The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akoko Northeast Local Government Area of Ondo State, on Tuesday passed vote of no confidence on the lawmaker representing the area at the House of Assembly, Hon. Rasheed Elegbeleye, over poor performance.
Rising from a meeting at the party’s state Secretariat at Alagbaka, Akure, the state capital, the leaders, unanimously endorsed, presented and replaced Elegbeleye with Olanrewaju Akintola, as the party’s candidate for the forthcoming general election.
Speaking on behalf of the PDP leaders from the constituency, Alhaji Yusuf Hamzat, berated the current lawmaker over alleged failure to meet the yearnings and aspirations of the people of the constituency since assumption of office.
While presenting Akintola, as a replacement for the current lawmaker to represent the area said: “What we are saying is this. The person that we brought to come and obtain the form today, the leaders of the party reasonably went to seek for him as the best alternative.
“At the last meeting we held at the party’s Secretariat, what we heard about our representative was not palatable. So we resolved to look for best alternative.
“As far as I’m concerned, PDP is the party to win in Akoko North East because we are firmly rooted. We are going to deliver successfully, and we are very sure that the person we are presenting will win.”
In his address, the state chairman of the party, Fatai Adams, emphasised that the party would conduct free, fair and credible primary wherever a consensus candidate could not be agreed upon.
Adams said: “Where consensus is not possible, let’s organise a transparent, free and fair primary. The party will provide a level playing field for everyone.
“We should not forget that Nigerians are looking unto PDP to rescue the nation from its present socio-political and economic quagmire. When you get home, let us begin to do aggressive mobilisation.
He said further “It is present everywhere across the country that there is insecurity, poverty, hunger. This is the right time to rescue Nigeria from All Progressives Congress (APC).”
Presenting the nomination form to Akintola, the party chairman said he (Akintola) satisfied all requirements to vie for the party’s ticket at the primary.
In his comment after obtaining the nomination form, Akintola said: “I’m a grassroots politician, and I believe I will win the election.”
He noted that as a youth, “If the government is telling us that youths should be contesting for any position, they should give us chance by giving us all things that will favour us.
“But in today’s politics, political leaders are discouraging youths to join politics in the area of monetary aspect which is not supposed to be.
“Our votes will not be divided and I want to say this that 95 per cent of our leaders in Akoko North East had supported me to obtain this form which we hope that PDP is going to win