THE stakeholders’ meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) called on Tuesday by its national leadership to deliberate on the way forward for the November gubernatorial election in Ondo State failed to agree on the idea of a consensus candidate.
The acting national chairman of the main opposition party, Iliya Damagun, had announced to about 78 Ondo State critical party members who were invited to the meeting that its aim was to discuss the possibility of a consensus candidate in the election, the issue of zoning and the mode of primary election.
But after about two hours of deliberations, the meeting resolved to continue discussion on a possible consensus candidate while throwing support for the idea of zoning.
Eight governorship aspirants under the PDP in the state were at the meeting.
One of them confided in the Nigerian Tribune that they failed to come to agreement on the question of a consensus candidate because they did not believe a few people as composed in the closed door interactive session could take the decision.
He stated: “Every aspirant believes he has good prospects to win the ticket. We will like the electorate to decide.”
PDP national publicity secretary, Debo Ologunagba, who briefed journalists on the outcome of the meeting, could not be drawn into the decisions reached, saying that the conversation would continue.
He explained: “Basically the issues you referenced were discussed because conversation is ongoing when it comes to the issue of consensus. What was paramount in our own dispensation is the PDP is a democratic party that respect its own constitution and we agreed that in every action that we take going forward in this process, the constitution will be our guide.
“More importantly, we talked about unity in the party because without unity whether you zone or not, consensus or not, you don’t go anywhere. So, we have major on unity and we recognise the fact that conversation will continue.”
Speaking before the meeting went into a closed session, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State declared that the loss of the 2020 Ondo State governorship election taught the PDP a bitter lesson.
He said, however, that the party tried its best amid internal divisions going into the exercise.
Recall that the candidate of the PDP in the 2020 election, Eyitayo Jegede, was defeated by the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, the late Rotimi Akeredolu.
Makinde was of the opinion that despite the loss, the main opposition party learned a critical lesson, saying, “You learn more when you lose than win.”
He warned that the 2024 governorship election would not be won on a platter of gold but stressed that “as PDP, we will fight. At this time, we are united.
“For the benefit of everybody, the governorship election in Ondo State is not going to be handed over to anybody. It will be a fight. As PDP, we will fight.
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