President of the Senate, David
Mark
A group within the Peoples Democratic Party in
Oyo State, Rescue Team, has called on the Senate President, David Mark, not to
meddle in the affairs of the party at the state level.
The group claimied that Mark was making moves to impose former Senate Leader, Teslim Folarin, as the state PDP governorship candidate.
In a swift reaction to the allegation, coordinator of the governorship campaign team of Folarin, Sunday Babalola, said the former Senate leader would pick the ticket because of his competence rather than being anointed by the Senate President.
In a statement signed by Rescue Team coordinator, Babalola Afobaje, Mark was accused of calling a meeting on Tuesday of some governorship aspirants of the PDP in the state – with the view to ensuring the emergence of a consensus candidate ahead of the November 29 primary.
“We are of the position that the leadership of the party in the state is better left alone in designing the formula for choosing the governorship candidate. They know all the aspirants, their political and electoral worth. If Senator Mark has any idea, suggestion or any other things for Oyo State PDP, he should pass such through the party hierarchy.
“This call on Mark became important because of the various secret and open moves of the Senate President to impose his former colleague, Folarin, on the party. The meeting of Oyo State governorship aspirants called by Mark on Tuesday was to railroad some aspirants to sign undertaking in support of the candidature of Folarin.”
The group added that Folarin had mentioned the names of the Senate President and National Deputy Chairman of the party, Chief Uche Secondus, as those who would ensure that no other aspirant but him emerged as the PDP governorship candidate in Oyo State.
In defence of Folarin, Babalola said the statement was the handiwork of political jobbers who were out political blackmail.
He said, “As far as we are concerned there is no doubt about it that Folarin is one of the leading governorship aspirants of PDP in the state. All the aspirants will fight for the ticket at the party primaries which is in accordance with the party’s constitution. The PDP is the only party that believes in internal democracy as well as the one that possesses the structure to ensure emergence of quality candidates at all levels.”
The group claimied that Mark was making moves to impose former Senate Leader, Teslim Folarin, as the state PDP governorship candidate.
In a swift reaction to the allegation, coordinator of the governorship campaign team of Folarin, Sunday Babalola, said the former Senate leader would pick the ticket because of his competence rather than being anointed by the Senate President.
In a statement signed by Rescue Team coordinator, Babalola Afobaje, Mark was accused of calling a meeting on Tuesday of some governorship aspirants of the PDP in the state – with the view to ensuring the emergence of a consensus candidate ahead of the November 29 primary.
“We are of the position that the leadership of the party in the state is better left alone in designing the formula for choosing the governorship candidate. They know all the aspirants, their political and electoral worth. If Senator Mark has any idea, suggestion or any other things for Oyo State PDP, he should pass such through the party hierarchy.
“This call on Mark became important because of the various secret and open moves of the Senate President to impose his former colleague, Folarin, on the party. The meeting of Oyo State governorship aspirants called by Mark on Tuesday was to railroad some aspirants to sign undertaking in support of the candidature of Folarin.”
The group added that Folarin had mentioned the names of the Senate President and National Deputy Chairman of the party, Chief Uche Secondus, as those who would ensure that no other aspirant but him emerged as the PDP governorship candidate in Oyo State.
In defence of Folarin, Babalola said the statement was the handiwork of political jobbers who were out political blackmail.
He said, “As far as we are concerned there is no doubt about it that Folarin is one of the leading governorship aspirants of PDP in the state. All the aspirants will fight for the ticket at the party primaries which is in accordance with the party’s constitution. The PDP is the only party that believes in internal democracy as well as the one that possesses the structure to ensure emergence of quality candidates at all levels.”