The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary elections in Ogun State on Monday witnessed a major upset as the party’s only member from the state in the House of Representatives, Hon. Adesegun Adekoya lost his re-election bid for a third term.
Adekoya, who is the PDP Deputy Minority Whip in the House of Representatives, was defeated in the contest for the party’s ticket for Ijebu North/Ijebu East/Ogun Waterside Federal Constituency.
A new entrant, Hon. Kehinde Bello won the party’s ticket in a keenly contested primary election held at Muslim Hall, Ijebu Imushin, Ijebu East Local Government Area of the state.
Bello, according to the results announced and signed by the Returning Officer, Ashiru Tunde, polled 58 votes.
There were five contestants in the primary elections for the Ijebu North/Ijebu East/Ogun Waterside Federal Constituency ticket.
In the official results, Tele Ogunjobi polled 38 votes; Sunday Adegbesan got 02 votes; Adesegun Adekoya had 01 votes while Adeyemi Duduyemi did not record any votes.
Though the primary election was scheduled for Sunday, due to logistics challenges, including the late arrival of electoral materials and officials, the exercise could not hold and was rescheduled to Monday.
Hon. Adekoya, who has been in the House of Representatives since 2015, was absent at the venue of the party’s primary election.
Reacting to the development, Hon. Adekoya in a statement disclosed that the delegates from Ijebu North, Ijebu East and Ogun Waterside federal constituency duly elected him to represent their interest in the 2023 general elections.
Hon Adekokoya’s media office clarified that the purported election in which Mr Kenny Bello, one of the aspirants jostling for the seat claimed to have emerged as the winner only took place in their imagination. You can never be a Judge in your own case.
The statement signed by Tayo Uthman Rufai, on behalf of the lawmakers, noted that it was only the National secretariat of the party through the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has the authority to fix, conduct and supervise such elections.
Rufai stressed further that the purported election which reportedly produced Kenny Bello was not known to the party and INEC.
“Hon. Adekoya pulled the highest number of votes cast at the election that was conducted by the National Secretariat of the party which made him the candidate of the party for the Ijebu-North/Ijebu-East/Ogun Waterside Federal Constituency,” the media office concluded.
The statement read: “The Primary election to determine who will represent our great party, the People’s Democratic Party, in the House of Representatives election slated for next year might have come, gone and decided, in spite of the topsy-turvy that initially greeted its conduct in our Federal Constituency”.
“Nothing good comes easy, and cheap. In politics, especially given the sophistication that ours has assumed lately, no one expects such contestation to happen without stiff opposition. That is why we had what we witnessed before the storm finally settled and the election took place and he emerged as the party’s flag-bearer”.
“In view of the roles played by our party national leadership, INEC, the ever-dependable party members from our Federal Constituency, his co-contestants, loyalists, members of the security agencies present and other wonderful stakeholders, the Honorable representing the good people of Ijebu-North/Ijebu-East/Ogun Waterside at the Green Chamber is obliged to convey his untainted and profound gratitude to all those who gave their all in making sure that the election went as planned and as scheduled”.
“He is particularly excited by the mature conduct of his co-contestants all of whom distinguished themselves as they submitted themselves to party supremacy hence the result that was eventually had. He went further to reassure all that he would be magnanimous in victory, as he expected and wished that others too are honourable and gracious because according to him, it is a case of ‘no victor, no vanquished”.
“As far as ‘Attacker’ is concerned, the victory is for our great party whose flag and mandate he has had the honour and privilege to have been carrying since 2015 at the Green Chamber. His parliamentary performances are no doubt huge credentials that will do our party a whole lot of good during the 2023 elections. His experience and unprecedented performances will no doubt be our trump card”.
He, therefore, urged his fellow contestants to support him for the sake of clinching the mandates of our people in the Federal Constituency in 2023. The victory will be a collective mandate.
“Once again, he is grateful for your support, solidarity and above all confidence in his capacity, track record and competence all of which made this possible”.