Ogun 2023: Supporters besiege PDP Nat’l Secretariat as Segun Showunmi picks Governorship form

 

.Lagos for Lagos convener Adediran picks form for Governorship 

. Anenih’s son joins House of Reps’ race in Edo

 

 

Obiora Ifoh, Abuja

 

A huge crowd of supporters besieged the Wadata House, National Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party, on Monday, as one of the party’s leading voices, Segun Showunmi, picked the nomination form for the Governorship of Ogun State in 2023.

 

Showunmi, spokesperson for the Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organisation in the 2019 presidential election, had received the endorsements of thousands of party faithful across the 20 Local Government Areas of Ogun State, including leaders of opposition parties, in a massive rally last Wednesday.

 

He was accompanied to the PDP National Secretariat by a crowd of party chieftains and loyalists, who insisted that it was time to redefine governance in Ogun State, noting that in Showunmi, they had seen a window through which the status quo could be changed effectively.

 

The crowd was almost uncontrollable as they struggled to own the event, immediately their preferred candidate stepped out with his nomination form.

 

One of the supporters, Alabi Majekodunmi, who resides in Abuja, vowed to go back to Abeokuta with his family members just to ensure his “role model” sailed through in his governorship bid.

 

“I have been watching him on TV and I dare say this is one of the most intelligent Nigerians around. He has the capacity, I’ve not seen any like it before. I watched his declaration, and I want to agree that he is truly the leader that he had been searching for all along. I read on Facebook that he would be picking his form today and here I am. Not only me, many of us here,” the quantity surveyor said.

 

Responding, the Governorship aspirant said he was confident of victory in the 2023 Ogun race, noting that there were no fears, either within the party or across party lines.

 

He, however, stressed that he was humbled by the large turnout of supporters who had urged him on, non-stop, to put his hat in the ring.

 

Showunmi said, “I am humbled, to say the least. People paid their way in these hard times from everywhere to stand with me today. You have continued to call on me to contest the governorship of our dear Ogun State, and today I have demonstrated that I have heard you clearly. The job has started, let’s go there.

 

“I don’t have gold to give for this overwhelming support, neither do I have silver. But I assure you, I will make the people of Ogun State and my humble self proud as I take sure footed steps, abiding by selfless principles, on this journey to the next level of leadership.”

 

Also, the Convener of Lagos for Lagos campaign group, Dr. Abdulazeez Olajide Adediran bought the nomination and expression of interest form to contest the governorship ticket of the party.

 

While briefing the media on his chances, the aspirant who recently decamped from APC said, “If you’ve been following, you see that PDP have been doing between 34 and 36%, you know, in every election year and after the review by our committee, which first created an implosion within the strong base of the ruling party, and moving that huge number to PDP, be rest assured that it is 20% that PDP needs to cross that threshold and then win Lagos for the people of Lagos. So even the APC in Lagos already knows. That’s why they are doing everything humanly possible to ensure that they keep firing, using campaign of calumny so they try to infiltrate into our land so that we don’t get on the ballot. But we know that we’re going to get on the ballot. And we’re going to win Lagos for PDP in general, and I’ve given you the data, okay, go check. And what we’ve just brought in into PDP is what we need to deliver the state for PDP.

 

“So everybody in Lagos is just waiting for us to be on the ballot. And the moment that happened, then you can rest assured that on May 29 2023, I will be sworn in as governor.”

Meanwhile, Ose Anenih, the son of a late PDP national leader, Chief Tony Anenih, has picked expression of interest and nomination forms to run for the Esan North East/Esan South East Federal Constituency of Edo State.

He is bidding to succeed the incumbent, Hon. Sergius Ogun, who is completing his second tenure as the House of Representatives member representing the area.

The younger Anenih picked up the forms at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja on Monday with a pledge to continue to provide the people with quality representation.

While praising the work of the incumbent representative, the aspirant maintained that a lot remains to be done especially in the areas of security and water supply in the constituency.

“I’ll be looking to tackle more fundamental issues we have in the constituency like water, insecurity, general insecurity and a more specific area like education that is relevant to 21st century.

“My constituency has a problem with water. I know the Federal and State governments have done some work. We will be focusing on this and ensuring that the work is sustainable and my constituency has access to free, clean and safe drinking water,” he said.

“On insecurity, he pointed out that at the moment, citizens have problems moving between towns even though the towns themselves are relatively safe.”

While recalling the recent unchallenged deadly broad day armed robbery attack in Uromi, his town, he said the only way out of the current insecurity in the country is the adoption of state police and the restructuring the security architecture, saying, “I will be pushing hard to make sure of that.”

Ose noted that he was not looking to fill the shoes of his late father as he observed that every individual has his own destiny.

While affirming that Chief Anenih had a different role in politics other than contesting elective offices, the aspirant added: “I think everybody has his own shoes to fill. He never actually contested for elective office and I think his role in politics is slightly different from mine.

“I’m looking to contest specifically for legislative office because I believe that our democracy is literally built on the laws that our state houses of assembly and national assembly pass.

“Nigeria is in a precarious situation where we see strong men not cut for the democratic cloth can bring the nation to the edge and I’m hoping that my tenure in the House of Representatives will safeguard our democracy.”