Folarin wins Oyo State All Progressive Congress governorship ticket

Segun Showunmi in Ibadan

The Senator representing Oyo Central District at the red chamber, Senator Teslim Folarin has won the Oyo State Governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress(APC).

Penpushing reports that Folarin was declared winner by the Secretary of the Primary Electoral Committee who served as the Returning Officer, D Abdullahi Abubarkar Kuso after scoring 954 votes in a contest that ran late into Friday night at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium formerly Liberty Stadium, Oke Ado, Ibadan.

The committee scribe declared 11 votes void, but, two aspirants including legal luminary, Chief Adeniyi Akintola and the 2019 All Progressives Congress(APC) candidate, Chief Adebayo Adelabu were not at the primary.

Penpushing further reports that three other aspirants namely, Dr Azeez Adeduntan, Akeem Alao and Akeem Agbaje were at the event, while it is recalled that.Akintola had on Thursday announced he would not be participating at the primary alleging that the process has been skewed to favour a particular aspirant.

The legal luminary also on Friday submitted a petition to the Primary Appeal Committee claiming that he had emerged winner at a primary which held at Trans Amusement Park, Ibadan on Thursday, which was the day the national secretariat fixed for the election.

Penpushing further reports that other scores as announced by  Kuso are Akeem Alao six votes, Adebayo Adelabu 327 votes, Dr Azeez Adeduntan 2 votes, Akeem Agbaje 15 votes and Adeniyi Akintola no vote.

The election which started around 8:45pm  lasted barely 45mins as all the Senatorial districts were organised to vote simultaneously.and voting stopped  at about 9:33pm while  sorting of the votes started at about 9:45pm  in the presence of agents of the aspirants.

Penpushing also reports that,the primary election was monitored officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies among other stakeholders, ans some of the delegates left the mainbowl of the stadium shortly after casting their votes due to the lateness of the process, while some others waited in anticipation to hear the winner declared.

The announcement of the winner resulted in wild jubilation by the delegates who stormed the field to celebrate and embrace the winner, just as it is recalled that the election earlier fixed for Thursday could not hold after the Senator Afikuyomi led committee pointed security reasons.

Penpushing reports that,to prevent a repeat of Thursday situation where the stadium was mobbed, the committee in collaboration with the aspirants and party leadership earlier held an accreditation exercise for the delegates at Jogor Event Centre, a few minutes drive from the stadium.

The discrepancies, earlier on Thursday  was also generated when the committee met the aspirants at a closed door meeting at Premier Hotel, Ibadan where issue of doctored delegate lists came up.

Penpushing further reports that,addressing the delegates and other stakeholders before the commencement of the Friday primary election, Afikuyomi thanked all the stakeholders including, delegates, aspirants, security operatives, media, national leadership of the party, management of the Obafemi Awolowo stadium among others for the overwhelming support that made the successful.

The Gubernatorial candidate,Folarin  while reacting after he was presented the certificate of return, commended the delegates for their efforts declaring that his main task is to get  Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) out of power in the state.

Penpushing also reports that, Folarin appealed to other aspirants to stay in the party so as to work with him in the interest of the party, expressing his readiness to visit other aspirants  who may be aggrieved by the result noting that the party must remain united.