Ahead of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, primary election in Ondo state, some aspirants of the party have vowed to resist any attempt by the state governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko to impose a particular aspirant as a candidate of the party.
Already, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed November 26, for the conduct of the gubernatorial election in the state but PDP is yet to fix a date for its primary.
The aggrieved aspirants who are from the northern senatorial district of the state, said the governor had informed them at a meeting with the state and local government executive members of the party that he will present Mr Eyitayo Jegede as the candidate of the party.
The aspirants, however urged the governor to honour agreement which was signed by the leadership of the party in 2012 that the picking of the party candidate will be rotated among the north, central and south senatorial district in 2012.
In a communique issued by the aspirants, Senator Remi Okunrinboye, Rt. Hon. Dr. Bakkita Bello, Bamiduro Dada, Prince Nekan Olateru-Olagbegi, Dare Emiola, Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye, Dayo Fadahunsi, Yekini Olanipekun among others, noted that it is the turn of the north to produce the party candidate.
The aspirants urged the Governor and other leaders of the party to align with the rotational / zoning principle of the party, saying this will boost the chances of the party in the forthcoming poll.
Presenting the MoU which was signed by late Governor Olusegun Agagu, late Dr. Olaiya Oni, Saka Lawal, Otunba Fashawe now in All Progressives Congress (APC), Victor Olabimtan now in APC, Olusola Oke now in APC, Dr. Gbankinro among others, the aspirants said they considered the position of the Governor as a miscalculation that would further put Ondo North Senatorial District at a serious political disadvantage.
Part of the communique read, “upon the recent development in our great party, in Ondo State, where the Governor Mimiko at a meeting with the state and local government official and delegates of the party across the state, declared his endorsement of an aspirant from the central senatorial district as the PDP gubernatorial candidate for the November 26.”
http://leadership.ng/news/542432/pdp-aspirants-vow-resist-mimikos-anointed-candidate