From Ridwan Kolawole, Ibadan
The former Deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Adebayo Adelabu has emerged the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives congress (APC) after four co-aspirants stepped down for him during the party’s primary.
Also, Engineer Seyi Makinde of the peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday emerged the candidate for the party as he polled 2,772 as against his Senator Ayoade Ademola Adeseun who polled 21 votes.
Adeseun had earlier announced his partial withdrawal from the race, and led his party supporters out of the venue of the election.
For APC, four aspirants which include Chief Niyi Akintola, Dr. Olusola Ayandele, Olasunkanmi Joseph Tegbe and Dr. Isaac Owolabi Babalola stepped down for the ex-CBN boss at the venue of the primary.Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN) who also stepped down did so after voting had begun.
It would be recalled that a former governor of the state, Adebayo Alao-Akala and Dr. Azzez Adeduntan withdrew from the race 24-hours to the primary.
It would be recalled that a former governor of the state, Adebayo Alao-Akala and Dr. Azzez Adeduntan withdrew from the race 24-hours to the primary.
PDP aspirant, Adeseun, a renowned town planner and urban developer, had earlier petitioned the PDP National Chairman and the screening committee monitoring the ongoing primary between him and billionaire businessman, Engr. Seyi Makinde over alleged manipulation of the candidates’ list.
The Ogbomoso-born former Senator further alleged that the party’s leadership was trying to use illegal means to give the ticket to somebody, stressing that, “I will not be a party to that.”
After announcing his partial withdrawal from the race, Senator Adeseun led his party supporters out of the venue of the election.
The screening for the delegates was on when Adeseun’s supporters suspected alleged irregularities in the delegates’ list and engaged the opposing camp of Makinde in shouting match.
Visibly enraged Adeseun called the attention of the PDP National officers who were in Liberty stadium to monitor the exercise to the development and thereafter headed to the podium where two of the party’s leaders in the state, Dr. Saka Balogun and Elder Wole Oyelese were seated, to protest.
He said “it may interest you to know that even in my local government, 56 names were fraudulently inserted into the delegates’ list.
“And people who were never delegates were brought in here. We have written a letter to the chairman of the primary committee that this process is seriously flawed.
“Because we knew this thing was going to happen; we suspected it and we wrote a letter to the National Chairman about 10days ago and up till today the Chairman of the party and neither the Secretary nor the Organizing secretary has replied. If as at yesterday, I could not see the delegates list until few hours ago, it shows that something is fishy and I cannot be a party to such an arrangement”.
He left the main bowl of the stadium around 1:38pm in convoy of his entourage.
Engr. Femi Babalola was the third aspirant until the party leaders begged him to step down for party to realise a possible consensus candidate between Makinde and Adeseun.
Notwithstanding Adeseun’s misgivings above, Engr. Makinde commended the process and the arrangement put in place by the party to ensure a hitch-free primary.
Makinde was of the opinion that all party members belong to the same one big umbrella family with the hope that PDP would form the next government in the state in 2019.
