PDP CHAIRMANSHIP: It’s Adeniran vs Secondus, as S’West aspirants opt for consensus candidate

Last-minute horse-trading for the chairmanship of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may have led to major compromise by the South-West bloc.

It was gathered that other aspirants from the zone late Friday night agreed to step down and back Prof Tunde Adeniran, former education minister, as their sole candidate for the high-stakes contest.

This is coming few hours after Olabode George, a former Deputy National Chairman of the Party, announced his withdrawal from the race.

Read also: Afraid our convention will mark its end, APC plotting to disrupt it, PDP alleges

George had cited alleged hijack of the chairmanship contest by interests behind Uche Secondus.

Speaking Friday in Abuja, George said, “I entered the contest on the micro-zoning principle, which has been thrashed by little men who have compromised. It appears the PDP is bent on self-destruction. I can’t be part of this. The chairmanship position has been sold to the highest bidder,”

“I entered the race due to the micro zoning arrangement. This micro zoning has been trashed, dumped on the dust bin for personal reason. It appears that PDP is bent on self destruction. It has lost its soul.

“I cannot be part of this criminal allegation. The PDP is now mangled.

“I hereby withdraw from the fraud. As a Yoruba patriot, I will stand for our people.

“Governor Wike must tender an unreserved apology to the Yoruba people for his unguarded utterances against the Yoruba race. I listened to my younger brother and I see it as an insult. I consider it as an insult.

“I Olabode George did not step down for anybody. My measure of experience is too heavy. What I am stepping down for is the process. The issue of micro zoning has been destroyed. Every position is micro zoned. I am withdrawing purely on principle. You can know the way the party use to bubble and we see it as a brotherly union.

“From what happened before I thought we could manage it but it is obvious that they system has been bastardized”.

With this development, all is now set for a two-way chairmanship contest between Adeniran and Secondus.

While Adeniran is also a favourite of PDP bigwigs from the North, Secondus is backed by many governors of the party, as well as South-East and South-South delegates.

The convention is turning out to be a straight fight between a new power bloc led by governors of the party and the old brigade seeking to maintain their hold on the party.

 

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