Encomium
In what appears to be a clash of the titans, the two time governor of Ogun state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel and Chairman, Southwest PDP, Organisation and Mobilization, Prince Buruji Kasham are at present in serious political scheming over who eventually picks the Peoples Democratic Party senatorial ticket in Ogun East of the state.
ENCOMIUM Weekly can reliably inform that both Daniel and Buruji were the only people who actually obtained and thereafter submitted the expression of interest form for the senatorial race.
The party has been polarized into three major factions in Ogun state over which of the factions will produce the governorship candidate. While the Jubril Martins-Kuye led faction prefers the former speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole, Buruji Kasham is pressing for Omooba Segun Adewale and Hon Biodun Akinlade. For OGD, it is either Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka or Omooba Yanju Lipede.
It was gathered on good authority that relentless effort by the party leadership to appeal to the warring factions to agree on a consensus candidate have turned on deaf ears as none of the factions refused to shift ground.
The party stakeholders in the state have been sharply divided over the candidature of Daniel and Buruji for the senatorial race. While some of them believed that Daniel, as a two time governor wielded enormous influence beyond the nine local governments in Ogun East to get bulk votes for the party in the general elections, others, mainly from the mainstream PDP prefer Buruji because of his doggedness, huge financial muscle to match the opposition which enjoys power of incumbency at the moment in the state.
We however gathered as at press time that efforts are in top gear to appeal to Prince Buruji Kasham to step down for the former governor in the interest of the party.
A party chieftain in Ogun East told us that a consensus arrangement will be the best for the party rather than allow the two prominent figures in the party go for primary election.
If the reconciliation effort eventually works and Daniel emerges the PDP candidate for the Ogun East senatorial race, he may also be facing Prince Dapo Abiodun, who stands the better chance to pick the APC senatorial ticket in Ogun East.
It could be recalled that both Daniel and Dapo Abiodun locked horns in 2003, when the duo contested the primary election for the PDP governorship race in the state.
Dapo Abiodun, who later left active politics to face his petroleum business appeared on the political scene few months back, but on the platform of APC to contest the senatorial race. Daniel hails from Sagamu, Dapo Abiodun is from Iperu, both in Remoland.
– DAYO RUFAI
