#ElectionBuzzNig’23
Governor Seyi Makinde has emerged winner of the governorship primary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for Oyo State.
At the primary, held at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan, the state capital, Makinde polled a total of 1,040 delegates votes to defeat his challenger, Mr Hazeem Gbolarunmi, who had two votes.
As announced by the Returning Officer, Ben Obi, represented by Abdullahi MaiBasira, Makinde emerged the PDP governorship candidate for Oyo State, having polled the highest number of valid votes with a total of six void votes out of the 1,048 total votes cast.
Speaking after the announcement of the result, Makinde asserted that his administration had fulfilled all promises it made upon assumption of office in 2019.
He listed promises kept to include scrapping the payment of N3,000 development levy in schools, prioritising security, providing standard Primary Health Centres (PHCs) across the state, securing sole ownership of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, building roads, bus terminals and reconstructing Akesan and Sasa markets.
Makinde noted that the party, has, in the three years of its leadership in Oyo State, brought tremendous economic prosperity and massive infrastructure development to the state, saying it was time to rescue Nigeria and that the PDP remained the best path towards realising that goal.
The Governor stated: “As long as I remain the governor of Oyo State, God be with us, I will continue to do all within my power to move the people from poverty to prosperity. I will continue to work for you. You are our bosses. You sent us on this assignment. So, I want to urge all our members to work towards the progress of our party.”
Makinde promised to embrace his challenger in the governorship primary, Hazeem Gbolarunmi, in the spirit of heralding a new beginning for the Oyo PDP, asserting that his commitment remained moving the state from poverty to prosperity.
Speaking before the commencement of the exercise, Gbolarunmi said it was right that Governor Makinde had a challenger in the primary, hence his decision to join the governorship race, noting that he acknowledged that Makinde was father of every member of the Oyo PDP.
He, however, expressed discontent that delegates loyal to him were chased away from the venue of the primary such that only the delegates on the governor’s side were allowed to sit at the venue of the primary.
Gbolarunmi said: “We are in the same party; we should not destroy it. Governor Makinde is the father of us in Oyo PDP, this election will not be fair if the governor didn’t have someone to challenge him.
“Only the delegates of the governor are here not delegates of the party. Politics should not be done this way because we are not helping the party,” he lamented.
The state Deputy Governor, Rauf Olaniyan, was absent from the event that had in attendance Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja; Mrs Mutiat Ladoja; Speaker of the state Assembly, Honourable Adebo Ogundoyin; Chairman, Oyo PDP, Mr Dayo Ogungbenro; Elder Wole Oyelese and several other PDP chieftains and members.\
Nnenna.O
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