by Oluwatosin Fatoyinbo
In a bid to regain Ogun state, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) WILL send a three man delegation led Senate President David Mark Ogun State on Thursday to cement the working agreement between the state PDP and the Labour Party for the 2015 general elections.The Punch reports.
The delegation also have as member the Deputy National Chairman of the party, Chief Uche Secondus, and the Special Assistant to the President on Political Affairs, Prof. Rufa’i Alkali. Discussion between the two parties will central on how to unseat Governor Ibikunle Amosun. it will be recalled that former Governor Gbenga Daniel who left the PDP for the LP earlier this year has been in a consistent battle of words with his successor and is more than willing to help kick him out of office.
The Labour party in the state has already indicated support for President Jonathan’s ambition. However, the President is said to hold the opinion that the party can also regain the Government House.
“The Labour Party has already endorsed the candidacy of President Jonathan in 2015 but the President felt his fortune would be brighter if the state also falls into the hands of the PDP in the governorship election,” said the lawmaker, who had defected from the All Progressives Congress to the LP.
“He (Jonathan) believes the APC would win the next elections in the state if the PDP goes into the 2015 elections in its present state.” A source said
“It was then decided that if the party (PDP) could work on Daniel to bring his LP supporters to the PDP, it will be easy to unseat the APC and Amosun,” he said.
Daniel was however said to be demanding some elective seats at the state and national levels before moving his “structure” to the PDP, where he would have to work with his once close friend, who later became his arch enemy, Buruji Kashamu.
“The former governor wants one senate seat, five seats in the House of Representatives and 14 House of Assembly slots. These demands may however be cut down. These are the calculations that Mark and others will resolve when they come on Thursday,” the source said.
He disclosed that the PDP in the state was concluding plans to field a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, for the state governorship election.
He explained that the impending return of Daniel to the PDP might not change the plan as Bankole’s candidature would be “by affirmation.”
The source said, “There wouldn’t be any need for primaries for the governorship since the ‘parties’ would have known what belong to them. The governorship seat will be by affirmation.”
Daniel, however, said he was still consulting concerning his reported plan to defect to the PDP.
He said as a “credible and trustworthy leader”, he had been given the mandate by the leaders in the Labour Party to consult widely with other political parties before taking the final decision on where to pitch his structure’s tent.
