By Mumini Abdulkareem
Real reason emerged last night why the Kwara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was yet to name its deputy governorship candidate.
Although, this medium has exclusively reported that the party was set to name its deputy governorship candidate few weeks back, the leadership of the PDP has however refused to speak on the matter since then.
But a top party source in the know who confided in our reporter last night because he was not allowed to speak officially to the press over the matter said the party was still consulting on the matter and yet to decide.
Asked whether the party will not run foul of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) guidelines on the substitution of governorship candidates and their deputies, the source said the final deadline for the substitution of names is 45 days to the election, adding that the party is using the window to further fine tune the list of interested contestants.
“The final day for the submission of names is 45days to the election and I believe you know the governorship election is coming up on March 3, 2019 which is over 60 days away. So we are still ok.
“There is no question of the party making the mistake of attracting the INEC hammer on this and we are using the window to further deliberate to arrive at a decision on a deputy governorship candidate that will be the choice of everybody and we all will be happy.
“The December 1 deadline on the INEC timetable is just as a guide for the commission according to the electoral laws. We are of course conversant with the date and are on top of the situation”, the source submitted.
Checks at the commission’s headquarters in Ilorin by our reporter last night indicated that the list submitted by the PDP before the December 1, 2018 deadline has remained unchanged.
The name of the chairman of Irepodun Local Government, Muyiwa Solomon Oladipo (Kanu) where the party zoned the slot to has not been replaced as at last night.
Efforts to speak to INEC’s Public Relations Officer, Barr. Jacob Ayanda were unsuccessful last night as his phone failed to connect.
But a source at the commission told this reporter that there has been no directive from their headquarters in Abuja to alter the list earlier forwarded by the party, adding that no set of new names have been sent to the effect.
The tussle for the Deputy Governorship slot in the PDP has been an intense one among the contenders.
They include a two-term member of the House of Representatives and Deputy Chief of Staff to the Senate President, Gbenga Makanjuola, former commissioner III in the Local Government Service Commission and immediate past secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state before the defection of Saraki, Chief Bode Adekanye and former member of the state House of Assembly in the seventh legislature, Elder David Bamidele, Special Adviser to Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed on Labour Matters and Students Affairs, Comrade Bisi Fakayode and his counterpart on Agriculture and Rural Water Support Service, Hon Anu Ibiwoye.
…as APC postpones flag-off over perceived low-turn out
The campaign flag off of the Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) initially scheduled to hold in Kosubosu, Baruten local government area last week was postponed indefinitely.
The postponement, it was gathered, was due to perceived low-turnout by the party leadership and lack of proper coordinated efforts by members of the party because of the leadership crisis rocking the state chapter of the APC.
The state Publicity Secretary of APC, Tajudeen Aro who confirmed the postponement to our reporter yesterday said that the party will announce a new date for the exercise.
He attributed the decision of the party to security concerns, adding that the party may come out with its official position on the issue, today (Monday).
‘Yes, we have postponed the flag off earlier scheduled to hold in Kosubosu, Baruten local government because of security concerns.
‘The party will soon make an official response on the issue probably tomorrow.
‘But for now, it has been put on hold indefinitely and a new date will be communicated soon’, he added.
However, party sources who confided in National Pilot on the matter informed this medium that the campaign was put off due to ‘unpreparedness’ rather than security as explained by the party.
‘We are not prepared for anything. It was a rushed approach and it has now boomerang.
“At the heart of the mess is the party Chairman in the state, Hon Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa and his lackey Kayode Oyin-Zubair. They thought they could do it all alone without carrying along anyone. See what mess they’ve made of it.”
“It is unfair to blame either security or the PDP for the situation. We’re our own problem and the earlier our candidate, Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq, take charge of his own destiny, the better for him. These people will mess him up with their selfishness,” the source lamented.
There have been hushed crisis in the Kwara APC after the controversial gubernatorial contest. The crisis came to its head last week when frontline leaders and aspirants of the party boycotted the visit of Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo during the latter’s launch of the Trader Moni scheme in the state.
The Kwara State chapter of the party is also presently polarised along two factions led by Bolarinwa and Ishola Balogun-Fulani.
The campaign organisation of the party”s gubernatorial candidate, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq on Tuesday issued a release on the flag off that will also feature the presentation of the party’s manifesto.
The statement added that the national chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole and the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed among other party stalwarts across the state were expected to grace the occasion.
The choice of Kwara North by the party to launch the programme was to test the APC popularity in the district before the 2019 general elections.
