Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has emerged as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 governorship election.
Makinde defeated Hazeem Gbolarumi, his only opponent in the primaries held at the Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Adamasingba, Ibadan, on Wednesday.
Announcing the results of the election, the secretary of the PDP Electoral Committee, Alhaji Abdullahi MaiBasira, said that 1,048 delegates were accredited to vote out of a 1,086 delegates.
MaiBasira said Makinde scored 1,040 votes to defeat Gbolarumi, who scored only two votes; adding that six votes were voided.
In his acceptance speech, Makinde thanked all the delegates for finding him worthy to be the party’s flag bearer in the 2023 election.
“I’m not the most brilliant or the most upright person yet you gave me your mandate. Thank you for believing in me and in our party, PDP.
“Trust is like a building. For every building to stand, it must have a solid foundation; the foundation for trust is truth,” Makinde said.
The governor, while assuring the delegates that he would continue to be honest, urged all PDP members in the state to continue working for the progress of the party.
Earlier, Gbolarumi, who alleged that his delegates were chased away from the venue of the primaries, called on the leadership of the party to do the right thing for the growth of the party in the state.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Oyo State, Dr Mutiu Agboke, and the INEC Administrative Secretary, Alhaji Abiodun Onigate-Amosun, witnessed the primaries.
Representatives of security agencies at the election were the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Department of Security Service (DSS).
Delegates from across the 33 Local Government Areas of the state were at the stadium for the primaries.
Gbolarumi, a former deputy governor to former governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, arrived the venue of the event at exactly 11.05 a.m.
As part of the efforts to ensure the integrity of the election, security agencies locked the gates leading into the venue leaving only one gate for participants to gain entrance while turning back intruders.
