Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta
The protracted crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ogun State, on Wednesday reared its ugly head with two factions of the party holding parallel governorship primaries.
While a faction which produced Otunba Segun Showunmi as the party’s governorship candidate for the 2023 elections held its own at Ogun NUJ Press Centre, Iwe Iroyin, Abeokuta, another faction held theirs at Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) Abeokuta.
In attendance at the one held at OOPL were two governorship aspirants of the party, Hon Oladipupo Adebutu, a former House of Representatives member representing Remo Federal constituency as well as Otunba Jimi Lawal, former Special Adviser on Economy to Gov El-Rufai of Kaduna State
Otunba Showunmi polled a total number of 554 votes to defeat his close opponents, Otunba Jimi Lawal who polled 30 votes while Ladi Adebutu scored 15 votes.
Announcing the result, the Returning Officer and Chairman Electoral Committee of the PDP governorship Congress, Hon. Abayomi Daniel said Showunmi scored the total votes from the 702 votes cast out of 728 accredited delegate list.
Abayomi said, “As a PDP national officer and by the power conferred on me by the national leadership of our party, Otunba Segun Anthony Showunmi having polled the highest number of votes is hereby elected as the PDP governorship candidate in Ogun state for the 2023 governorship election.”
In his acceptance speech, Showunmi thanked the national leadership of the party and the delegates for reposing their mandates and trust on him.
He said, “Well, I will thank God Almighty who has made today possible, I thank the delegates and members of my campaign team and leadership of the party. I am particularly happy that under a very peaceful atmosphere, we have compiled with all other relevant laws, and I have emerged successfully the PDP governorship candidate in Ogun state.”