Date: 2014-12-11

The Elders Forum of the Kwara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party on Wednesday urged the national leadership of the party to ensure that there was no imposition of a governorship candidate in the state.

They stated that a level playing field for all the aspirants to contest in a transparent primary would guarantee the PDP victory in the state in the 2015 general elections.

The elders spoke during a press briefing in Ilorin in reaction to the botched PDP governorship primary in the state.

The Deputy Chairman of the Elders Forum, Alhaji Ayinla Folorunsho, said the approved statutory and ad-hoc delegates’ list of the state PDP should be maintained.

According to him, any rescheduled governorship primary should hold in Ilorin and that accreditation and voting should take place within the same venue.

He added that identification of authentic delegates should be done by the respective 16 local government party chairmen at the venue of election.

Folorunsho said, “In the interest of orderliness and security, only authenticated delegates and authorised officials should be accreditated and voting at the governorship primary should be done in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

“The massive turnout of party members and the enthusiasm of the general public during the primary bears testimony to the fact that the PDP is the party to beat in Kwara State come 2015.

“The elders of the party along with the generality of the members are determined to leave no stone unturned towards the realisation of this goal and are confident that by God’s grace, with the cooperation and support of the national leadership of the party, victory will be ours.”