ARAPAJA REMAINS THE FAVOURITE TO EMERGE AS THE PDP NATIONAL DEPUTY CHAIRMAN SOUTH
The battle for the deputy chairmanship of the Peoples Democratic Party (south) narrowed down to Arapaja as favorites as Oyinlola lost governors support and Oladipo disqualified for taking the party to court in the past.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors may have rejected the ambition of former Osun State Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola to serve as the next deputy national chairman (South) of the opposition party, it was learnt yesterday.
The governors have resolved to back the National Vice Chairman (Southwest), Alhaji Taofeek Arapaja, who is eyeing the slot. Despite the governors’ endorsement of Arapaja, Oyinlola is yet to indicated he would withdraw from the race.
The third contender, Prof. Wale Oladipo, has been disqualified from contesting for taking the party to court in the past. The Deputy National Chairman (South) was micro-zoned to the Southwest, which produced the only PDP governor, Seyi Makinde, during the 2019 elections.
The calculation is that since PDP is likely to pick its 2023 presidential candidate from the North, whoever emerges as the national chairman at the national convention is expected to step down in the spirit of equity and balance.
If he steps down, the Deputy National Chairman (South) may automatically succeed him as national chairman.
Arapaja, a former House of Representatives member and one-time deputy governor of Oyo State, is being sponsored by Makinde, the secretary of the National Convention Committee, who has rallied his colleagues at the PDP Governors’ Forum for support.
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