2015: PDP will hold primaries in Lagos – Shelle, Obanikoro

The Lagos State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Tunji Shelle, said on Saturday that the party would not adopt candidates for the various positions, including governorship in the 2015 elections.
Shelle spoke against the backdrop of the party’s adoption of President Goodluck Jonathan as its sole candidate for the 2015 presidential poll.
Shelle told the News Agency of Nigeria on the sidelines of the South West sensitisation rally of the PDP in Lagos that the President’s emergence as a consensus candidate was different from the situation in Lagos State.
He said: “The President is going for a second term and the party decided to let him continue and finish the good job he is doing.
“In Lagos State, it is different.
“The PDP is not the party in power.
“Therefore, all aspirants must go for primaries as it is the tradition of the party.
“There is no preferred aspirant.
“The candidate that would emerge would be decided by the party delegates.”
Shelle disclosed that there were nine contenders for the governorship position in the state and hundreds of other aspirants for the various positions. in the party.
Also speaking, Musliu Obanikoro, the Minister of State for Defence and a chieftain of the party, restated the party’s stand that there would not be handpicking of candidates in the state for the elections.
Obanikoro said: “Jonathan emerged as a consensus candidate because of the need to continue with his transformation agenda.
“There will still be a national convention of the PDP to endorse him.
“Lagos PDP is known for its transparent democratic process and we will not allow that to die.”
A governorship aspirant, Babatunde Gbadamosi, also said that if primaries were not held, it would be contrary to what the party was known for.
Gbadamosi said: “Fairness and fair play make even a looser happy.
“Having free and fair primaries will remove rancour among aspirants and their supporters.
“Whoever emerges among us must be seen to have emerged fairly.
“The issue of Mr. President emerging as our candidate is understandable based on his excellent job.”
For Jimi Agbaje, another governorship aspirant, the primaries would strengthen the confidence of members in the party’s leadership.
“Democracy cannot survive without a level playing ground,” Agbaje told NAN.
NAN reports that aspirants of the PDP from across the South West were seen competing for attention at the rally.
Supporters adorning different attires of their aspirants had a field day dancing round Tafawa Balewa Square, venue of the rally, with banners displaying their preferred aspirants.