Two gubernatorial aspirants in Ondo State, Barr. Bimpe Olatemiju and Engr. Omoniyi Ogunwa Oboli have insisted four former aspirants on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) actually prayed for and pledged their support for governorship aspiration Dr. Eddy Olafeso.
The duo said that despite the current controversies which greeted shadow primaries held amongst aspirants from Okitipupa local government on the platform of the PDP, the four of them unanimously resolved that Olafeso should be the sole aspirant from the local government.
The aspirants who resolved to support Dr. Olafeso at the occasion were Sen. Boluwaji Kunlere, Otunba Bamidele, Akingboye, Engr. Ogunwa Omoniyi Oboli and Barr. Bimpe Olatemiju all of whom agreed to appeal to their supporters to see the decision as sacrifice to create better life for our people.
Speaking over the weekend at Okitipupa at PDP Stakeholders’ meeting Olatemiju, a lawyer said he was, therefore shocked when he read the rebuttals from Sen. Kunlere and Otunba Akingboye.
He said on March 26 this year, Engr. Ogunwa Oboli and himself met Olorogun Olafeso, Otunba Akingboye and Sen. Kunlere at the Ode Aye home of Oboli and they agreed to work with one another and asked their supporters to sheathe their sword on social media.
“As a follow up, we met again last Thursday and after lengthy deliberations, we decided to cast our votes. The process was that we wrote the name of whom you want as the sole aspirant of the party, then wrote the date and signed below. The ballot papers are still with me."
Buttressing his colleague, Oboli, Ogunwa who hosted the meeting said "After we cast our ballots, Olafeso had three votes, while Kunlere and Akingboye had a vote apiece. Sen. Kunlere prayed for Olafeso and even cursed those who will betray the agreement. Akingboye offered his Akure campaign office and even urged us to buy the form for Dr. Eddy in solidarity.
“They both promised to collapse their structures, that informed the plea in the resolution paper to our supporters who we know might not be comfortable with the outcome of the historic exercise. It's sad politics is now without honour, dignity and integrity. We started this alliance to 'retire' Dr. Olafeso but now that he won, we have no option than to support him."
Responding at the Okitipupa meeting, Rt. Hon. Jumoke Akindele thanked the aspirants for at least sitting down together to reason. She, however, expressed disappointment about the refusal of the duo of Kunlere and Akingboye to accept the outcome of the shadow primaries. "When you subject yourself to an election, you should know that you're bound by the outcome," she said.
Olafeso at the meeting thanked the leaders of the party and asked them to intensify efforts towards uniting the chapter of the party. "We are all one. We know for sure that a house divided against itself is going to fall. I will keep talking to my brothers." The stakeholders meeting however resolved to keep the conversation going as the chapter cannot afford to have a divided house.
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