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Ondo PDP Insists On Party’s Primary To Pick Candidate

Mr. Jegede, a formal Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, is the party’s anointed candidate, SaharaReporters learned.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State has insisted that it would conduct a ‘primary election’ to pick the party’s main candidate for the November 26th, 2016 governorship election.

Clement Faboyede, the embattled chairman of the party, declared this on Monday in Akure, the State capital.

Mr. Faboyede, who spoke while issuing an expression of interest and nomination form to Eyitayo Jegede, said the primary election will be open and transparent.

He denied that he would impose a candidate on the party’s members and supporters.   

Mr. Jegede, a formal Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, is the party’s anointed candidate, SaharaReporters learned.

Mr. Faboyede, who is one of the factional chairmen of the party, belongs to embattled Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s camp.

He disclosed that the party has fourteen nomination forms to share among all the aspirants of the party. 

Mr. Faboyede also said the ruling PDP in the State was prepared to hold on to power despite its current leadership crisis.

The embattled factional chairman added that it would defeat the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State in the poll.

Mr. Faboyede also exposed how Mr. Mimiko has been having sleepless nights, as his schedule has been filled with meetings lobbying the national leaders of the party to accept his anointed candidate.

“The Peoples Democratic Party has no rival in this State, so no opposition party can withstand and defeat us.  

“Mr. Governor [Mimiko] has been having a series of meetings with our leaders on how best to resolve this crisis. There is no fear,” he said.

However, an aggrieved member of the party who pleaded anonymity told SaharaReporters that Mr. Mimiko’s action of picking Mr. Jegede as the party’s anointed candidate would further deepen its existing crisis.

“The party said they have no anointed candidate, but Mimiko has imposed Eyitayo Jegede on everybody as his successor, using that that to cause further crisis among the members. 

“Mimiko is further heating the polity because I don’t know why his anointed candidate [Jegede] can’t go down to Abuja and get his nomination form.

“Just look at it, why would he collect the form at one of the party’s Alagbaka secretariats in Akure today [Monday] and not at No. 13, Thaba-Tseka Street, British Village, Wuse II, Abuja as directed by the national leaders of the party?" he asked.

The party has fixed the screening of its aspirants for August 11 and congresses for three ad hoc ward delegates for August 18, 2016.

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