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Osun 2022: Group tasks Ife PDP leaders picking Adeleke’s running mate
By Sunday Oguntuyi, Osogbo
A socio-cultural group in Ile Ife, Osun state, “Ife Solidarity Movement,” has advised the leaders of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ife zone to pave way for peaceful resolution in choosing the running mate for Senator Ademola Adeleke in the coming July 16 governorship election in the state.
The group in a release issued by its chairman, Comrade Saliu Babatunde and made available to newsmen in Osogbo at the weekend noted that it is pertinent for party leaders to listen to the agitation of party faithfuls in the interest of the teeming lovers of the party who are earnestly waiting for the government of PDP to come in to being.
It would be recall that some party members in Ife East local government staged a protest kicking against the nomination of Hon. Kola Adewusi as the running mate for Senator Ademola Adeleke, stating that the nomination would not in anyway pave way for victory for the party in the area.
The party members noted that the choice of the former Ife East local government chairman would but cause injury to the chances of victory for the candidate of the party in the coming election.
They stated that, “Kola Adewusi as Deputy Governor will not have a good outing in the local government because of his disposition to Modakeke when he was the chairman. Please send a spy to Modakeke to verify this.”
Comrade Babatunde in his release urged the leaders of the party to wade in and invoke a round table discussion with who is who to perfectly and holistically resolve the issue.
The group opined that the leader of the party in the local government should listen to the yearnings of the party members in the interest of the downtrodden masses.
Giving the analysis, Comrade Babatunde maintained that, Ife zone has highest number of votes and the party would not want to loose the zone because of the interest of some individuals.
“Out 10 wards in Ife East Local Government, 3 wards belong to Modakeke, and out of the remaining 7, Professor Wale Oladipo controls just two and half, the remaining four and half belong to the WOCDIF faction. Please find out how genuine this claim is.
“Ife Central use to have the largest voters turnout in Osun with 11 wards, how can PDP leave such a Local Government and pick from where we may not be able to maximize the opportunity on ground.
“Going by the status quo, the last running mate to Sen Ademola Adeleke was picked from Ife Central, in this wise, if we stood by Sen Ademola, it is normal he stands by Ife Central and pick from there”
“The question is, with a nomination of Kola Adewusi as running mate to Sen Ademola Adeleke by Prof Oladipo, would Prof Oladipo not ask for another thing when the Government is formed?” he wondered.
The group who allayed fears especially at this point that the party is polarized said, “PDP needs a less controversial personality, the party needs someone who can rally other aggrieved individuals not someone who was an Actor in the crisis. Sen Ademola and the party leadership should know the war facing Ademola was a transfer of aggression, Prof Oladipo is actually the man they do not want to see his face, therefore his brother Deputy would be a serious albatross.
“This candidate, no doubt, will really affect Ademola Adeleke’s chance of becoming the next Governor of this state. We must not scuttle this bright chance because we want to please anyone. The party should look into Ife Central and pick a running mate that is acceptable to all. God bless PDP”. The group concluded
The group called for unanimous resolution of the party leaders and members in the area in choosing the deputy governor’s designate for Senator Ademola Adeleke for the interest of all and sundry.
