Party Stakeholders of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Oluyole federal constituency have insisted that Akeem Olatunji is retained as the party’s consensus candidate as earlier declared at the Government House or a primary election is conducted urging the leadership of the party in the state to ensure strict compliance with the directive of Governor Seyi Makinde over the process of selecting candidates for the forthcoming general election.
Governor Seyi Makinde while addressing Oyo State PDP Stakeholders at the Agodi Government House during the stakeholders’ first meeting declared that the party preferred consensus rather than primary approach in selecting its candidates.
The Governor also added that in the event that a consensus could not be reached at any given constituency, primary election will be conducted to determine who becomes the party’s candidate.
Stakeholders in Oluyole federal constituency at the resumed Stakeholders meeting at the state Government House reportedly adopted Akeem Olatunji, the state Publicity Secretary of Oyo PDP as their consensus candidate against Abdulmajeed Mogbonjubola his closest contender.
Abdulmajeed Mogbonjubola newsmen understand is the present Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Seyi Makinde who is said to be the anointed candidate of a some politicians believed to wield some influence on the Governor.
A last minute twist however, changed the ratification process by the Ambassador Taofeeq Arapaja led committee leading to a move towards conducting a primary election at a date yet to be announced.
Findings of investigations by newsmen revealed that Akeem Olatunji enjoys an overwhelming support of almost all the party delegates in Oluyole federal constituency who have earlier made their position known to the Governor and other State party Stakeholders.
Realizing that a primary election may not yield any result different from the consensus stance, some politicians believed to be working against Olatunji’s candidture were said to have intensified efforts on getting the DCoS imposed on the people of Oluyole by attempting to prevail on the delegates via financial influence to ensure Mogbonjubola emerges winner.
A source who spoke with journalists on condition of anonymity said leaders and party Stakeholders from Oluyole are expected to hold final meeting with the Governor and other stakeholders today at the government house to decide if anything has changed or the plan to go ahead with the primary still subsists.
According to the source, a meeting before meeting the Governor held at a stakeholders meeting by Oluyole PDP Stakeholders where members were lobbied with cash in order to influence their stance. This move is said to change the minds of the party stakeholders who are expected to meet with the Governor later in the day to change ground and root for Abdulmajeed Mogbonjubola’s candidature as a last minute move to ensure primary election did not hold.
However, the stakeholders from Oluyole federal constituency have been said to reject the financial overtures through a protest maintaining that their position on Akeem Olatunji subsists who was said to be their adopted Consensus candidate is denied the party ticket then they must go for primary election in Oluyole which according to the source will be overwhelmingly handed over to Akeem Olatunji.
Olatunji according to the source is a grassroots mobilizer, a very accessible individual who is always selfless and ready to listen to other people’s plight. The source explained further that party stakeholders in Oluyole have taken up Akeem Olatunji’s mandate upon themselves stressing that the Oyo state PDP Spokesperson remain Oluyole’s Hope 23 (2023).
The source also explained that it is only a popular candidate like Olatunji that can win 2023 election for the party in Oluyole and also impact positively on the Senatorial Candidate’s result warning against any form of backdoor arrangements capable of subverting the popular will of the overwhelming PDP members in the constituency saying such move will be fiercely resisted.
They however, warned that any attempt to impose another person on the people of Oluyole through the backdoor will be fiercely resisted.
