Representatives, Hon Bamidele Salam, Prince Diran Odeyemi, a member of the Senate, Senator Francis Fadahunsi, Senator Felix Kola Ogunwale (Jumokol) among others.

Speaking, Sunday Bisi, the factional Acting Chairman said the purported withdrawal of the other aspirants was not known to the party’s National Secretariat adding that Adeleke was still contesting with them.

“Up till now, I have not received any letter stating that any candidate withdrew from the exercise. However, if the Abuja delegates come, they may tell us if there are letter as to this or not and they will tell us the names of those people. Six aspirants purchased forms from our national headquarters. My belief is that we are having six aspirants contesting today.

“If an aspirant is withdrawing, he has to write a letter to the party, telling the party that he’s withdrawing from the race. Until that is done, we will take them as gubernatorial aspirants that are contesting,” Bisi said.

The deputy governor of Bayelsa State, Lawrence Oborawharievwo Ewhrudjakpo who was sent by the national secretariat of the party to supervise the primary for Ademola Adeleke’s camp, denied knowledge of parallel primary saying the authentic election was held at Osogbo Township Stadium.

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