Date: 2014-11-25

The last may not have been heard on the issue of the imposition crisis rocking the Kwara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the gubernatorial aspirants seeking the party’s ticket have allegedly commenced consensus meeting to challenge Dele Belgore.

Belgore is believed to be the anointed candidate of billionaire oil magnate, Minat Shagaya said to be the party decision broker in the state.

According to National Pilot investigation, the meeting which was held in Abuja at the house of one of the G-11 PDP gubernatorial aspirants in the nation’s capital city last week, Abdurrahman Abdulrazaq, was reportedly chaired by Professor Abdulraheem Oba and was convened to select a consensus candidate that would challenge Belgore at the party’s primaries coming up next month.

The G11 gubernatorial aspirants are reportedly those that have decided to ‘gang up’ to garner resources and energy to challenge Shagaya on her alleged Belgore project.

Members of the group apart from Abdulrazaq include Professor Shuaib Oba Abdulraheem, Senator Sulyman Ajadi, Senator Simon Ajibola, Sunday Babalola, Kale Belgore, Bio Ibrahim among others.

Though, Dele Belgore was allegedly invited, he was said to have shunned the meeting “Which later ended in a deadlock because they failed to arrive at a conclusion on who to present”, it was gathered.

It was further learnt that the G11 resolved at the meeting that if a consensus aspirant would emerge for the party, it would have to be from their camp to neutralise the campaign of those flying the Belgore’s kite.

According to top party sources who spoke with our reporters on the issue, the gubernatorial aspirants at the meeting resolved to work together irrespective of their showing at the primaries and support the party to achieve victory at the poll.

“All of them attended the meeting expect Dele Belgore though he was invited.

“They all pledged their support and loyalty for the party and resolved to support whoever emerged as the party’s flag bearer either through consensus or primaries. 

“Though the meeting later ended in deadlock as they didn’t agree on who will be presented,” the source added.

But, Shagaya has dissociated herself from the alleged rumour of purported endorsement of Dele Belgore, adding that she has no anointed candidate among the close to 15 gubernatorial aspirants seeking the  PDP ticket in next year’s election.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the party stalwart who described herself as a democrat and a true believer in transparent primaries, urged all aspirants to desist from dropping her name and that of the presidency in their campaign to gain support of delegates and party members ahead of the forthcoming primaries scheduled to hold next month.

 Shagaya emphasized that she remained neutral in the politics of gubernatorial candidacy and promised to support whoever emerged as the party flag bearer.

She urged all delegates and stakeholders of the party to engage all aspirants in discussion on their plans and programmes and not vote based on sentiment.

Meanwhile, pioneer chairman of the party in Kwara State, Barr Kunle Sulyman has applauded decision of Shagaya for her public declaration on the issue of the party’s governorship aspirants.

Sulyman who noted that Shagaya has supported all of them both in cash and kind, urged the aspirants to appeal to the delegates by selling their plans and programmes ahead of the forthcoming primary election.