Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Wednesday, emerged as the standard-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 governorship election in the state.
Makinde emerged the winner at the governorship primary election of the party, held at the Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Adamasingba, Ibadan.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, indicated that Governor Makinde scored a total of 1,040 votes out of the accredited votes of 1,048, to beat Barr. Hazeem Gbolarumi, who scored two votes.
The congress was monitored by security agents, the Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Oyo State, Barr. Mutiu Agboke and other INEC officials.
The returning officer and chairman of the Oyo State PDP Governorship Congress Panel, Senator Ben Obi, who was represented by the Panel’s Secretary, Alhaji Abdullahi Mai Basira, said that the total votes cast were 1,048, with six of the votes voided.
The governor, in his acceptance speech, maintained that he would continue to fulfil all the promises he made to the people of the state, adding that he will do all within his power to continue to move the people from poverty to prosperity as he had been doing in the last three years.
Makinde, who rallied party members to work together for the party’s progress, noted that the PDP remained the best option for the people of Oyo State and Nigerians.
According to him, the party has, in three years of its leadership in Oyo, brought tremendous economic prosperity and massive infrastructure development to the State.
He added that it was time to rescue Nigeria and that the PDP remained the best path towards realising that goal.
Makinde, noted that he would reach out to Barr. Gbolarumi with a view to working together, saying it was time for a new beginning for the party.
Earlier, Gbolarumi, while addressing delegates, described Governor Makinde as the father of the party, saying that his involvement in the primary was to show that there is democracy in Oyo State PDP.
He explained that whatever happened at the congress ground was politics, urging all members of the party to avoid tendencies that could divide the party.
He said: “We are in the same party but I don’t want us to be divided. What we are doing is just formality. There is no reason for us to sit here and be contesting for the same post. We already have a leader in the state. No matter how small he is, Governor Makinde is our leader in the state. I pray that this party won’t be divided.
Afterwards, Gbolarumi raised Makinde’s hands as he noted that Makinde is truly the leader and the party’s choice for the 2023 elections.
