The candidate that emerged in the factional congress held by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State, Dotun Babayemi, said the presentation of the certificate of return to Ademola Adeleke was not the end of the journey over the matter.
The PUNCH reports Babayemi, in an interview as saying that “Presentation of certificate of return by the NWC is part of the electoral process. The process does not finish with this.
“It is an ongoing process. The electoral journey doesn’t end until the right candidate is sworn in. We have our party internal mechanism. Even though the NWC has taken this action, there is a NEC. This is not the end of the journey.”
The PDP had earlier presented the Certificate of Return to Adeleke at the National Executive Council Hall of the party’s national secretariat, Wadata Plaza, Abuja on Thursday.
REPORTERS AT LARGE had reported that Adeleke and Babayemi emerged PDP’s governorship candidates in two parallel primary elections conducted on Tuesday.
A faction of the party led by Mr Sunday Bisi held its governorship primary at Osogbo City Stadium, while the Wale Ojo-led faction held another primary at WOCDIF Centre, Osogbo.
Announcing the result of the primary held at Osogbo City Stadium, the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator 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. Mr Sanya Ominrin got four votes.
At another primary held at WOCDIF Centre, Osogbo, the returning 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.