Oyo State Governor, Engr Seyi Makinde, has been declared the standard-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 governorship election in the state.
Makinde emerged winner at the governorship primary election of the party, held at the Lekan Salami Sport Complex, Adamasingba, Ibadan.
The governor polled 1,040 votes out of the accredited votes of 1,048, to beat Barr. Hazeem Gbolarumi, who polled two votes.
The congress was monitored by security agents, the Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Oyo State, Barr. Mutu Agboke and other INEC officials.
The returning officer and chairman of the Oyo State PDP Governorship Congress Panel, Senator Ben Obi, who was represented by the Panel’s Secretary, Alhaji Abdullahi Mai Basira, said that the total votes cast were 1,048, with six of the votes voided.
The governor, in his acceptance speech, maintained that he would continue to fulfil all the promises he made to the people of the state, adding that he will do all within his power to continue to move the people from poverty to prosperity as he had been doing in the last three years.
Makinde, who rallied party members to work together for the party’s progress, noted that the PDP remained the best option for the people of Oyo State and Nigerians.
According to him, the party has, in three years of its leadership in Oyo, brought tremendous economic prosperity and massive infrastructure development to the State.
He added that it was time to rescue Nigeria and that the PDP remained the best path towards realising that goal.
Makinde, who noted that he would reach out to Barr. Gbolarumi with a view to working together, said it was time for a new beginning for the party.
He said: “This is your government and have we not made you proud? All we have been able to do is because you gave us a chance, and you are trusting us today to even do more. And I want to promise you that we will do more than your expectation.”
Governor Makinde declared that as long as he remained the governor of Oyo State, he would continue with his resolve to move people from poverty to prosperity.
Earlier, Gbolarumi, had while addressing delegates, described Governor Makinde as the father of the party, saying that his involvement in the primary was to show that there is democracy in Oyo State PDP.
He explained that whatever happened at the congress ground was politics, urging all members of the party to avoid tendencies that could divide the party.
“Governor Seyi Makinde is our father. As a human, he is not perfect but let us be bold enough to say the truth to power no matter what the circumstances may be,” Gbolarumi said.
