2011: Ijesa PDP elders clear air on 6 guber aspirants

By Stephen Gbadamosi05.11.2009

The Ijesa Peoples Dempcratic Party (PDP) Elders Caucus, which raised a special committee to screen candidates from the area for the 2011 governorship election, in Osun State, has explained why it decided to examine the credentials of those who signified interest and made recommendations.

Secretary to the committee, Honourable Taiwo Akeju, who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune, in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Wednesday, said the caucus, under the leadership of former Minister of Transport and member, PDP Board of Trustees (BOT), Chief Ebenezer Babatope, understood the need to make maximum use of the opportunity presented Ijesaland to produce the state governor in 2011.

“The caucus will discountenance those who have been making disparaging statements about the screening exercise, because what we watched out for were political experience; I mean whether or not the aspirant has stood for an election and won before, educational qualification, contributions to the PDP at all levels, electoral value or acceptability of the aspirant to Ijesa and non-Ijesa people, good character, sound moral values and high integrity,” he said.

Akeju, who reminded PDP stakeholders that the caucus would conduct subsequent screening of the recommended aspirants until they were reduced to one, chided those who accused the caucus of being motivated by money.

It would be recalled that the caucus recently shortlisted Alhaji Wahab Toye, Alhaji Lateef Bakare, Chief Dosu Fatokun, Honourable Gbenga Onigbogi, Mr. Akin Jegede and Chief (Mrs.) Remi Olowu as worthy of flying Ijesa flag in the governorship contest.