2015: PDP MOBILISES DIMEJI BANKOLE AGAINST AMOSUN

Indication emerged yesterday that stakeholders in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ogun State have commenced moves to field former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, as its flag-bearer in the state’s governorship race in 2015.
National Mirror reliably gathered that PDP stakeholders drawn from the four major factions of the party held a meeting at Iperu in the Remo North Local Government Area of the state, where the decision to field
Bankole was sealed. It was further gathered that the former speaker himself was at the meeting that was held at the country home of a former member of the House of Representatives, Dave Salako, last Monday.
A source further told our correspondent that the Iperu meeting was a follow up to the series of meetings held across the three senatorial districts of the state that were aimed at wrestling power from the incumbent Governor Amosun, who is currently having a hard time with stalwarts of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state.
The PDP chieftains were said to have expressed the confidence that a formidable candidate like Bankole, who is also an Egba man, remains the only credible candidate that could wrest power from Amosun.
It was further gathered that the stakeholders also threw their weight behind the new PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Muazu and backed his ongoing efforts at reconciling aggrieved members of the party
Members of the PDP stakeholders who attended the Iperu meeting included those from the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s faction as well as loyalists of the former Minister of Commerce, Senator Jubril Martins and those led by party financier and the Chairman of the party’s Organisation and Mobilisation Committee in the South-West, Prince Buruji Kashamu and others belonging to the former governor, Gbenga Daniel’s group.
The party chieftains said to be present at the meeting in which ‘strenuous efforts’ were made to convince the former speaker to fly the party flag against incumbent Governor Ibikunle Amosun included Dave Salako, Senator Lekan Mustapha and Chief Wale Ogunbanjo.
Others were Sina Adejobi, two serving members of the Ogun State House of Assembly – Abiodun Akovoyon and Minority Leader, Job Akitan, Pelumi Olusola, Tunji Akinosi, Nasiru Isiaka, Chief Dele Ajayi, Chief Wale Egunleti, Michael Fasinu, Alhaji Wale Abeeb Ajayi and Chief Yinka Sosinde.
Confirming the development, host of the meeting and leader of the JMK group, Dave Salako said the party in the state was currently searching for ‘a credible and strong candidate that will take the reins of governance from Amosun.’
Salako said unlike what obtains in other states, PDP members in Ogun were not willing to defect to the APC.
Reacting to the development, however, the deposed PDP state Chairman, Senator Dipo Odujinrin, who said he was yet to be briefed on the latest development, said the plan had been on before now
Source: National Mirror