Less than 24 hour shift after governorship aspirants on the platfor of the party agreed that they would choose a consensus candidate among themselves, the National Working Committee of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, has declared Olufemi Lanlehin as the governorship candidate of the party in Oyo State for the 2019 election.
Lanlehin is a former member of the House of Representatives and The Nigerian Senate.
After the party’s inability to handpick a candidate, the aspirants, 12 in numbers, had met on Wednesday to suggest way forward.
At the meeting, a resolution of which was obtained by OYO INSIGHT, agreed that “they will, within few days from now, choose a someone who will fly the party’s flag in next year election.” They went on to say that “that within few days from now, consensus method will be adopted among ourselves to select a presentable, viable and winning candidate among us that will be acceptable to all and sundry for the purpose of winning the governorship election in Oyo State come 2019.”
But the Chairman, Screening and Primary Committee, Peter Oyewole, who announced the governorship candidate, said Lanlehin emerged after a keenly contested primary involving 13 aspirants
He said the election, involving many qualified aspirants, showed that ADC would win during the Oyo State 2019 governorship election.
Oyewole urged the people in the state to join hands with the ADC to rescue the state from what he described as dictatorial and anti-people leadership style of the ruling party, which he said had plunged the state into socio-economic crisis.
The National Chairman of the party, Ralphs Nwosu, said he was happy that the ADC had produced a strong candidate in Lanlehin, pointing out that all the leaders and members of the party at the state and national levels were united on the choice.
He noted that the party’s decision was not influenced by vote or delegate buying in line with the teaching of its Coalition for Electoral Integrity, launched to help right the wrongs in the Nigerian electoral environment.
He said, “I call on great members of our great party to support our governorship candidate in the interest of the party and the good people of Oyo State. Ours is a very vibrant party, as shown by the intense activities surrounding the primary in the state. We are one and will work with one voice to win the election in 2019.”
In his appreciation speech, Lanlehin, who was elected into the Senate in 2011, on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, promised the people of the state that if elected as governor, he would run a people-oriented government that would make their welfare a priority.
As at the time of filing this report, none of the aspirants is yet to issue a reaction.
