Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ondo state Eyitayo Jegede has caved in on his choice of deputy governor following pressure from leaders of the party within and outside the state.
He has agreed to pick his deputy from the oil-rich ilaje council area of the state.
The widow to substitute a candidate given by INEC will lapse next week Tuesday, August 18.
Because of the importance of the area, the incumbent governor Rotimi Akeredolu has equally picked his running mate Lucky Ayedatiwa from the same council area.
Jegede had before now insisted on the choice of lkengbonu Gboluga but this was vehemently rejected by leaders within the state and outside.
Gboluga is presently a member of the House of Representatives
Vanguard gathered that after weeks of intense consultation and horse-trading, the candidate bowed to pressure and agreed to drop Gboluga for political reasons.
Jegede according to reliable party source has agreed to toe the line of the leaders of the party who insisted that for party cohesion and peace, he should look inwards and pick his deputy amongst his vo- contestants in the governorship primary.
Consequently, he has submitted the names of Hon Banji Okunomo and Hon Sola Ebiseni to the leaders to make a choice.
He reportedly told the elders that he is at home with any of the two nominees.
During the governorship primary, Okunomo scored 90 votes while Ebiseni polled 29 votes.
Okunomo and Ebiseni were former council chairmen of llaje at different periods.
Okunomo was a former Publicity Secretary of the party in the state while Ebiseni was a former commissioner and a member of the 2014 National Confab.
The candidate is still consulting – Jegedes Aide
One of Jegede’s aides contacted said that their principal was still consulting and would soon make public his running mate.
He said that all the stakeholders are still talking on the best choice for the position of the deputy governor.
” We are mindful of the deadline for substitution which is August 18. I want to assure you the running mate to our principal would be unveiled this weekend. He assured.
All issues on a running mate to be resolved this weekend
The Party’s Publicity Secretary, Kennedy Ikantu Peretei told Vanguard that the party was mindful of the deadline given by INEC and would resolve the issue of the running mate this weekend.
Peretei said that there was no cause for alarm as the choice of the running mate would be acceptable to all stakeholders in the party.
