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As expression of intention to vie for People’s Democratic Party (PDP) ticket for Osun State 2018 gubernatorial election ends last Friday, about 15 aspirants have submitted letter to that effect.
While many of the aspirants, amidst large crowd of supporters, visited the party secretariat located along Ikirun road, Osogbo, some others only went with few friends to submit their letters.
Some of those that have submitted their letter include Adeolu Durotoye, Lere Oyewumi, Adejare Bello, Fatai Akinbade, Felix Ogunwale, Kayode Oduoye, Gbenga Owolabi, Albert Adeogun, Ademola Adeleke, Nathaniel Oke, Ayoade Adewopo and Jide Adeniji.
Although PDP has not officially disclosed where it would zone its governorship ticket, even amidst agitations from Osun West Senatorial District for the ticket, many of those that have so far shown interest in the party’s ticket are from the West Senatorial didtrict.
Leading the pack is Senator Ademola Adeleke from Ede, who is currently representing the district in the Senate. He is the younger brother of the late Senator Isiaka Adeleke, whom he replaced in July last year, following sudden demise of the senior Adeleke in April 2017.
Also eyeing the ticket from the same Senatorial District is Lere Oyewumi, the immediate past National Commissioner, National Population Commission (NPC). He hails from Ikire and served as chairman, Irewole Local Government, Ikire, for one term.
Rt Hon. Adejare Bello was speaker of Osun State House of Assembly for 8 years and also served as interim state chairman of the PDP in 2012. He hails from Ede.
Fatai Akinbade is another notable name from the West Senatorial District in the race for the PDP ticket. He was Osun PDP chairman when the party won governorship seat and all state and national assembly seats in the state in year 2003.
He later served as secretary to the state government for seven years under Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola administration.
Meanwhile, the youngest aspirant for the PDP ticket, Kayode Oduoye, has declared intention to vie for the governorship ticket of the PDP for the September 22 Osun gubernatorial election.
The businessman and politician said any aspirant thinking of running the state with only monthly allocation, should not bother to contest.
Oduoye, who visited PDP party secretariat along Ikirun road, Osogbo, amidst horde of his supporters, used the occasion to explain how he intends to revamp Osun economy, if elected governor.
He said Osun entered into technical recession in the year 2013, stressing that with the right approach, economy of the state can be revamped.
He explained that while present loans taken by government can be renegotiated, he however, added that many of the loans already procured were taken without due process.
Samuel Ibiyemi, journalist and publisher of the Nigerian News Direct, is the only aspirant that has declared interest for the All Progressives Congress (APC) so far. An Ile-Ife-born journalist-turned politician declared intention to run for governorship on the platform of APC for which some political analysts stated that Ibiyemi hails from Ile-Ife in the Osun East Senatorial District, the political zone where incumbent governor, Rauf Aregbesola, comes, arguing that such a political arrangement defeats existing political zoning arrangement in Osun State.
But in a swift reaction to the proposition, Ibiyemi in a phone interview with BDSUNDAY, said: “Zoning is not in the APC Constitution. Our leaders will not close their eyes to choose a successor with poor programme that will not improve development at the grassroots
“Our leaders in Osun will choose an aspirant as guber candidate on merit based on good programmes such as creation of 400,000 jobs directly and another 200,000 jobs indirectly through the establishment of 10 vocational centres in each Local Government and LCDA.”
BOLADALE BAMIGBOLA, Osogbo
