Osun By-Election: Makarfi’s PDP Faction To Sponsor Candidate Under SDP

It has been revealed that the Makarfi’s faction of the Peoples’ Democratic Party in Osun state has resolved to sponsor candidate for Osun West Senatorial election under Social Democratic Party.

According to a public announcement released by the Peoples’ Democratic Party, Ogo-Oluwa faction loyal to Chief Iyiola Omisore said the need to fly the party’s ticket under SDP platform became necessary due to leadership crisis rocking the party.

It reads, “This is to inform the general public and esteem supporters of Peoples Democratic Party-PDP in Osun state that Makarfi faction of the party in Ogo-oluwa area of Osun state in alliance with other 17 political parties in the state have resolved to present a single candidate under the platform of Social Democratic Party (SDP) to contest the forthcoming bye election.

“The resolution is as a result of the lingering crisis rocking the apex body of the PDP. In the same phenomenon, Delta state PDP contested Warri South Constituency 1 by-election into the Delta State House of Assembly under the platform of Accord Party where the Accord party scored 5,650 votes to defeat the APC and Alimodu sheriff’s faction of PDP who scored 2,020 and 182 votes respectively.

“The step taken is a yardstick measure to avoid repetition of what happened in Edo and Ondo state respectively during the build up to the state governorship election and to also prevent Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, to disqualify PDP over submission of two candidates name for one party and one vacant political office.

“As we await judgment of the Supreme Court the aforementioned decision are in line with a statement credited to Prince Dayo Adeyeye, spokesperson of the Caretaker Committee of the Markafi led PDP.
He said “it recognised the anxiety of PDP members in the forthcoming elections since the party platform was still in dispute.

According to the statement, Prince Dayo said “while it would like to avoid the situation in Edo and Ondo governorship elections, which PDP lost due to internal crisis State chapters are allowed to take any decision they consider appropriate.

“That was why we deliberately decided not to run parallel congresses in Anambra State in order not to subject our party members in that state to the agony of a disputed platform.”
He said the decision was taken in view of the fact that the appeal before the Supreme Court was not likely to be adjudicated before the elections.