Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara state has said that there would be no imposition of candidates on the party in the state as the party prepares for the 2023 general election.
By Dele Moses, Ilorin
Chairman of the party in the south senatorial district of the state, Comrade Bisi Fakayode, said this was the resolve of the party and that it was taken to avoid mistake of the past that cost the party victory in the 2019 election.
He spoke against the background of a protest by some youths in Offa local government area of the state who alleged that a candidate for Ifelodun/Offa/Oyun federal constituency 1 was imposed on the party by the elders of the party in the senatorial district.
Fakayode who alongside some other chieftains of the party in the district addressed newsmen on the matter said all the eight aspirants involved resolved that instead of undergoing primary election, one of them should be picked and that they would all abide by the decision.
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He said that the candidate, Hon. Hassan Oyeleke, was picked because he was most preferred by the stakeholders that participated in picking a choice.
Explaining how the choice of the candidate was arrived at Fakayode said the leadership of the party had held a meeting with the aspirants in the on Friday, April 1, 2022, but could not make a conclusion because three of the eight aspirants just newly joined the race.
He said another meeting scheduled for Saturday, April 2, 2022 was attended by all the eight aspirants and the Senatorial Central Working Committee members of the PDP.
“The agenda was to discuss the modality to pick the candidate for Ifelodun/Offa/oyun Constituency House of Representatives
At the meeting, the aspirants were campaigning either for youth, gender, or other causes.
“At the end, they resolved that a consensus candidate could not be picked among them, and they would not contemplate primary election as election could lead to bloodshed in Offa. In the circumstance, they would wish that the party leadership just pick any of them; and they would all work for whoever was picked. They drafted the resolution and all the eight of them signed it.
“I forwarded the resolution to the State Chairman of our party (PDP). On Thursday, April 9, 2022, the state leadership of the party summoned us to a meeting at llorin. All the eight aspirants were at the meeting.
“They were interviewed on the following: their contributions to the party, the qualities of the candidate that Offa community would prefer, why they want to go to the House of Representatives etc.
“The eight of them wanted the party leadership to choose any of them, but the leadership declined. At this point, the aspirants themselves suggested that the party could consult with opinion leaders in Offa on the appropriate candidate to be picked. The party agreed to this suggestion.
“After due consultations with Offa community leaders, it was discovered that all the aspirants were good but Hon. Hassan Oyeleke was the most preferred candidate”, he explained.
Fakayode also disclosed that apart from the position of the community leaders that favour Hassan Oyeleke, one other factor that further favoured the candidate was the agreement reached between Danlad and the candidate with the party leadership in 2015.
“Oyeleke was persuaded to step down for Danlad then, with the promise that he would be considered whenever Offa had similar opportunity in future. Further in 2019, Hon. Oyeleke was persuaded again to allow Hon. Danlad to go so that he can be ranking for the benefit of the constituency.
“That opportunity has fortunately come now for Hon. Hassan
Oyeleke. This, the party stakeholders and leaders see as fairness, equity and justice,” he stated.
