Osun: Four aspirants withdraw from PDP guber primary, as Adeleke, Babayemi jostle for party ticket
…My ambition not worth anybody’s blood – Akin Ogunbiyi
By Ismail Azeez, Osogbo
A few hours to the governorship primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Osun State chapter, four aspirants out of six have withdrawn from the race.
Consequently, the 2018 PDP governorship candidate in the state, Senator Ademola Adeleke and Oyedotun Babayemi will be jostling for the party ticket tomorrow.
It would be recalled that six aspirants were cleared by the five-member screening committee of the party to contest the primaries today.
Some of the aspirants who announced their withdrawal ahead of the party’s primaries are: Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, Ademola Adeleke’s nephew, Bamidele Adeleke; a former Secretary to the Osun State Government, Fatai Akinbade; and and Omirin Emmanuel Olusanya.
Earlier, Akin Ogunbiyi announced his withdrawal at his Campaign Office in Osogbo, Osun State Capital, saying he withdrew from the contest because of the bias of the PDP national chairman, Senator Iyorcha Ayu.
He said Senator Ayu has agreed to work with Ademola Adeleke, adding that he has been told not to waste his money for the primaries.
He further said that Sen. Ayu and some party leaders have made up their minds to favour Sen. Ademola Adeleke in the primary.
He stressed that he did everything possible to continue in the race but he noticed that they have concluded their plan on how to execute their secret plan.
According to Ogunbiyi, “The blood of anybody is not worth to be shed for my ambition and that is why I have to withdraw from the race.
“I’m not a violent person, where will I now get thugs or Area boys to mobilise or Police for security to counter whatever it they want to do. I don’t want to put my numerous supporters at arms and that was why I felt I must withdraw from the race.
“It is a very difficult decision but I came to this decision because of the amount of investment and the hope my personality, my leadership would have given to Osun state but when you have an umpire who is so biased to extent of planning with the other group.
“I don’t want them to use my credibility to sustain whatever it is inadequacies. That is why I am withdrawing my participation in the PDP primary election. I will duly notify in writing my withdrawal,” he added.
