Posted by By AKEEB ALARAPE, Ibadan on
A coalition of six political parties has expressed its readiness to work together in the forthcoming by-election into the Lagelu/Akinyele Federal Constituency in the state by presenting a joint candidate.
A coalition of six political parties has expressed its readiness to work together in the forthcoming by-election into the Lagelu/Akinyele Federal Constituency in the state by presenting a joint candidate.
At a meeting held at the weekend, the coalition parties, which included the Action Congress (AC), Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA), Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), Republican Party of Nigeria (RPN), Alliance for Democracy (AC) and Action Alliance (AA), agreed to mobilize voters for any candidate chosen for the election against the flagbearer of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
It would be recalled that member representing the constituency at the House of Representatives, Hon Olusegun Oladimeji was assassinated by unknown gunmen at a drinking joint at Ejioku town near Ibadan on September 14.
It was gathered that a central working committee led by a former governorship candidate in the state, Dr. Gbola Adetunji, met at the weekend and screened all candidates jostling to contest the vacant seat from all the six parties and agreed on two names, which they presented to leaders of the party to choose from.
The two lucky candidates were the former Chief Media Officer (CMO) to former Governor Rasidi Ladoja in the state, Alhaji Basiru Lanre Latinwo, representing AC and Mr. Debo Ogunniran, who contested the seat with Segelu in the April 21 polls on the ticket of AC but now jointly presented by AD and DPA.
A source at the meeting disclosed that the two names have been forwarded to former Governor Lamidi Adesina, his successor in office, Senator Ladoja and the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) under Adesina, Chief Michael Koleoso, for them to resolve who among the two candidates would fly the coalition flag at the election slated for January 21. The closing day for the submission of candidate's names for the election is tomorrow, January 22.
Earlier, National Organizing Secretary of the AC, Hon Godie Ikechi, had given a nod to the candidature of Latinwo during his visit to the Oyo State office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) where he came to present Latinwo's name for the election.
It was, however, learnt a faction of the party had also presented one Alhaji Hamidu Ajibade as the candidate of the party for the same election. But with the readiness of other political parties to work in unison with AC for the election, a central working committee was said to have been inaugurated with the sole task of screening all interested persons for the election and come with the most qualified candidates.
Sources at the meeting disclosed that both Latinwo and Ogunniran were said to possess the required qualifications and financial muscle to contest the election, leaving the CWC at a crossroad on who to choose without rocking the boat of the alliance. The three leaders are expected to resolve the crisis today by agreeing on one of the two screened candidates.