The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State has ruled out automatic tickets for its aspirants ahead of the 2023 general elections in the state.
The Senatorial Chairman of PDP in Ogun Central, Akinlabi Taiwo, said this in Abeokuta, during a stakeholders’ meeting with all the aspirants vying for legislative houses seats from the senatorial district.
About 30 politicians at the meeting indicated their interests in contesting the State House of Assembly, House of Representatives and Senate seats, next year.
But Taiwo, while addressing them, ruled out automatic tickets, saying there would be a level playing ground for all aspirants.
According to him, the party will allow a fair contest for the party ticket in order to allow the best candidate to emerge.
He said, “When our National Chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, came, that was his first statement that there is going to be a level playing field for all the aspirants in PDP in Nigeria.
“We are very happy now that Electoral Bill has been passed now and there are about three options of primaries.
“We have to make sure we choose the best person that would have the mind of our people, to represent them and not to fight for his pocket.
“We have quality people to represent us.”
Some of the aspirants, Akintunde Jones (Senate, Ogun Central), Akeem Amosun, a House of Representatives aspirant and Solomon Enilolobo, aspiring to be a member of the Ogun State House of Assembly, expressed their support for the no-automatic-ticket declaration.
They noted that the Senatorial Chairman’s position would lay to rest, the insinuations that some aspirants have been promised automatic tickets by the party leadership.
On his part, Enilolobo, a young public health professional and entrepreneur, noted that young Nigerians have greater chances to occupy leadership positions in 2023.
He said, “The youths have got a big chance. All over the world, youths are winning, we tell you it is ‘youth’o clock’.
“It is definitely time for the youths, we are the voting public, we are the voting population, it is the youths that vote, we now understand that power lies in our hands and we can actually use this power for ourselves.
“So once we can articulate, once we can organise our community, our environment, you will see that 2023 is for the youths.”