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ABEOKUTA – The governorship ambition of former House of Representatives member in Ogun State, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu may be threatened following the endorsement of ex-spokesman of Abubakar Atiku 2019 presidential campaign, Segun Showunmi by a faction of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun state on Wednesday as the party’s governorship candidate in the state ahead of the 2023 election.
The party members rejected the governorship candidature of a former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ladi Adebutu, accusing him of hindering the growth of the party in the State.
Showunmi’s endorsement was ratified at an Ogun Central Senatorial District stakeholders’ meeting, held in Abeokuta, the state capital.
The meeting, which was attended by some members of the South West Executive, including the Zonal Treasurer, Samson Ogunse, Zonal Ex-officio, Gbenga Idowu, and Zonal Legal Adviser, Mosuru Olakupoyi, passed a vote of confidence in the national chairman of the party, Iyorcha Ayu and others.
The group also adopted former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the Presidential candidate of the party.
Addressing members at the meeting, the chairman of the faction, Semiu Sobayo, blamed the former national chairman of the party, Uche Secondus for the crisis bedeviling the party in the South West.
Sobayo said, “Showunmi is the only person that we can adopt to become the governor of Ogun State. He is the only person that can rescue Ogun State from the maladministration of the All Progressives Congress.
“We can no longer tolerate a situation where Hon. Ladi Adebutu has pocketed the party.
“We don’t want a situation where one person is in total control of the party. He has put the party in his pocket and he has been controlling the affairs of the party from his father’s room.
“He (Adebutu) single-handedly handpicked the executive members of the party in the state. He has not allowed this party to develop.
“When the party was formed in 1998, the founding fathers allowed everybody to express their political interest and that is what made the party grow even outside Nigeria. They allowed everybody to have a sense of participation.
“How can we open our eyes and allow Adebutu to pocket the organization. He is not giving others to express their interest either has he allowed everyone to have a sense of participation. All he wants to do is to enslave all members of the party.”
Showunmi in his remarks, declared his ambition to contest the 2023 governorship election in the State.
He charged the people of the State and Nigerians, in general, to vote out the ruling APC in 2023.
When contacted, the Media Adviser to Hon. Ladi Adebutu, Mr. Afolabi Orekoya said PDP remains one in the state under the leadership of Hon. Sikirulai Ogundele.
He said the purported factional group that endorsed Segun Showunmi‘s candidacy is only acting scripted drama.
“We don’t have a faction in PDP in Ogun State. We only have one PDP in Ogun State led by Hon. Sikirulai Ogundele is recognized by the National secretariat of the party.
“Everyone has freedom of association. They are not known to the party. We are not aware of any faction. Those that endorsed Showunmi are just acting drama, they are acting on a script, and when the time comes, people will know who they are”.
-The Encounter
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