At least seven governorship aspirants of the People Democratic Party in Osun State have withdrawn from the primary election of the party in Osogbo, the state capital.
Those that stepped down from the race before commencement of the primary at the GMT Event Centre are former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Adejare Bello; a lawyer, Dr. Ayoade Adewopo; a university don, Prof. Adeolu Durotoye; former chairman, Irewole Local Government Area of Osun a State, Chief Lere Oyewumi; former chairman, Federal Road Maintenance Agency, Engr. Jide Adeniji; former Minister of Youths Development, Senator Olasunkanmi Akinlabi; and former Senator representing Osun Central in the Senate, Chief Ogunwale.
But Senator Ademola Adeleke, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, Barr. Nathaniel Oke and Alhaji Fatai Akinbade, still remain in the race.
The governor of Bayelsa State, Sierake Dickson, is the chairman of the party’s electoral panel conducting the primary where over three thousand delegates would be voting to elect the party’s candidate.
Unlike the All Progressives Congress that used direct primary on Thursday to pick its flag bearer, the PDP is using delegate method to elect the party’s candidate.