The defeated Nasarawa State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial aspirant and former Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, has denied move to leave the PDP, saying he would work for the success of the party especially towards the 2015 general election.

Maku said he was still a bona fide member of the PDP and at no time did he ever contemplate leaving the party, even though he came second in the state PDP gubernatorial primary election with 160 votes, while Yusuf Agabi polled 214 votes to emerge winner and defeat Maku and six other aspirants including the former governor Aliyu Akwe Doma, who scored 129 votes.

“It is just an imagination of some people; I am still a bona fide member of the PDP and going nowhere and will work for the success of the party right from the House of Assembly to presidential election in 2015.”

“Writing a letter of complaint to the party in the state over the concluded gubernatorial primary does not mean I have left the party. Grievances is different from defection, because I forwarded a letter of complaint over the conduct of the primaries does not mean I have left the party.

“We have one or two fundamental issues over the conduct of the primaries which we want the party to address it.”

Twenty-four hours to the deadline for the final submission of candidates’ names by political parties to INEC, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Teslim Kolawole Folarin, on Wednesday named his running mate, Hon. Ezekiel Oyedepo.

Oyedepo was a Chairman of Oriire Local Government in Ogbomoso.

Also, Folarin appointed a former speaker of the state House of Assembly, Alhaji Asimiyu Alarape from Oyo Alaafin as the Director-General of his campaign team.

Folarin spoke at the PDP secretariat while addressing all the candidates of the party that emerged after the party’s primaries in the state. At the event were Senator Ayoade Adeseun, who is re-contesting for Oyo Central and Mrs. Adedeji Otiti gunning for the Oyo South. The incumbent Deputy Senate Whip, Hosea Ayoola Agboola is the candidate for Oyo North.

On the election proper, Folarin said, “We need not fear because it has been ordained that we shall win, this is our time. And by the grace of God, we will win.
All our candidates for the state House of Assembly, House of Representatives, including our three senators will win and Mr. President will win.”

He tasked all the candidates at all levels to work for the success of PDP, stressing that, “the people of the state are eagerly waiting for us in 2015 and we must close ranks, work in unity and be at peace with all the members of this great party for us to emerge victorious.”

Folarin, while promising that his programmes for the people of the state have been captured in the blue print that is people centred and result oriented added that, the priority areas of his administration would include agriculture, education, youth empowerment, affordable housing, and above all, meeting the essential needs of the people at all times.

The party chairman, Alhaji Yinka Taiwo, preached unity among party members. He expressed optimism that the PDP will take over the reign of governance in the state come next year.

Taiwo added that other parties in the state are having their own bundle of crisis too, maintaining that with the reconciliation going on, the PDP will win at all levels in the next year’s election.