Ogun State PDP Endorses Segun Sowunmi, For Governor

A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State on Wednesday, endorsed the former spokesman of the Abubakar Atiku 2019 presidential campaign, Segun Sowunmi, as the party’s governorship candidate in the state ahead of the 2023 election.

The faction, however, rejected the governorship candidacy of a former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ladi Adebutu, accusing him of stifling the growth of the party in the State.

Showunmi was endorsed as the party candidate in the state at an Ogun Central Senatorial District stakeholders’ meeting, held in Abeokuta, the state capital.

The meeting, which was attended by some members of the South West Executive, including the Zonal Treasurer, Samson Ogunse, Zonal Ex-officio, Gbenga Idowu, and Zonal Legal Adviser, Mosuru Olakupoyi, passed a vote of confidence in the national chairman of the party, Iyorcha Ayu and others.

The group also adopted former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar as the Presidential candidate of the party.

Addressing members at the meeting, the chairman of the faction, Semiu Sobayo, blamed the former national chairman of the party, Uche Secondus for the crisis bedevilling the party in the South West.

Sobayo said, “Showunmi is the only person that we can adopt to become the governor of Ogun State. He is the only person that can rescue Ogun State from the maladministration of the All Progressives Congress.

“We can no longer tolerate a situation where Hon. Ladi Adebutu has pocketed the party.
“We don’t want a situation where one person is in total control of the party. He has put the party in his pocket and he has been controlling the affairs of the party from his father’s room.

“He (Adebutu) single-handedly handpicked the executive members of the party in the state. He has not allowed this party to develop.

“When the party was formed in 1998, the founding fathers allowed everybody to express their political interest and that is what made the party grow even outside Nigeria. They allowed everybody to have a sense of participation.

“How can we open our eyes and allow Adebutu to pocket the organisation. He is not giving others to express their interest either has he allowed everyone to have a sense of participation. All he wants to do is to enslave all members of the party.”

Showunmi in his remarks, declared his ambition to contest the 2023 governorship election in the State.

He charged the people of the State and Nigerians, in general, to vote out the ruling APC in 2023.

Attempts to get a reaction from Adebutu’s faction failed as the Chairman of the party in the state, Sikirulahi Ogundele, and the Publicity Secretary, Sunday Solarin, could not be reached.

While Ogundele could not be connected, Solarin did not answer the calls phone as his phone rang out.