Ademola Adeleke and Dotun Babayemi emerged Osun State governorship candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party in two parallel primary elections conducted on Tuesday.

A faction of the party led by Sunday Bisi held its governorship primary at Osogbo City Stadium, while Wale Ojo-led faction held another primary at WOCDIF Centre, Osogbo.

Announcing result of the primary held at Osogbo City Stadium, Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Lawrence Ewurujakpo, who was the chairman of the governorship primary, said Adeleke garnered 1,887 votes to emerge victorious, while Fatai Akinbade, Akin Ogunbiyi and Babayemi recorded no vote. Sanya Ominrin got four votes.

At another primary held at WOCDIF Centre, Osogbo, the retuning officer, Adelani Ajanaku, said accredited voters were 1,907, while 27 votes were voided.

Ajanaku further said Omirin got 16 votes; Ogunbiyi scored 23; Akinbade -28, Dele Adeleke -32, while Babayemi got 1,781 to emerge the winner.

The two factions had initially disagreed on the list of delegates that would be used for the exercise.

Speaking after the exercise, Babayemi, described his emergence as a challenge to turn around the state for the betterment of its people.

He said, “I see my emergence today as a great challenge, a clarion call to a divine assignment to bring to bear, the vision of our founding fathers.

“This, I promise, shall be pursued with every fibre of our being. This is because Osun, which is our common heritage, has suffered enough degradation in the hands of interlopers.”

Adeleke, in his acceptance speech, called on the party to unite ahead of the governorship poll, adding that with cooperation, the PDP would defeat the ruling party at the poll.

He said, “No victor, no vanquished. We are all winners. Let us work together to rescue people of Osun State from the current APC government.

“The good people of Osun State have suffered enough under the current APC government.”

Commenting on the parallel primary held by a faction in the party, Bayelsa Deputy Governor said the exercise held outside the one he supervised would not be recognised.

“Any other primary held outside this place is invalid and will not be recognised. The crown is here, the palace is here and the authority is here. Any exercise not done here cannot be recognised,” he said.

Dignitaries present at the primary where Babayemi emerged winner include; ex-Osun State Governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola; a member of the PDP Board of Trustees, Shuaib Oyedokun; Olu Alabi; and ex-PDP National Vice Chairman, Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipo, among others.

At the primary where Adeleke was elected were dignitaries that include ex-PDP National Secretary, Wale Oladipo; Lere Oyewumi, Diran Odeyemi;  members of the House of Representatives, Wole Oke and Bamidele Salam, as well as, ex-Osun PDP chairman, Ganiyu Olaoluwa, amongst others.

Punch