The PDP governorship aspirants in Ondo State and some leaders from the northern senatorial district yesterday have kicked against the alleged plan of Governor Mimiko to pick the party’s candidate from the central senatorial district.
The governor have been accused of imposing the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) as the party’s flagbearer for the November 26 election.
Justice Jegede who is an indigene of Akure, is from the same central senatorial district with Mimiko
The aggrieved aspirants, in a communique urged the governor and other party leaders promoting the central senatorial district agenda to align with the rotational/zoning principle of the party
The communique which was signed and issued by Senator Remi Okunrinboye, Dr. Bakkita Bello, Bamiduro Dada, Prince Nekan Olateru-Olagbegi, Dare Emiola, Gbenga Elegbeleye, Dayo Fadahunsi, Yekini Olanipekun and others, showed there was a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) reached by the state leadership of the party.
The MOU which was signed by the late Governor Olusegun Agagu, the late Dr. Olaiya Oni, Saka Lawal, Dr. Gbankinro, Otunba Oyewole Fashawe, Victor Olabimtan, and Olusola Oke, now in APC, noted that there would be rotation of candidates between the north and the central districts, adding that it was the turn of the north to produce the party’s candidate.
The communique reads: “Consequent upon the development in our party in Ondo State, where Governor Mimiko at a meeting with the state and local government official and delegates declared his endorsement of an aspirant from the central senatorial district as the PDP candidate for the November 26, 2016 election.
“This position of Mr. Governor is considered a miscalculation that will further put Ondo North Senatorial District at a serious political disadvantage, putting the state PDP at a loss and laying a bad precedence in the state.
“That all the undersigned leaders align their position with the rotational/zoning principle of our party. This is in accordance with the MOU reached by the state leadership of the party towards the October 20, 2012 election, that the governorship of the state be rotated among the three senatorial districts.
“Eventually, that referred election was won by Mimiko for a second term from the central, following a six-year governorship of the late Agagu from the southern senatorial district.
“We stand by the MOU reached by the leaders of our party in 2012, which was signed by the leadership of the state PDP that Ondo North should produce the governor for 2017-2021. And the time is now!
“That the national and state leadership of the PDP should not forget in a hurry the consequences of imposition of candidates on the poor performance of the party in the 2015 presidential, national and state elections.”
Meanwhile, The party’s youths under the aegis of North/South Senatorial Youth Campaigners (NSSYC) have vowed to not subscribe to the idea of imposing candidates.
In a statement signed by their leader, Mr. Dele Ayeni, the youths accused PDP leadership of working against the party’s progress, alleging that they are working for a faction of the All Progressive Congress (APC) to deliver the state to the opposition.
The group said Mimiko was planning to present a weakling to the electorate so that the PDP would be easily defeated in the election, insisting that primaries must be conducted to pick a candidate.
