Ololade Adeyanju/
Ahead of the September 22 governorship election in Osun State, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has moved to put its house in order and present a candidate to face Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola who emerged yesterday as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Seven out of eleven governorship aspirants in PDP today announced their withdrawal from the party’s primary.
The primary to be held in Osogbo has more than 3,000 delegates to participate in the exercise.
Those who announced their withdrawal from the primary are Mr Adejare Bello, former speaker of the State House of Assembly, Prof. Adeolu Durotoye, Jide Adeniji, Sen. Olasunkanmi Akinlabi, Mr Ayoade Adewopo, Mr Lere Oyewumi and Mr Felix Ogunwale.
The aspirants said that they stepped down from the race due to appeal from the party’s leadership and also to ensure cohesion within the party.
Other aspirants still in the race are Sen. Nurudeen Adeleke, representing Osun West at the Senate, Former Secretary to State Government Fatai Akinbade, Dr Akin Ogunbiyi and Mr Nathaniel Oke, a lawyer.
Addressing the delegates, Gov. Seriake Dickson, who is the chairman of the primary, assured them of a free, fair and credible exercise.
Dickson urged all the aspirants to support whosoever emerged as the winner of the primary.
Any aspirant who won the primary in PDP will contend with Oyetola, who is Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s Chief of Staff. He scored 127,017 votes to clinch the party’s ticket yesterday.
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