The Social Democratic Party, SDP, Ogun State chapter, is persuading Rt. Hon. Dimeji Bankole to accept the governorship ticket of the party in the State in the 28 February governorship election.
Below is how PM NEWS reports the story.
Our correspondent gathered that the former Governor of the State who is also a chieftain of SDP, Chief Olusegun Osoba, has been persuading the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Bankole to accept to run for the governorship seat.
A source close to Osoba told our correspondent last night that Bankole may accept to run as that would boost the political profile of the former Governor in the state.
The party had earlier submitted the names of the incumbent Senator representing Ogun West Senatorial District, Sen. Akin Odunsi and daughter of the late former Governor, Chief Bisi Onabanjo, who was also the former TESCOM boss under the present administration, Barr. (Ms.) Olivia Olubukanla Onabanjo as the governorship and deputy governorship candidates of the party respectively.
It was gathered that the names of both the governorship and the deputy governorship candidate submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, are still by proxy, meaning that those names could still be substituted by the party before the deadline.
P.M.NEWS reliably gathered that Chief Osoba has met with the former Speaker’s father, Chief Alani Bankole, a.k.a. Caterpillar, who recently lost one of his wives, Iyalode Adunni Bankole, to help persuade his son to accept the ticket, but the man has directed him to speak with him (Dimeji) himself, as he is also his (Osoba's) son.
It was also gathered that Caterpillar, as Chief Alani Bankole is fondly called, openly expressed his displeasure with the emergence of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, maintaining that it is like the PPN in 2011, which was formed as a spoiler then for the PDP.
The source revealed that the senior Bankole had openly told Osoba at the meeting that he will be supporting Governor Amosun with his supporters during the coming election, since PDP has not given his son the governorship ticket.
He however maintained that the issue should be discussed directly with Dimeji as he is man enough to decide on his own.
"Chief Olusegun Osoba has met with Baba Bankole, they have discussed and Osoba has appealed to Baba to help him persuade the former Speaker to accept the governorship ticket of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in the state.
"After the talk, Baba Bankole openly distanced himself from the issue as he stood his ground that he and his supporters have concluded their plans to support Governor Ibikunle Amosun during the coming election since the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has failed to give the ticket to Dimeji.
"Caterpillar also told Akinrogun Osoba to continue to engage the former Speaker in the talk before the deadline for the submission of the final list to INEC. I think next week is the deadline. As I am speaking with you, pressure is still being piled on the former Speaker to accept the offer as some of his associates have also been contacted to talk to him and let him see reason why he should accept the golden offer,” a very close source to both parties, who was privy to all the discussions explained to our correspondent Wednesday night.
P.M.NEWS can also reveal that among those Osoba has contacted to speak with Bankole are the former Ogun East Senator, Sen. Lekan Mustapha and Dave Salako.
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