The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the governorship candidate of the party, Senator Simeon Ajibola, may have commenced intensive pressures on the former senator representing Kwara Central Senatorial district at the National Assembly and governorship aspirant of the PDP in the just concluded the governorship primaries of the party, Senator Gbemisola Saraki, to fill the deputy governorship candidate slot of the party for the next general election.

During the primaries of the party held in Ilorin, the state capital last Thursday, the governorship candidate of the party, Senator Ajibola, polled 144 votes to defeat other aspirants with Gbemisola Saraki coming third with 113 votes.

THISDAY checks revealed that the development became imperative in view of the need to get more support from the people of Ilorin emirate, which constitutes Kwara central senatorial district of the state and moreso, Senator Gbemisola Saraki hails from Ilorin.

It was gathered that apart from this, Gbemisola possesses influence in Ilorin emirate and thereby will help the party to get more expected votes that may spring surprise during the February election.

Sources close to the PDP told THISDAY over the weekend that, since the last Thursday governorship primaries of the PDP, the governorship candidate of the party, Senator Ajibola had been sending emissaries to Gbemisola on the need to accept the deputy governorship candidate of the party so as to assist the party to get more votes from Ilorin emirate during the election.

Sources added that the leadership of the party in the state was said to have also been making series of connections that would assist them to convince Gbemisola to yield to the call to pick the deputy governorship candidate of the party for the election.

However, some of the close associates of Senator Gbemisola Saraki who spoke on the condition of anonymity told THISDAY at the weekend that, "I want to tell you that, Senator Gbemisola Saraki will not pick the deputy governorship candidate of the party.

"Since the delegates voted for Senator Ajibola during the primaries, then, he (Ajibola) and the leadership of the PDP should look elsewhere to pick the deputy governorship candidate of the PDP for the election because our desire and commitment to lead Kwara for new political leadership is not based on deputy governorship slot of the PDP".

However, Senator Gbemisola Saraki in a statement issued in Ilorin over the weekend and signed by one of his aides, Mr. Muhammed Abdulkareem and made available to journalists congratulated the winner of the primaries, Senator Simeon Ajibola.

She said that, "On Thursday, we held the governorship primaries of our party, PDP. After a keen contest, the wish of the majority of our delegates is that Senator S.S. Ajibola should be our governorship candidate in the 2015 general election. I congratulate my brother as I also congratulate our party for the success of our primaries.

"I'm a firm believer that democracy is a journey and not a destination. The appreciation of the lessons and our experience on that journey determine the value of our society as well as the quality of our leadership. Democracy was at work at our primaries and those lessons we learned can only strengthen our resolve to see a better leadership and to work even harder for a glorious Kwara," the statement said.

Saraki added that, "The beauty of democracy is that an individual ambition cannot supersede the true wish of the majority. If we are truly champions of the interests of our people as leaders, we cannot be a party to subversion of their legitimate aspirations and/or a chance at their pursuit of happiness.

"Because I believe that we can build a glorious Kwara, where competence, true passion and transparent leadership mark the process of that rebirth, I was a candidate in the primaries. However, my passion for that rebirth isn't for the sole direction of the voting at our primaries but the true interests of our people and our state. As a team, we are going to work together with the choice of our party to rekindle the hope in our people of a government that can truly serve their true interests," she emphasised.