The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Sunday accused a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, of attempting to cut corners in securing the party’s ticket for the 2015 governorship election.
State Chairman of the party, Dayo Bayo, told journalists at the party secretariat located along Presidential Boulevard, Abeokuta, that he was not aware of Bankole’s ambition.
He said the party had observed that Mr. Bankole was not ready to follow due process, rather, wished to cut corners.
“I’m still saying that I am not aware that Dimeji Bankole is contesting the governorship in Ogun State”, Mr. Dayo said.
“The money we are using to run this party is enormous. Some people have been doing that for years.
“Somebody cannot just say because he has been to Harvard, Cambridge or Oxford, he’s coming to lead us overnight. It’s not going to happen.
“So, if you are contesting you must come to the state secretariat and obtain an Expression of Interest form.
“You must follow due process. This young man is not following due process. He’s only looking for a short cut and there is no short cut in politics.
“I can tell you today that whatever arrangement is going to happen, I’m still the chairman of the party, I must know what the arrangement is. “Even if it’s coming from our leaders at the national level, I’ll still at least be an observer at whatever meeting where they are going to have a tangible discussion.”
He insisted that Bankole did not pick an intent form from the state leadership except he did so in Abuja, where the party national headquarters is located.
The chairman, however, explained that, as at the time of filing this report, the national headquarters of the party was yet to release a list of governorship aspirant but that if later released and Mr. Bankole’s name was on it, he was welcome to participate in the primaries.
“But, we’ll continue to say it that he did not obtain Expression of Interest form, so we do not recognise him as an aspirant”.(Vanguard)
