PDP chairmanship: Ladoja, Bode George, Jimi Agbaje, others withdraw from race

Hours before voting gets underway at the convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the leaders of the party in the South-West have forged a common front with the adoption of Professor Tunde Adeniran as the consensus candidate for the zone.

The decision to present Adeniran, who is a former Ambassador to Germany, was taken at a meeting of the leaders from the zone convened by a former governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja and held till the early hours of Saturday in Abuja.

A communiqué issued at the end of the meeting and signed by Ladoja said: “From consultations with stakeholders from various zones, we gathered that from all zones, the stakeholders who prefer to back the South-West zone for the position suggested that we should prune down the number, if possible, to one person.

“To reciprocate this laudable gestures, meetings of the seven  (7) aspirants were held with Senator Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja as the convener on Wednesday 6, Thursday 7, Friday 8 and Saturday 9, December with the sole aim of agreeing on a consensus candidate.

“We all agreed that the chances of one person winning are better than those of seven people who are likely to divide the votes coming to the zone.

“Since then, Mr Jimi Agbaje, Chief Oladobe George, Senator Rashidi Ladoja and Mr Olusegun Aderemi have withdrawn from the race.

“Accordingly, I am of the opinion that Professor Tunde Adeniran should become our consensus candidate for the South-West zone.

“I am hereby appealing to all lovers of the South-West zone to support the candidature of Professor Tunde Adeniran to clinch the position of the national chairman of our great party, PDP,” Ladoja said.

I withdrew to brighten South-West’s chances —Ladoja

A former governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, has said the need to brighten the chances of the South-West zone in clinching the national chairmanship of the party informed his withdrawal from the race.

Announcing his withdrawal through a letter addressed to the governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa, who is the national convention committee planning chairman, Ladoja said the decision was to help the South-West produce a consensus aspirant from the zone.

“I, Senator Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, an aspirant for the national chairmanship position hereby formally inform you of my decision to withdraw from the race.

“Having given a deep consideration to the circumstances in respect of the said race, particularly as it concerns the multiplicity of aspirants from the South-West and in common interest and good of my zone, the South-West and our great party, the only choice open to me is to bow out of the race.

“This decision is also to produce the desired outcome of a sole consensus candidate to represent the South-West zone and thereby improve the chances of the candidate.

“Please accept the assurances of my high respect and kind regards,” Ladoja said in the letter which was copied to the national caretaker committee chairman, Senator Ahmed Makarfi.