BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
Few minutes after Dotun Babayemi, one of the governorship aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party in Osun State was declared winner of the parallel primary conducted at WOCDIF in Osogbo, the other faction of the party has concluded its primary held at Osogbo Township Stadium as Senator Ademola Adeleke emerged winner.
Adeleke got 1,887 votes, Dele Adeleke had 1, Sanya Omirin had 4 while other aspirants hot nothing. There was 24 invalid votes.
The deputy governor of Bayelsa State, Lawrence 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.
He congratulated Adeleke and assured him of victory in the July 16 governorship election.
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.
Speaking, Adeleke assured party leaders and members of victory at the poll and urged for their continued support.