By Toba Adedeji, Osogbo
Aspiration for the 2022 governorship ticket in Osun State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has triggered a fresh war between Senator Ademola Adeleke and businessman and politician, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi.
PDP fielded Senator Ademola Adeleke in 2018 governorship against the candidate of All Progressives Congress(APC), Adegboyega Oyetola. Senator Adeleke polled 1,569 and Ogunbiyi got 1,562 votes during the party’s primary.
Ogunbiyi rejected the outcome of the party’s primary, alleging that the election was rigged in favour of Adeleke. He held that some infractions compromised the integrity of the exercise and made the results clearly unacceptable, including the non-adherence to the clear provisions of the electoral guidelines and alleged manipulation of the accreditation, voting, sorting and counting of the votes cast by delegates at the primaries.
However, the two camps later reunited towards the 2018 governorship election after they negotiated and agreed to a pact. After Adeleke lost the governor seat to the candidate of APC, there has been uneasy calm in the camp of the two political gladiators. Following Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announcement that Osun State governorship election will be held on July 16, 2022, the current party structure of PDP led by Sunday Bisi has stated that Senator Adeleke did well in the 2018 election. He said Adeleke will be presented by the party in 2022 governorship election.
Director, Media and Publicity, Osun PDP Oladele Oluwabamiji had told our correspondent that majority of party stakeholders are rooting for the emergence of Adeleke as the party candidate in the forthcoming governorship election.
He noted that Adeleke performed excellently in the 2018 governorship election as the party’s candidate, where he defeated the APC candidate on the first ballot before the run-off.
Oluwabamiji , however, stressed the caveat that all those interested will be free to bid for the ticket.
Osun State Federal Lawmaker, representing Ede/Egbedore/Ejigbo Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, Bamidele Salam, reechoed the will of the party’s structure.
Salem said: “I know Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi very well; he is a brother that I respect so much. But you know that when we talk about politics, we talk about the name, influence and networking, Ogunbiyi is nowhere near the Adelekes. I give him due honour; he is a very good and capable man, but he can also be very useful in other areas. But certainly, not as the governorship candidate this time around.”
But, Ogunbiyi’s political campaign group yesterday berated Salam for diminishing the quest of businessman cum politician to contest election on the platform of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in 2022.
A statement signed by the Director of Strategy, Idera de Movement, Kunle Omolere, stated that Ogunbiyi is eminently qualified and possesses the required qualities to lead the PDP to victory.
He held that desperate attempts at blowing off Ogunbiyi’s candle, it would not brighten Adeleke’s chances in the next year’s election.
“Ogunbiyi is better placed and, given his track record of service to humanity and growth, having stimulated several businesses from nothing to stardom, will make him a good governor if saddled with the lofty responsibility than accidental diploma holder.”
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