By Seyifunmi Odunuga
Worried by the recent actions of Governor Seyi Makinde on the issue of consensus and exploitation of the naive leaders and elders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Ibadan southwest who are acting under the disguise of the “governor said this or that” to foist their selfish interest by imposing candidates on constituents against the wish of all aspirants who legitimately purchased nomination and expression of interest forms to test their popularity at the party primaries; a group of aspirants for various political positions in Ibadan South West Local Government 1and 2 has warned the governor against such in their local government.
The authentic People’s Democratic Party (PDP) members make this sound of warning through a communique issued at the end of a stakeholders meeting held in Ibadan after a critical examination of the way the leaders in the southwest had connived to impose candidates on constituents devoid of democratic norms and tenets.
The group while condemning the acts in their totality called on the governor of Oyo State to prevail on the leaders of the party in the Ibadan Southwest before the party goes into total collapse.
The aspirants who claimed to have purchased and submitted their forms of expression of interest insist that all the aspirants have agreed to face the primaries and that they are all ready to support whoever emerges through the primaries.
” We the aspirants for various political positions have agreed to work together for the progress of the party and that is why we are telling the governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde to stop his proposed consensus arrangement in Ibadan South West 1and 2 ”
“For the avoidance of doubt, all the PDP aspirants in the IBSW LG have submitted their nomination and expression of interest forms and now that the issue of a consensus candidate from all the aspirants has collapsed, we should all go to the field to test our popularity through the primaries and pick the best candidate”
The group, however, dissociate themselves from any form of consensus agreement which according to them may work against the party in the 2023 general elections and however called on the governor to caution the leaders and elders of the party in Ibadan Southwest local government.
The aspirants however urged the party leadership to nominate other members of the party to also use their wealth of experience to develop the state.
“We have lots of educated youths who were ready to sacrifice lots for the party and the state at large, therefore we want to say No to the imposition of candidates and man know man attitude of the leaders and per extension the governor”.
