Ogun 2015: Bankole Loses As PDP Submits Isiaka’s Name To INEC
The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has named Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka, GNI, as the gubernatorial candidate of the party in Ogun State. He beat the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole to it. Isiaka, an Investment banker, had won the primaries of the party which later became a subject of controversy as a result of the attempt by some people at the National Secretariat of PDP to substitute his name with Bankole who didn’t participate in the exercise.
The national leadership of the party, through its National Working Committee, today in Abuja upheld the primaries that produced Isiaka. He had defeated his closest rival, Kayode Amusan, with 702 votes while Amusan polled 151votes
Bankole who was initially favoured by the leadership of the Party was dumbed after intense lobbying. Bankole who didn’t take part in the primaries was banking on his connections with powers in Abuja to clinch the ticket. The announcement of Isiaka today has altered the calculation in the gateway state.
Isiaka is from Ogun West, which comprises of the Yewa and Awori people. This section had not produced the governor of the state in the 38 years that the state has been created. While the Egba, the Ogun Central and Ijebus/Remo, Ogun East have both had shot at the governor twice at different occasions, the agitation of the Yewa /Awori people to produce the governor appears to have received a boost.
