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Courtesy Thisday
Former senator representing Kwara Central senatorial district at the National Assembly and governorship aspirant of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the just concluded governorship primary election of the party in Kwara State, Senator Gbemisola Rukayat Saraki, has rejected the slot for deputy governorship candidate extended to her by the governorship candidate of the party, Senator Simeon Sule Ajibola.
THISDAY had exclusively reported last week that the leadership of the party in the state and the governorship candidate of the party, Ajibola had been mounting pressure on Saraki to pick the deputy governorship candidate of the party for next year’s election.
The development was due to the influence of Saraki in the political sphere of the state especially her own town, Ilorin emirate that comprises of Ilorin West, Ilorin East, Ilorin South, Moro and Asa local government councils of the state where the major buck of votes always determine who wins any governorship in the state.
However, sources close to the PDP in the state told THISDAY in Ilorin yesterday that the leadership of the PDP in both the state and national levels and governorship candidate of the party, Ajibola appealed to Saraki to pick the deputy governorship ticket but she was said to have rejected the offer.
Sources said the leadership of the party and Ajibola had submitted two names from Ilorin emirate to be picked among the two aspirants before Saraki rejected the offer.
The second nominee according to source, was the son of the late former governor of the state, Mr. Akeem Lawal who was also one of the governorship aspirants of the party that participated in the just concluded primary election of the party.
It was also added that Ajibola had been working harder to look for another alternative deputy governorship candidate before the deadline of submission of names by the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC)
When contacted yesterday, one of the aides of Saraki who sought anonymity confirmed to THISDAY yesterday that, “Mama has rejected the deputy governorship ticket offer from the PDP leadership and the governorship candidate, Ajibola.”
He said: “Mama is not after the deputy governorship slot and that will not make her not to support the PDP because she wants good governance come 2015 and she will continue to support the task so as to move Kwara forward.”
