Four aspirants may step down for ex-PDP spokesman

Osagie Otabor, Akure

Four aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in Ondo state are in talks with a former state spokesman, Mr. Banji Okunomo, for the purpose of stepping down for him, The Nation learnt on Monday.

One of the four aspirants has already purchased the nomination and expression of forms while the other three were said to have opted not to pay for the forms again of some conditions were agreed upon.

Sources close to Okunomo said two of the aspirants demanded for juicy positions for themselves and their followers if Okunomo is elected while the other two demanded monetary compensation to cover cost of nomination forms and lobbying party members.

Okunomo, who neither confirmed nor denied the report, said the coming of Ondo Deputy Governor, Agbools Ajayi would not constitute any fear or panic in the PDP.

He stated that Agboola hails from the Ondo South, the stronghold of the PDP and also won by the PDP without the deputy governor in the last general elections.

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According to him, “How would his coming to the party now constitute fear or panic when the party was winning election without him in the past. PDP doesn’t impose candidate on its members and that is the beauty of democracy and the internal arrangement of the party.

“Anyone coming to join the PDP should be ready to work. There is nothing to worry about. If the deputy governor shows his interest in the governorship race, let him join in earnest and start to work because the ticket of the PDP is not for sale.

“His coming does pose any threat. I have already picked the nomination form of the party and I am ready to slug it out with other governorship aspirants at the primaries.

“Let Agboola join the race and work out his victory if he thinks he can win. Tofowomo beat Agboola’s candidate in the last Senatorial election with a wide margin even at Agboola’s local government and the same Okunomo coordinated the said Senatorial election in Ondo South”.