Ogun PDP’s crisis deepens as Adebutu, Sowunmi emerge guber candidates
The age-long crisis rocking the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State has taken a new twist as two governorship candidates emerged from two different parallel primaries conducted in separate locations in Abeokuta, the state capital.
While the party primary poll that produced Ladi Adebutu as PDP Candidate was held with the supervision of party executives at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Segun Sowunmi, spokesperson of Atiku Abubakar presidential campaign in 2019, emerged governorship candidate at the PDP primaries organised at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat in Abeokuta.
Though Ladi Adebutu and Segun Sowunmi emerged as PDP governorship candidates in separate primaries, other aspirants who contested for the PDP governorship ticket, apart from the duo candidates were Jimi Lawal and Abodunrin John Abimbola, but failed in both primaries.
BusinessDay reports the primary election that produced Adebutu was held amid pandemonium and tension following sporadic shootings by security operatives to disperse aggrieved loyalists of Jimi Lawal who had earlier protested against delegates’ lists adopted for the exercise at the primary election conducted at Olusegun ObasanjoPresidentialLibrary.
Adebutu, who was a former House of Reps member from Remo Federal Constituency defeated Sowunmi, Lawal and Abodunrin at a primary election that was supervised by a five-man Electoral Committee from the National Headquarters of the PDP, Abuja headed by Prof. Akase Sorkaa.
Announcing the result of the election at exactly 10:50pm, Sorkaa said Adebutu polled 714 votes to defeat Sowunmi, Jimi Lawal and Abimbola Abodunrin, who all polled zero vote, having encouraged all the delegates to elect candidates that would be acceptable to the people.
Adebutu, in his acceptance speech, expressed satisfaction on the conduct of the exercise and said he was happy with his election as the candidate of the party, adding that it was time an environment of hope was created for the residents of the state.
Earlier in the day at the parallel election that produced Sowunmi, the chairman of the electoral committee, Abayomi Daniel announced Sowunmi the winner of the election after the votes were counted.
Abayomi said, Sowunmi contested against two other aspirants, Jimi Lawal and Ladi Adebutu who were not physically present, but were represented by their agents at the primaries.
He said that a total of 778 delegates were accredited, 702 votes cast and 3 votes were voided, adding that Segun Sowunmi polled 554 votes to defeat his closest rival, Jimi Lawal, who scored 30 votes and Ladi Adebutu that polled 15 votes.
He said, “By the power conferred on me by the national leadership of our great party as the chairman electoral committee of the PDP governorship primary election in Ogun, I declare Segun Sowunmi winner of the election, haven polled the highest number of votes and he is hereby returned and elected.”
Sowunmi, who was visibly elated, lauded members of the party for their support and promised not to let them down, just as he called on other aspirants to work together with him to secure victory for the party in the 2023 general elections.
He said, “I humbly accept the nomination as candidate of the PDP.”