By Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara state has debunked the insinuation that party candidates who emerged through consensus arrangement were imposed by the leadership, explaining that the consensus arrangement used in the party’s primaries was unanimously agreed upon by the party’s stakeholders.
It would be recalled that some youths in Offa, Offa local government area of the state, last week, staged a protest against the outcome of the consensus arrangement process for the Ifelodun/Offa/Oyun federal constituency for the 2023 elections, describing it as imposition.
Speaking with journalists in Offa on Monday, the Kwara South senatorial chairman of the PDP, Comrade Bisi Fakayode, said that it is the people that decided what they wanted.
Comrade Fakayode, who said the leadership of the party had held a meeting with eight House of Representatives aspirants in the constituency on Friday, April 1, 2022, added that the meeting could not be concluded because of three new entrants.
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.
He said: “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
“Apart from the position of the community leaders that favour Hassan Oyeleke, one other factor that further favoured him was the agreement reached between Danladi and Oyeleke with the party leadership in 2015. Oyeleke was persuaded to step down for Danladi 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. Danladi to go so that he can be a ranking legislator 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.”
The party leader, who emphasised that five aspirants from Offa originally expressed interest in the House of Representatives seat, added that, “Three others joined later and they were accommodated. All the eight aspirants are qualified to fly our party’s flag, but only one can be picked at a time. That was what happened. There was no imposition from any quarter. The Kwara South senatorial leadership of the PDP accepts full responsibility for all the candidates that have so far emerged”.
End.
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