The Peoples' Democratic Party(PDP), Ibadanland and Ogbomoso forum on Monday, frowned at the statement issued by a group of prospective aspirants limiting the emergence of the party's candidate to Ibadan alone
The Ibadan PDP forum said in a communique issued after its meeting in Ibadan on Monday said that it was surprised at the demand, having passed through similar gang ups that ended badly.
"We have passed through this stage before and similar gang ups and conspiracy cost us the mandate to rule the state again in 2011.
"Similar gang ups anywhere only results to nullity, fear, failure and unpopular choices. We therefore enjoin the aspirants to have a rethink in the interest of our party.
"We must all embrace level playing ground to pave way for a popular and acceptable candidate that will guarantee victory for the party in Oyo State come 2015," the communique reads in part.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a group of prospective aspirants from Ibadanland had on Sunday demanded for an Ibadan candidate to fly the party's flag in 2015.
According to the communique, " we are surprised that those who are suppose to be vanguards and promoters of equality of all Nigerians could be promoting such division.
It said that the demand negated the party's constitution and 1999 constitution which allows Nigerians to aspire for elective positions irrespective of ethnic, religious, sectional or political background.
"How could they gather somewhere and arrogate to themselves the priviledge to determine which part of the state should produce governor of Oyo state without having regards for others," it said.
It called on the people to disregard the divisional and sectional sentiment that could generate bad blood among the peace loving people of Oyo State.
It said that the party's experience in the last Ekiti election had thought them lesson and had shown clearly that it was better to allow the most popular candidate to fly the party's flag.
Similarly, Chief Bayo Oyewusi, a PDP leader in Ogbomoso, condemned such demand, saying it was a selfish agenda that would not hold waters.
Oyewusi said that they were ready to support the most popular and acceptable candidate that emerged from a level playing field of the party as entrenched by the National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu M'uazu.
"This is a fall out of what happened during the visit of Mr Ayodele Fayose, the governor-elect of Ekiti State. Who is afraid of who and who is planning to emerge through the back door without testing his popularity,"
He said that those who are demanding for such should always remember that there are five zones in the state, adding that Ibadan was just one of the zones.
