Date: 2014-12-11

A Governorship aspirant under the platform of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, in Kwara State, Alhaji Hakeem Oladimeji Lawal has called on the party leadership to be transparent in the conduct of the party’s primary election in the state.

He also admonished co-aspirants to stand by their words and let the primary election hold in accordance with laid down rules and regulations of the party.

Hakeem Lawal made the plea while reacting to the lingering disagreement that led to Monday’s inconclusive primary elections at a press conference held in his Admiralty GRA home in Ilorin, the state capital.

The aspirant condemned the action of one of the aspirants who he accused of a deliberate attempt to emerge as the party’s flag-bearer at all cost.

According to him, the alleged aspirant started the rancour that greeted Monday’s primary after he tried to include some fake delegates among the original delegates list.

Lawal narrated that the proper delegate accreditation took place at the Stella Obasanjo multi-purpose hall, before the delegates were moved to the Arca event centre in chartered buses for the election proper.

He added that it was at the venue of the primary that some fake delegates appeared and attempted to foist themselves on the people, an act that was firmly resisted.

The estate developer wondered why some unscrupulous individual will want to substitute the delegate list that has been in use since the commencement of the party’s various primaries at this stage.

The politician also kicked against the ploy by some alleged elements within the party to move the primary election venue out of Kwara state, arguing that this will give room for further manipulation by those who do not have the true interest of the people at heart.

While stating that this could not be ascertained, he however noted that some party leaders may have compromised in their duty to connive with
this set of people with selfish interest to perpetrate the malpractice.

HOL as he is fondly called however commended the people of Kwara for standing against all sort of manipulation, which he said was a true test of the people’s will for meaningful change.

The Governorship aspirant said that the people have elected their delegates within themselves and should be allowed to perform their civic responsibility in order to effect the needed change in Kwara state.

On whether he intends to leave the party if the discrepancy continues, Hakeem who is a son to a former Governor of the state, Late Mohammed Lawal, said leaving or emerging at all cost is out of the question, but that what is important is ensuring the will of the people is done.