Kunle Adelabu
The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Oshin Olanrewaju, has blamed the party’s performance at the last Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections in Ikorodu as a result of failure on the part of the party to partner with some people.
Though, he did not mention the names, it, however, seems that he was referring to the Labour Party which did not field candidates for the Senatorial and House of Representatives in Ikorodu.
Oshin who said that his party did not have any issue with the return of the APC candidate, Rep. Babajimi Benson as the winner of the election, said that his party might have lost the President election in Ikorodu, but he is sure that the party’s Presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar will be declared as the overall winner.
He spoke with THE IMPACT on Sunday at the INEC office in Ikorodu.
“In Ikorodu Local Government, PDP actually tried a lot with the structure on ground, but the issue is that we did not partner with the people that we should have partnered with for the election. We fought on different ways which really affected us”, he said.
“With what we saw on ground, it’s not hundred percent free and fair, but a little bit acceptable.
“With what I have on ground, I don’t have any issue (Rep. Babajimi Benson’s return as winner of the Ikorodu Federal Constituency seat), but after doing my own review, if there’s anything, I know where to lodge the complaint”, PDP Chairman said on the returned of the APC candidate.
On the Presidential and Senatorial elections, Dr Oshin said:
“I have so much confidence in the presidential election, we might have lost the poll in Ikorodu, but generally, I know that our candidate will be declared as the winner. The votes will be favourable to him. Regarding the Senatorial election, we are still collating the results for now and I know that something may come out, hopefully”, he said.
He blamed failure of logistics for the low turnout of voters in the last Saturday election compared to the number of the registered voters in Ikorodu.
“The problem about the turnout is the mobilization. Majority of us always have the zeal to register to vote but when it comes to the proper voting aspect, the distance (where the electorate reside to his polling booth) do a lot. You know there’s always no means for transportation on election day, which affected us a lot because a lot of our members are based in the rural areas and they have no way to come out”, he said.
