Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta
The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun state, Hon. Ladi Adebutu has urged Jimi Lawal, Segun Showunmi and other aspirants that lost the party’s primary election to join him on a mission to rescue the state from the misrule of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Adebutu extended a hand of fellowship to the other aspirants when the party presented certificates of return to its state and national assembly candidates contesting the 2023 general elections.
The well attended event by thousands of members of the opposition party was held at its state secretariat in Abeokuta.
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the party had earlier this week presented a certificate of return to Hon Adebutu, thereby recognising him as the candidate of the party in the state.
While Showunmi is laying claim to the party’s ticket having emerged at parallel primary, Lawal had written the Senator Iyorchia Ayu – led leadership of the party calling for the cancellation of the primary election over alleged manipulation of delegates’ list.
But, Adebutu appealed to his contenders and other aspirants who lost out in the primaries to burry the hatchet and work together with him to improve the chances of the party at reclaiming the state in the 2023 election.
Adebutu insisted that he was determined at fostering unity in the party by working with all the aggrieved members, saying a divided party cannot win at the general election.
He therefore urged the party to call a meeting of all the aspirants to work together for the good of the party.
Adebutu said, “I’m determined to bring everybody onboard because those that have won the primaries, won not because they are the best and not because they have the total number of votes, so those that lost out must not be left behind that is why I’m determined to always carry everybody along and I think that is the beauty of PDP.
“We are not known for imposing. I think we have successfully managed well democratically and we are still managing the situation.
“We must endeavor to have a big happy family so that we can face the challenges at hand. We recognised that we are still in the opposition and the work at hand is extensive and we know the antics of the misgovernance of the APC, we are hoping to take over power from them come 2023.”