By Richard Thomas
The New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) in Oyo State has harmonized and Ratified its Chairmanship and Councillorship candidates across 33 local government areas of state ahead the local government election next year.
Also, the party has carefully by concesus put in place close to 62 chairmanship, 641 councillorship aspirants who have been lobbying to get the party’s priced ticket to be candidates in the state local government election scheduled for April next year.
The ratification and harmonization exercise was held simultaneously at three scheduled venues by the party, which included, I D G S Secondary School, Barack Area, Iseyin, for members of Oyo North local government area, Ebenezer Anglican Primary School, Akingbile, Moniya, Ibadan for members of Oyo Central local government and NNPP party office, Mokola, Ibadan for Oyo South chairmanship and councillorship aspirants.
Speaking with newsmen on the exercise, the state chairman of the party, Hon. Sesan Adegbola said the party agreed to the ratification and harmonization of candidates, in order to make them resolve any crisis that might have surfaced during the consensus process in various local governments and wards.
” The party leaders have made good effort to reach an agreement on consensus candidacy in all the local government and wards, but we decided to meet today again in 3 centers, in order to do the ratification exercise. What we did today has told everyone that, there was hitch-free process when the leaders were selecting consensus candidates.
Adegbola said the process was monitored by the representatives of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission.
In his remarks, Chief Kunmi Agboola, representative of Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) at the NNPP party secretariat commended the cooperation of the people at the programme.
He said aside from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the only political party with serious process for the election is NNPP.
“Aside the ruling party, NNPP is the only party that has notified OYSIEC officially about the process of picking their various candidates for election, a development which clearly shows NNPP as formidable and very ready for the election
Also Speaking, Prince Ridwan Afolabi, Oyo Central
Senatorial party leader said, the party is doing everything possible to be involved in the forthcoming local government election.
Mr. Sunday Adeosun, the party senatorial Chairman in Oyo North confirmed that the party has produced consensus candidates and had been ractified to participate in the coming local government election.
Mr. Akeem Olasunkanmi, one of the party leaders said, the ratification was necessary in order to keep the party in unity, adding that NNPP had earlier decided to
to participate in the local government election after much deliberations within the stakeholder.
” We resolved that the party should fully participate in the exercise so as not to jeopardize the ambition of young party members who are willing to test their popularity at the said elections at both Councillorship and Chairmanship levels,” he said
