TheCable

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) screening committee for Osun state governorship election on Wednesday cleared all the 11 aspirants contesting to be the party’s flag bearer in the September 22 governorship election in Osun.

Two serving senators, Ogunwale Felix and Ademola Adeleke, were among the 11 aspirants.

Austin Opara, chairman of the screening committee,  on Wednesday presented certificates to the aspirants at Wadata Plaza in Abuja.

The other aspirants are Akanbi Abdulrasheed, Oyewumi Olalere, Nathaniel Oke, Fatai Akinbade, Ezekiel Adeniji, Akin Ogunbiyi, Ayoade Adewepo, Rafiu Bello, and Adeolu Durotoye.

Emmanuel Agboh, deputy national secretary of the party, advised the aspirants to engage meaningful discussion on the possibility of having a consensus candidate for the election.

Agboh said there was no anointed candidate for the election, adding that the party had given the aspirants the opportunity to take decision among themselves.

He said in the event the aspirants were unable to reach a consensus, the party was committed to organising credible primaries that would produce PDP flag bearer for the election.

He said the PDP will not compromise in the process that would lead to the election of the party’s flag bearer.

“We urge all of you to engage in meaningful discussion and if you are unable to harmonize, the leadership of the party will not fail in organizing a free and fair primary election, just as we did in Ekiti state,” Agboh said.

“When we were going to Ekiti, maybe because we have a sitting governor people thought we will bend the rules, but we stood our grounds and organised the best primary election in recent time.

“To us at the PDP, the definition of leadership in its context was sincerity of purpose, candidates that play by the roles.

“We are not going to organize a primary for or against an individual, we are going to do it because that is the needful that we must do to win Osun state.

“This is a golden opportunity for you all, that instead of about 300, 000 members of PDP in Osun state to decide who becomes the party’s candidate,11 of you should go and decide who will carry the party’s flag at the election.

“We are sure that from the 11 of you here today one of you is the next governor of Osun state.”

Agboh also urged the aspirants to respect the party’s decision by accepting the outcome of the primaries and work as a team for the success of the party in Osun and 2019 general election.